By Courtney Potter
Now that it’s only a handful of sleeps ‘til Christmas, we decided to take a look at one of our yuletide favorites! Charles Dickens published his now-legendary novella, A Christmas Carol, on December 19, 1843. And on December 11, 1992—Disney released the fourth Muppets movie, The Muppet Christmas Carol. The first feature produced after the untimely passing of Muppets creator Jim Henson, the film was directed by Brian Henson (Jim’s son), with a screenplay penned by frequent Muppet contributor Jerry Juhl.
With Gonzo the Great narrating as Mr. Dickens himself, The Muppet Christmas Carol is one of the most faithful adaptations of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge’s tale of redemption ever put to film. A fantastic soundtrack (with songs by The Muppet Movie’s Paul Williams) and amazing performances by humans and Muppets alike have placed the film in living rooms across the globe each holiday season for almost 25 years.
As huge fans of all things Muppet, we here at D23 have narrowed down our myriad of reasons why we love The Muppet Christmas Carol to the following list. See if you agree with our “favorite things”!
Perfect examples of classic Muppets comedy…
Honestly, there’s no way to pick our favorite comedic moments in The Muppet Christmas Carol. From Rizzo’s now-infamous “Light the lamp, not the rat!” to Statler and Waldorf as crotchety Jacob and Robert Marley; from Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem rocking ol’ Fezziwig’s (pardon us, Fozziwig’s) party to the Swedish Chef and his rubber chickens—the film’s comedy is a big part of its big heart.
Funny “punny” character names…
Leave it to the Muppets to make the perfect name pun! It’s almost as if when Jim Henson first concocted the idea of Fozzie Bear in 1976, he knew that somehow, someday, he’d be able to make a version of A Christmas Carol co-starring Fozzie as Fozziwig, Ebenezer’s first boss and mentor.
Fantastic casting…
It’s hard to believe legendary Academy Award®-winning actor Michael Caine hadn’t yet played Scrooge by the time he delved into this 1992 film. On the film’s DVD commentary, director Brian Henson spoke of Caine’s performance; the trick, Caine said at the time, was to never treat the characters around him as Muppets—but to play “against” them, as if he were performing alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Magically merry music…
The soundtrack for The Muppet Christmas Carol is truly one of our holiday faves. Songs by Oscar® winner Paul Williams include “One More Sleep ‘til Christmas” (sung by Kermit in the Bob Cratchit role); “When Love is Gone” (sung by Ebenezer’s once-intended, Belle); and “Thankful Heart,” sung by Michael Caine as a changed Scrooge. A re-issue of the soundtrack in 2005 included two previously unreleased songs cut from the ’92 film, “Room in Your Heart” and “Chairman of the Board.”
The first film featuring Steve Whitmire as Kermit the Frog…
As previously mentioned, The Muppet Christmas Carol was the first Muppet feature produced after Jim Henson’s passing. Longtime Muppet performer Steve Whitmire had been chosen to take on the mantle of Kermit the Frog by this time—and his performance as Bob Cratchit in the film is particularly special. We especially love his adorable interactions with Miss Piggy as Bob’s wife, Emily.
The best Ghost of Christmas Present ever…
“Come in, and know me better, man!” Several new Muppet characters populate The Muppet Christmas Carol—including a gigantic, red-headed, thoroughly delightful but definitely absent-minded Ghost of Christmas Present. One of the most holly-jolly musical numbers in the entire film is his “It Feels Like Christmas”—talk about getting into the spirit of things!
The inaugural pairing of Gonzo the Great and Rizzo the Rat…
The Muppet Christmas Carol marked the very first time that everyone’s favorite “whatever” teamed up with the street-smart rat who initially delighted audiences in 1984’s The Muppets Take Manhattan. Writer Jerry Juhl came up with the idea of using Gonzo as the film’s narrator; said Muppet performer Dave Goelz, “To add a disembodied narrator would have intruded into the film, so he came up with the idea of using Gonzo as sort of a Greek chorus, an unseen Charles Dickens, narrating and bridging the story. It worked incredibly well, and he also came up with the idea of adding a sidekick for Gonzo, who was Rizzo, and that sort of began their relationship as a duo.”
Beautiful costumes…
Longtime Jim Henson Company costumer Polly Smith created the Dickensian looks for The Muppet Christmas Carol; we especially like Gonzo’s red tail coat, and—well—pretty much anything Miss Piggy wears! Polly won several Emmy® Awards for her work on Sesame Street.
A timeless message, with a Muppet-y spin…
Ultimately, the main reason we love The Muppet Christmas Carol is its truly enduring theme. Like Dickens’ novella before it, the film is a story of redemption, of second chances, and of the power of kindness—made all the more powerful by the Muppets’ humor and heart.
