Abhijeet Singh ’15
Next on our list is another rendition of everyone’s favorite Charles Dickens tale.  A Christmas Carol (2009) is a unique take on the infamous character of Ebenezer Scrooge and his revelation about life. He lives a life of being a greedy hermit, not caring for anyone and despising the Christmas spirit. Yet after an encounter with the Ghost of Past, Present and Future, Scrooge’s outlook on life completely changes. The film reaches dark areas and explores more somber themes before its underlying Christmas message is revealed. Originally created based off of Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol, the digital animation style sets this movie apart from previous renditions. Jim Carrey’s voice and the overall tone of the film make it feel surprisingly fresh for the rendition of such an old and often-told tale.
The reason that this film is #16 is due to its fresh feel and its ability to revive the old tale. At the same time, it masterfully balances dark themes with the Christmas spirit. As a consequence, however, it becomes less recommendable as a Christmas family film. And though it borrows the name A Christmas Carol, it is not exactly very loyal in terms of plot, at least compared to other renditions. Nonetheless, this film is a unique take on a classic and a great Christmas-themed film altogether.