View source for A Christmas Carol (2009 film)


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{{Infobox film
| image          = ChistmasCarol2009-Poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| alt            = Film poster showing Ebenezer Scrooge (Carrey) flying past the Big Ben tower under construction.
| director       = [[Robert Zemeckis]]
| screenplay     = Robert Zemeckis
| based_on       = {{Based on|''[[A Christmas Carol]]''|[[Charles Dickens]]}}
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Steve Starkey]]
* Robert Zemeckis
* [[Jack Rapke]]}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|<!--Per poster billing-->
* [[Jim Carrey]]
* [[Gary Oldman]]
* [[Colin Firth]]
* [[Bob Hoskins]]
* [[Robin Wright Penn]]
* [[Cary Elwes]]
* [[Fionnula Flanagan]]}}
| cinematography = Robert Presley
| editing        = Jeremiah O'Driscoll
| music          = [[Alan Silvestri]]
| production_companies = {{Plainlist|
* [[Walt Disney Pictures]]
* [[ImageMovers Digital]]}}
| distributor    = [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Walt Disney Studios<br>Motion Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|2009|11|03|[[London]]|2009|11|06|United States}}
| runtime        = 96 minutes<!-- 95m 40s --><ref>{{cite web|title=''A CHRISTMAS CAROL'' (PG)|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/AFF261239/|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=October 7, 2009|access-date=November 24, 2012|archive-date=November 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120005512/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/a-christmas-carol-film-qxnzzxq6vlgtoty3nzmw|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $175–200 million<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/business/media/26carol.html | title=Disney Hopes ''Christmas Carol'' Lives Up to Its Blockbuster Marketing | work=New York Times | access-date=October 25, 2009 | first=Brooks | last=Barnes | date=October 26, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125154815/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/business/media/26carol.html | archive-date=November 25, 2011 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="bom">{{cite web  |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=christmascarol09.htm | title=A Christmas Carol (2009) | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | access-date=November 28, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091129033829/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=christmascarol09.htm| archive-date= November 29, 2009| url-status= live }}</ref>
| gross          = $325.3 million<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Christmas Carol |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1067106/ |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>}}

'''''A Christmas Carol''''' (also known as '''''Disney's A Christmas Carol''''') is a 2009 American animated [[Christmas by medium#Films|Christmas]] [[fantasy film]] based on the 1843 novel [[A Christmas Carol|of the same name]] by [[Charles Dickens]]. The film was directed, written, and co-produced by [[Robert Zemeckis]], and stars a motion-captured and voice cast that includes [[Jim Carrey]], [[Gary Oldman]], [[Colin Firth]], [[Bob Hoskins]], [[Robin Wright Penn]], [[Cary Elwes]] and [[Fionnula Flanagan]]. Produced by [[Walt Disney Pictures]] and [[ImageMovers Digital]], and released by [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]], it is Disney's [[Adaptations of A Christmas Carol|third adaptation of the novel]], following ''[[Mickey's Christmas Carol]]'' (1983) and ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]'' (1992).

The film was animated through the process of [[motion-capture]], a technique used in ImageMovers' previous animated films including ''[[The Polar Express (film)|The Polar Express]]'' (2004), ''[[Monster House (film)|Monster House]]'' (2006), and ''[[Beowulf (2007 film)|Beowulf]]'' (2007). Like the previous films Zemeckis has directed, [[Alan Silvestri]] returned to compose the score. ''A Christmas Carol'' was the first film produced by ImageMovers Digital, and also was, along with ''[[Mars Needs Moms]]'' (2011), the only ImageMovers Digital projects made, before the studio was shut down by The Walt Disney Company for unsatisfactory box office results.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=March 13, 2010|title=Disney to shut ImageMovers Digital studio|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2010-mar-13-la-fi-ct-disney13-2010mar13-story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121211735/https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2010-mar-13-la-fi-ct-disney13-2010mar13-story.html |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |access-date=January 15, 2021|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

