BEST SCROOGE
10. DAFFY DUCK
Joe Alaskey, Bah Humduck!
Daffy Duck’s appeal is that he’s a jerk because he’s always put upon. Therefore it doesn’t quite work when he’s playing the role of a privileged businessman. The one thing that’s appropriate about this character choice is that it takes advantage of his abusive relationship with Porky Pig, who makes a good stand-in for Bob Cratchit.
9. JIM CARREY
A Christmas Carol (2009)
More effort is put into this character’s emoting than others in the movie, and the Uncanney Valley isn’t so bad because his design is more of a caricature than that of the minor characters. There are some bad moments, though. Jim Carrey is surprisingly effective during quiet moments but when he screams but he has an unconvincing voice that sounds too comical and doesn’t match the acting onscreen. At the end of one slapstick sequence, he’s shrunk and has a tiny cartoon mouse voice! There are times he comes close to, but not quite, sounding like Invader Zim.
8. SCROOGE McDUCK
Alan Young, Mickey’s Christmas Carol
Obviously, Scrooge fills the role of Scrooge very well. Unfortunately it shares a problem with the Looney Tunes version. Exaggerated cartoon parodies of Scrooge don’t work because Scrooge himself is already callous enough. Any attempt to exaggerate it makes the humor too forced and makes him seem like less of a character. This is a watered-down, but passable Scrooge.
7. KELSEY GRAMMER
A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004)
As much as I love Kelsey Grammer, his performane is a bit disappointing. He has his moments, but his role is mostly a one-note, grouchy affair with a half-squint, exaggerated limp, and hunched back. Young Scrooge does add some sympathetic logic to his greed, as his father was put in jail for indebtedness, causing our antihero to avoid that fate for himself at all costs.
6. MICHAEL CAINE
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Caine is decently cast and competent in the role, but he doesn’t stand out. That may be appropriate considering that more focus is put on the Muppets here.
5. ALASTAIR SIM
A Christmas Carol (1971)
A solid, if standard, depiction of Scrooge.
4. CAPTAIN PICARD
Patrick Stewart, A Christmas Carol (1999)
Captain Picard does a great job playing Scrooge while killing time in the Holodeck. The character emphasizes a humorous and relatable annoyance with Christmas merrymakers. For what it’s worth, it’s the best TNG movie I have seen, though I haven’t watched the one in which he reenacts Moby Dick.
3. FRANK CROSS
Bill Murray, Scrooged
Frank is a little warmer to his friends, but then again this is a different character. This is necessary because a modern rendition demands a different kind of Scrooge. Besides, he’s Bill Murray. ‘nuff said.
2. ALASTAIR SIM
Scrooge(1951)
This was probably the most definitive casting until the 1984 version. Sim fits the role perfectly while still coming off as human and not too much like a caricature. I particularly like this line read.
1. GEORGE C. SCOTT
A Christmas Carol(1984)
While at first glance, Scott may seem like a too-obvious casting choice for the grouchy Scrooge, he adds a lot of nuance to his performance. He plays Scrooge with some affability, thus making it more credible that he can convince himself that he’s a good man.
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