Popcorn in the Pages - Episode 4: A Christmas Carol
Welcome, readers. We are so excited to continue this new content from the creators of Currently Reading Podcast! This spin-off podcast series will tackle book to screen adaptations in a spoiler-FILLED format. Be sure you’ve read the book and watched the film version before listening to the episode, because we don’t shy away from strong opinions OR from all the spoilers, unlike our regular episodes.
Show notes for this series will not be time-stamped, but will still include links to Bookshop dot org or Amazon for any books or resources referenced in the episode. These are affiliate links, so they kick back a small percentage to us if you buy through them, and help support the work we do on Currently Reading.
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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
1:24 - Here’s the Setup
2:50 - Previews:
Book Name and release date. Sales info and awards.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Movie name and release date. Box office and awards.
A Muppet Christmas Carol on Disney Plus
Spoken Word Grammy Nomination!
7:35 - The Cutting Room:
Pivotal Book scenes and how they translated to the screen.
Hustle Bustle of the city
Lines from the book
Each of the three ghosts
Final scene
Anything left out that shouldn’t have been.
Marley’s jaw
Scrooge’s sister
Belle’s life/missing song
Ignorance and Want
Dead man
Alibaba during Scrooge’s childhood
Scrooge’s lines quoted back to him
Casting and mis-casting
“Played by Kermit”
Scrooge - Michael Caine
Ian McClellan?
Richard Harris?
Swapping Muppet roles
Two Marleys
Problematic elements.
Classism versus other isms
Body commentary
Topper’s treatment of the girl he’s crushing on
40:05 - Award Season:
Worst and best parts of the adaptation.
Bob Cratchit’s family
Hillbilly horses
Ghost of Christmas Past
The giant raw turkey
Musical numbers
Fozziwig
Worst and best actors.
Tiny Tim
Ghost of Christmas Past
Michael Caine
Waldorf and Statler
Worst and best book characters.
The Cratchit family
Ebeneezer Scrooge
Ghost of Christmas Present
Fred
51:43 - Book/Flick Energy:
Book scored on a 5 star scale.
George C. Scott version from 1984
The Man Who Invented Christmas on Amazon Prime
Movie scored on a 10 point scale.
Jim Carrey - Christmas Carol on Netflix
George C. Scott version from 1984
56:51 - A Leftover Popcorn Kernel:
What are your top 3 favorite Christmas carols?
O, Holy Night
Angels We Have Heard on High
Strange Way to Save the World
Carol of the Bells
Do You Hear What I Hear - Whitney Houston
Joy to the World - Mariah Carey
If you had to pick a classic to adapt with muppets, which would you choose?
Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
If you could travel in time, but only one direction, which would you choose?
11/22/63 by Stephen King
1:04:02 - End Credits
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
1985 film version with Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey (can stream on Max and rent most places)
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