''A Christmas Carol'' had its world premiere in London on November 3, 2009, which coincided with the switching-on of the annual [[Oxford Street]] and [[Regent Street]] Christmas lights;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8253269.stm|title=Dickens theme for festive lights|date=September 13, 2009|work=BBC News|access-date=September 13, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908160540/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8253269.stm|archive-date=September 8, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/6179865/Disneys-A-Christmas-Carol-will-be-theme-for-Londons-Christmas-lights.html|title=Disney's A Christmas Carol will be theme for London's Christmas lights|last=Hall|first=James|date=September 12, 2009|work=Daily Telegraph|access-date=September 13, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912230302/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/6179865/Disneys-A-Christmas-Carol-will-be-theme-for-Londons-Christmas-lights.html|archive-date=September 12, 2009|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> it was later released in [[Disney Digital 3D]], [[RealD 3D]], and [[IMAX 3D]] formats in the United States on November 6.<ref>{{cite news | date= February 7, 2008 | first= Pamela | last= McClintock | url= https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/studios-rush-to-fill-09-schedule-1117980473/ | work= Variety | title= Studios rush to fill '09 schedule | access-date= December 15, 2018 | archive-date= June 22, 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180622140153/https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/studios-rush-to-fill-09-schedule-1117980473/ | url-status= live }}</ref> It grossed $325.3 million worldwide against a $175–200 million production budget, and received mixed reviews from critics, who criticized its dark tone and script, but praised its visuals, Silvestri's score, and the performances of Carrey and Oldman. Neverthless, the film was nominated for Favorite Animated Movie and Carrey won Favorite Voice From an Animated Movie at the [[2010 Kids' Choice Awards]].

== Plot ==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films should be between 400 and 700 words. Current word count 490. -->
On Christmas Eve of 1836, [[Ebenezer Scrooge]]'s best friend and business partner [[Jacob Marley]] dies. 

Seven years later he becomes a surly businessman living in [[Victorian era|Victorian]] [[London]] who refuses to partake in the merriment of Christmas. On [[Christmas Eve]] in 1843, he declines an invitation to his nephew Fred's [[Christmas dinner]], harshly dismisses two gentlemen who are collecting donations for the poor, and only reluctantly allows his employee [[Bob Cratchit]] to have Christmas Day off. That night, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Jacob, who is bound in chains. He informs Scrooge that three spirits will visit him over the course of three nights, and he must heed their warnings or suffer a similar fate to his.

At one o'clock, Scrooge is visited by the [[Ghost of Christmas Past]], who shows him visions of his early life, such as his lonely days in [[boarding school]], his relationship with his younger sister Fan, and his time as an apprentice under the benevolent [[Mr. Fezziwig]]. The young Scrooge met a young woman named Belle, with whom he fell in love, but his focus on accruing wealth drove them apart. Overwhelmed, Scrooge extinguishes the Ghost's flame and returns home.

Scrooge next meets the merry [[Ghost of Christmas Present]], who shows how others find joy on Christmas Day. Scrooge and the Ghost visit Bob's house and he learns his family is content with their small dinner and meagre home. Scrooge takes pity on Bob's ill son [[Tiny Tim (A Christmas Carol)|Tiny Tim]], whom the Ghost reveals might not survive until next Christmas. They next visit Fred's house, where Fred insists the guests raise a toast to Scrooge in spite of his stinginess. Before the Ghost dies, he shows Scrooge the evils of "Ignorance" and "Want".

The [[Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come]] appears to Scrooge and shows him a hypothetical future where people respond to an unknown man's death with apathy and even satisfaction. Faced with the man's covered body, Scrooge asks to see tenderness associated with death, and the Ghost shows him the Cratchit family mourning the death of Tiny Tim. Finally, the Ghost takes Scrooge to a cemetery and points out a tombstone bearing Scrooge's name, confirming that he is the dead man; the stone further indicates that his death will fall on Christmas Day of an undisclosed and possibly imminent year. Horrified, Scrooge vows to change his ways before finding himself back in his bedroom.

Discovering it is Christmas Day, a gleeful Scrooge begins spreading happiness and joy around London, anonymously sending the Cratchits a turkey, providing charity to one of the gentlemen, and attending Fred's Christmas dinner. The next day, Scrooge raises Bob's salary and pledges his support for the Cratchits. Scrooge becomes a father figure to Tiny Tim, who overcomes his ailments and is restored to health, treating everyone with kindness, generosity, and compassion, thus embodying the Christmas spirit.

