A Christmas Carol

A miserly moneylender is visited on Christmas Eve by the ghost of his former partner and then by three spirits. He sees his own past, present and what follows his death. The film tells the story without ornament and gives its weight entirely to the central performance: the character is not a lovable grump but genuinely cold, which is why the change registers. Clive Donner directed, with George C. Scott in the lead. It is adapted from Charles Dickens's novella, shot on location in England and made for television. Who it's for: those who like classic Christmas adaptations and want something to watch with family. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a lavish production; this is television scale.