Posted on December 19, 2019 at 1:58 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
Little Women isn’t the only classic novel being (unnecessarily?) readapted this holiday season.
A new version of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol — starring Guy Pearce as Ebenezer Scrooge, Andy Serkis as Ghost of Christmas Past, and Stephen Graham as Jacob Marley — airs on FX tonight.
Reviewer Nick Allen wants to make it clear: If you’re expecting color and cheer, better skip this adaptation.
It’s a “dark and gritty version of a holiday story that was already about a man’s cruelty,” he writes at RogerEbert.com.
Variety’s chief TV critic, Daniel D'Addario, acknowledges that Pearce’s performance is powerful, but describes his Scrooge as “less misanthrope than outright sociopath” and calls the movie overall “hardly enjoyable to watch.”
However, the adaptation does have at least one fan.
Chris Evangelista at SlashFilm says this version isn’t perfect, nor will it please anyone seeking a traditional take, but observes that it’s definitely an original take on an oft-told tale.
“There’s something thrilling about seeing a story you know by heart go in new directions,” writes Evangelista.
Watch the trailer on FX's website whether you’ll tune in for the full three-hour event at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
Categories: Today in Books