== Cast ==
<!-- In credits order -->
* [[Jim Carrey]] as [[Ebenezer Scrooge]], a grumpy, penny-pinching, and lonely old man whose sheer greedy nature leads him to despise Christmas and all things which engender happiness.<br />Carrey also portrays:
** [[Ghost of Christmas Past]], who is depicted as an [[Androgyny|androgynous]] man with a flickering flame for a head and a body like a candle and speaks with an [[Hiberno-English|Irish]] accent.
** [[Ghost of Christmas Present]], who is depicted as a towering man with red hair, a full beard, and a green [[stoat|ermine]] robe, and is a jolly figure prone to hearty laughter and speaks with a [[Yorkshire accent]].
** [[Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come]], who is depicted as an ominous shadow of Scrooge's alter ago. His appearance is of a figure in a large black hooded cloak.
* [[Gary Oldman]] as
** [[Bob Cratchit]], Scrooge's poor underpaid clerk.
** [[Jacob Marley]], the ghost of Scrooge's ex-business partner who is bound in chains.
** Oldman also provides the motion-capture for [[Tiny Tim (A Christmas Carol)|Tiny Tim]], Cratchit's youngest son.
* [[Colin Firth]] as Fred, Scrooge's cheerful nephew and only living relative. He is the son of Scrooge's long-dead sister Fan.
* [[Robin Wright Penn]] as
** Belle, Scrooge's neglected fiancée.
** Fan (motion-capture), Scrooge's beloved late sister who was the mother of Fred.
* [[Bob Hoskins]] as [[Mr. Fezziwig|Mr. Nigel Fezziwig]], the [[Ownership|proprietor]] of a warehouse business for whom Scrooge worked as a young apprentice.
** Hoskins also portrays Old Joe, a [[Fence (criminal)|fence]] who buys the belongings of the deceased Scrooge from Mrs. Dilber.
* [[Cary Elwes]] as Dick Wilkins/Portly Gentleman #1/Mad Fiddler/Guest #2/Business Man #1
** Elwes would also act as a stand-in for Scrooge or the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present in scenes where these characters appear together, as all were portrayed by Jim Carrey.
* [[Fionnula Flanagan]] as Mrs. Dilber, Scrooge's [[charwoman]].
* [[Lesley Manville]] as Mrs. Emily Cratchit
* [[Fay Masterson]] as Martha Cratchit/Guest #1/Caroline
* [[Molly Quinn|Molly C. Quinn]] as Belinda Cratchit
* [[Daryl Sabara]] as Peter Cratchit/Undertaker's Apprentice/Tattered Caroler #1/Beggar Boy #1/Well-Dressed Caroler #1
* Leslie Zemeckis as Janet Holywell, credited as "Fred's Wife".
* [[Steve Valentine]] as Funerary Undertaker/Topper
* [[Julian Holloway]] as Fat Cook/Portly Gentleman #2/Business Man #3
* [[Sammi Hanratty]] as Beggar Boy #3/Young Cratchit Girl/Want Girl/Fan (voice)
* Sage Ryan as Tattered Caroler #2/Tiny Tim (additional motion-capture)
* [[Ryan Ochoa]] as Tattered Caroler #4/Beggar Boy #2/Young Cratchit Boy/Ignorance Boy/Young Boy with Sleigh/Tiny Tim (voice)
* Amber Gainey Meade as Tattered Caroler #3/ Well-Dressed Caroler #2
* Bobbi Page as Tattered Caroler #5/Well-Dressed Caroler #3
* Ron Bottitta as Tattered Caroler #6/Well-Dressed Caroler #4
* Jacquie Barnbrook as Mrs. Allie Fezziwig/Fred's sister-in-law/Well-Dressed Caroler #5
* [[Paul Blackthorne]] as Guest #3/Business Man #2
* Michael Hyland as Guest #4
* Kerry Hoyt as Adult Ignorance
* Julene Renee-Preciado as Adult Want

== Production ==
After making ''[[The Polar Express (film)|The Polar Express]]'' (2004), [[Robert Zemeckis]] stated that he "fell in love with digital theater" and tried finding an avenue to use the format again.<ref name="Moviewebtimetravel">{{cite web|date=November 16, 2010|title=Robert Zemeckis Discusses Disney's a Christmas Carol|url=https://movieweb.com/robert-zemeckis-discusses-disneys-a-christmas-carol/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124153249/http://movieweb.com/robert-zemeckis-discusses-disneys-a-christmas-carol/|archive-date=January 24, 2016|access-date=30 November 2019|website=Movieweb}}</ref> He eventually decided that an adaptation of [[Charles Dickens]]'s ''[[A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas|A Christmas Carol]]'' would be an opportunity to achieve this.<ref name="Moviewebtimetravel"/> Upon rereading the story, he realized that "the story has never been realized in a way that it was actually imagined by Charles Dickens as he wrote it," as well as that "it's as if he wrote this story to be a movie because it's so visual and so cinematic."<ref name="Moviewebtimetravel"/> Zemeckis has stated previously that ''A Christmas Carol'' is one of his favorite stories dealing with [[time travel]].<ref>''Making the Trilogy: Part 1'' featurette on the [[Back to the Future (film series)|''Back to the Future'' Trilogy]] DVD box set.</ref> [[Jim Carrey]], who played [[Ebenezer Scrooge]] and each of the three spirits, has described the film as "a classical version of ''A Christmas Carol'' [...] There are a lot of vocal things, a lot of physical things, I have to do. Not to mention doing the accents properly, the English, Irish accents [...] I want it to fly in the UK. I want it to be good and I want them to go, 'Yeah, that's for real.' We were very true to the book. It's beautiful. It's an incredible film."<ref>{{cite web | date = March 7, 2008 | author = <!-- COMING SOON staff byline --> |url = https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/42719-in-the-future-jim-carrey | title = In the Future: Jim Carrey | url-status = live | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121008234308/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=42719 | archive-date=October 8, 2012 | work = [[ComingSoon.net]] | access-date = 2018-12-15 }}</ref>

[[The Walt Disney Company]] partnered with [[Amtrak]] to promote the film with a special nationwide [[exhibition train]] tour, starting at Los Angeles in May 2009 and visiting 40 cities, finishing in [[New York City]] in November.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/bored-disneys-christmas-carol-amtrak-train-tour/|title=All A Bored Disney's 'A Christmas Carol' Train Tour|last=Young|first=Paul|website=[[Screen Rant]]|date=October 20, 2009|access-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403051300/https://screenrant.com/bored-disneys-christmas-carol-amtrak-train-tour/|archive-date=April 3, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jimcarreyonline.com/recent/news.php?id=1330|title="A Christmas Carol" - Train Tour Update|publisher=Jim Carrey Online|date=May 17, 2019|access-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216074212/http://www.jimcarreyonline.com/recent/news.php?id=1330|archive-date=December 16, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
{{Main|A Christmas Carol (soundtrack)}}
The film's music was composed, orchestrated and conducted by [[Alan Silvestri]] and performed by the [[Hollywood Studio Symphony]]. The film's music was also orchestrated by [[William Ross (composer)|William Ross]], [[Conrad Pope]] and John Ashton Thomas and performed by [[London Voices]] and [[Hollywood Studio Symphony|The Hollywood Studio Symphony]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://scoringsessions.com/2009/12/22/alan-silvestri-scores-a-christmas-carol/|title=Alan Silvestri scores A Christmas Carol|date=December 22, 2009|website=ScoringSessions.com|access-date=February 18, 2020|archive-date=February 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218232321/http://scoringsessions.com/2009/12/22/alan-silvestri-scores-a-christmas-carol/|url-status=live}}</ref> Much of the film's music was based on traditional Christmas carols such as "[[God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen]]", "[[Deck the Halls]]", "[[O Come, All Ye Faithful]]", "[[Hark! The Herald Angels Sing]]" and "[[Joy to the World]]". The film's theme song, titled "God Bless Us Everyone", was written by [[Glen Ballard]] and Alan Silverstri and performed by Italian classical crossover tenor [[Andrea Bocelli]]. The film's soundtrack album was recorded in 2009 at The Newman Scoring Stage in [[Los Angeles, California]]. The film's soundtrack album was also released on 3 November 2009 by [[Walt Disney Records]].

"Present" by [[JUJU]] is the theme song for the Japanese version.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 23, 2010 |title=映画『Disney's　クリスマス・キャロル』ジャパン・プレミアに出演決定！ {{!}} Juju {{!}} ソニーミュージックオフィシャルサイト |url=https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/JUJU/info/321607 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241130075718/https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/JUJU/info/321607 |archive-date=2024-11-30 |access-date=2026-01-17 |website=JUJU {{!}} Sony Music |language=ja-JP}}</ref>

== Release ==
''A Christmas Carol'' opened in London on November 3, 2009, and was theatrically released on November 6, 2009, in the United States by [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]].

=== Home media ===
[[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]] released the film on November 16, 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/45524/disneys-a-christmas-carol/|title=Disney's A Christmas Carol (Blu-ray)|last=Orndorf|first=Brian|work=[[DVD Talk]]|date=November 8, 2010|access-date=January 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219083744/http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/45524/disneys-a-christmas-carol/|archive-date=February 19, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> in a single-disc [[DVD]], two-disc [[Plane (mathematics)|2D]] [[Blu-ray]]/DVD combo and in a four-disc combo pack that includes a [[Blu-ray#Blu-ray 3D|Blu-ray 3D]], a regular Blu-ray, a DVD and a [[digital copy]]. This marked the first time that a film was available in Blu-ray 3D the same day as a standard Blu-ray, as well as Disney's first in the Blu-ray 3D market along with ''[[Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]'' (2010).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2010/digital/news/3d-for-the-home-coming-1118013499/|title=3D for the home coming|last=Garrett|first=Diane|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 7, 2010|access-date=January 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226175722/http://variety.com/2010/digital/news/3d-for-the-home-coming-1118013499/|archive-date=February 26, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The DVD contains [[deleted scene]]s and two featurettes called "On Set with [[Sammi Hanratty|Sammi]]" and "Capturing ''A Christmas Carol''". The Blu-ray also has a "Digital Advent Calendar" and the featurette "Behind the Carol: The Full Motion-Capture Experience". The Blu-ray 3D has an exclusive 3D game called "Mr. Scrooge's Wild Ride".

The film grossed $69 million in home sales.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009) - Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Disneys-A-Christmas-Carol |access-date=2023-12-21 |website=The Numbers}}</ref>

== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
''A Christmas Carol'' grossed $137.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $187.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $325.3 million.<ref name="bom" /> Due to its high production and marketing costs, the film lost the studio an estimated $50–100 million, and forced Mark Zoradi, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group and the head of worldwide marketing, to resign.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-nov-10-fi-ct-zoradi10-story.html |title=Disney Studios president leaves |first=Claudia |last=Eller |date=November 10, 2009 |access-date=May 19, 2020 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724231648/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-nov-10-fi-ct-zoradi10-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The film opened at #1 in 3,683 theaters, grossing $30.1 million its opening weekend, with an average of $8,159 per theater.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1625792/story.jhtml |title='A Christmas Carol' Defeats 'This Is It' At Box Office |first=Josh |last=Wigler |date=November 9, 2009 |access-date=November 11, 2009 |publisher=[[MTV|MTV.com]] |archive-date=November 12, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091112083553/http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1625792/story.jhtml |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the United Kingdom, ''A Christmas Carol'' topped the box office on two occasions; the first was when it opened, the second was five weeks later when it leapfrogged box office chart toppers ''[[2012 (film)|2012]]'', ''[[The Twilight Saga: New Moon]]'' and ''[[Paranormal Activity]]'' despite family competition from ''[[Nativity! (film)|Nativity!]]'', another Christmas-themed film.

=== Critical response ===
On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 52% of 199 critics have given the film a positive review with an average rating of 6/10. The site's critical consensus read, "Robert Zemeckis' 3-D animated take on the Dickens classic tries hard, but its dazzling special effects distract from an array of fine performances from Jim Carrey and [[Gary Oldman]]."<ref>{{cite web|title=Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10008502_christmas_carol|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=June 23, 2025|archive-date=September 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910174807/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10008502_christmas_carol|url-status=live}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], another aggregator, the film has a weighted average score of 55 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/a-christmas-carol|title=A Christmas Carol Reviews|work=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=December 15, 2018|archive-date=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331075911/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/a-christmas-carol|url-status=live}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com/|title=Cinemascore|work=cinemascore.com|access-date=December 23, 2018|archive-date=January 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102130540/https://www.cinemascore.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film four stars out of four, calling it "an exhilarating visual experience".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/disneys-a-christmas-carol-2009 |title=A supercharged Ebenezer Scrooge, and a delightful visual experience |work=[[The Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=November 4, 2009 |access-date=March 29, 2023 |first=Roger |last=Ebert }}</ref> [[Owen Gleiberman]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave the film an A, applauding the film as "a marvelous and touching yuletide toy of a movie".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20317532,00.html |title=Disney's A Christmas Carol Movie Review |access-date=November 6, 2009 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=November 6, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091107045136/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20317532%2C00.html |archive-date=November 7, 2009 
|url-status=dead }}</ref> Joe Neumaier of the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' gave the film 3/5 stars and stated the film "is well-crafted but artless, detailed but lacking soul".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2009/11/06/2009-11-06_blah_humbug_a_christmas_carols_3d_spin_on_dickens_well_done_in_parts_but_lacks_s.html | title=Disney's A Christmas Carol in Disney Digital 3D: Blah, humbug! 'A Christmas Carol's 3-D spin on Dickens well done in parts but lacks spirit | work=New York Daily News | access-date=November 6, 2009 | first=Joe | last=Neumaier | date=November 5, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091109010615/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2009/11/06/2009-11-06_blah_humbug_a_christmas_carols_3d_spin_on_dickens_well_done_in_parts_but_lacks_s.html| archive-date= November 9, 2009 | url-status= dead }}</ref> Mary Elizabeth Williams of [[Salon.com]] gave the film a mixed review claiming the movie "is a triumph of something—but it's certainly not the Christmas spirit."<ref>{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Mary Elizabeth|url=http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2009/11/05/christmas_carol/index.html|title=Disney's "A Christmas Carol": Bah, humbug!|work=Salon.com|date=November 5, 2009|access-date=September 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111042721/http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2009/11/05/christmas_carol/index.html|archive-date=January 11, 2010}}</ref> Joe Morgenstern of ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' wrote in his review that the film's "tone is joyless, despite an extended passage of bizarre laughter, several dazzling flights of digital fancy, a succession of striking images and Jim Carrey's voicing of Scrooge plus half a dozen other roles."<ref>{{cite news|last=Morgenstern|first=Joe|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704013004574517482456740524|title='A Christmas Carol': Carrey, Disney Play Scrooge|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=November 6, 2009|access-date=September 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928222603/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704013004574517482456740524|archive-date=September 28, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' reviewer Tim Robey wrote, "How much is gained by the half-real visual style for this story is open to question—the early scenes are laborious and never quite alive, and the explosion of jollity at the end lacks the virtue of being funny."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/6509001/A-Christmas-Carol-review.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Tim | last=Robey | title=A Christmas Carol, review | date=November 5, 2009 | access-date=April 5, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624144038/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/6509001/A-Christmas-Carol-review.html | archive-date=June 24, 2016 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Peter Bradshaw in ''[[The Guardian]]'' also criticized the technology: "The hi-tech sheen is impressive but in an unexciting way. I wanted to see real human faces convey real human emotions."<ref>{{cite news |author=Peter Bradshaw |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/nov/05/a-chrismas-carol-review |title=Film review: A Christmas Carol {{pipe}} Film |work=The Guardian |date=November 6, 2009 |access-date=November 14, 2010 |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121122227/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/nov/05/a-chrismas-carol-review |archive-date=January 21, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[Time Out (magazine)|''Time Out'' London]] praised the film for sticking to Dickens' original dialogue but also questioned the technology by saying, "To an extent, this 'Christmas Carol' is a case of style—and stylisation—overwhelming substance."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/87402/a-christmas-carol.html |title=A Christmas Carol Review. Movie Reviews - Film - Time Out London |work=Timeout.com |date=November 3, 2009 |access-date=November 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111014836/http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/87402/a-christmas-carol.html |archive-date=January 11, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

In 2019, Robert Keeling of ''[[Den of Geek]]'' praised the animation.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Keeling |first=Robert |date=2019-12-13 |title=A Christmas Carol: The Best and Worst Adaptations |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/a-christmas-carol-the-best-and-worst-adaptations/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=Den of Geek}}</ref> He felt Scrooge’s encounter with the final ghost to be “a bit tedious, as it soon becomes an elaborate chase scene purely designed to show off the 3D” but called the film “an enjoyable and memorable version.”<ref name=":13" />

=== Awards and nominations ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|- style="text-align:center;" "
! Award
! Category
! Recipients
! Result
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[2010 Kids' Choice Awards]]
| Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie
| [[Jim Carrey]]
| {{won}}
|-
| Favorite Animated Movie
| rowspan="2"| ''A Christmas Carol''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[36th Saturn Awards]]
| Best Animated Feature 
| {{nom}}
|}

==See also==
* [[List of Christmas films]]
* [[List of ghost films]]
* [[Adaptations of A Christmas Carol|Adaptations of ''A Christmas Carol'']]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{Official website|https://movies.disney.com/a-christmas-carol}}
* {{IMDb title|1067106}}
* {{TCMDb title|729253}}
* {{mojo title|christmascarol09}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|10008502-christmas_carol}}
* {{Metacritic film|title=A Christmas Carol}}

{{Navboxes
|title=''A Christmas Carol''
|list=
{{Robert Zemeckis}}
{{A Christmas Carol}}
{{Disney Christmas films}}
{{Disney theatrical animated features}}
}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Christmas Carol (2009 film), A}}
[[Category:2009 films]]
[[Category:2009 American animated films]]
[[Category:2009 computer-animated films]]
[[Category:2009 fantasy films]]
[[Category:2009 3D films]]
[[Category:2000s fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:2009 adventure films]]
[[Category:2000s fantasy drama films]]
[[Category:2000s children's fantasy films]]
[[Category:2000s ghost films]]
[[Category:2000s Christmas films]]
[[Category:2000s children's animated films]]
[[Category:2009 English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s dark fantasy films]]
[[Category:American 3D films]]
[[Category:American children's animated adventure films]]
[[Category:American children's animated fantasy films]]
[[Category:American Christmas films]]
[[Category:American computer-animated films]]
[[Category:American fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:American fantasy drama films]]
[[Category:American ghost films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Robert Zemeckis]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Robert Zemeckis]]
[[Category:Films scored by Alan Silvestri]]
[[Category:Animated films based on A Christmas Carol]]
[[Category:Animated films set in London]]
[[Category:Christmas adventure films]]
[[Category:American IMAX films]]
[[Category:Films using motion capture]]
[[Category:Films set in 1793]]
[[Category:Films set in 1802]]
[[Category:Films set in 1843]]
[[Category:Films about size change]]
[[Category:Gothic films]]
[[Category:Animated films about time travel]]
[[Category:Films set in the Victorian era]]
[[Category:American dark fantasy films]]
[[Category:ImageMovers films]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Pictures animated films]]
[[Category:2009 drama films]]
[[Category:Films produced by Robert Zemeckis]]
[[Category:Animated films set in the 1790s]]
[[Category:Animated films set in the 1800s]]
[[Category:Animated films set in the 1840s]]
[[Category:Films about disability in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy drama films]]
[[Category:2000s films about time travel]]
[[Category:Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award–winning films]]
[[Category:English-language animated Christmas films]]
[[Category:2009 children's films]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=A Christmas Carol (2009 film)|access_date=2026-02-24}}