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.

.

.

.

.

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

Columbian coffee commercial 

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.

Book on Goodreads

George C. Scott version from 1984

The Man Who Invented Christmas on Amazon Prime

Movie scored on a 10 point scale.

Movie on Rotten Tomatoes

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)

Connect With Us:

Currently Reading | Kaytee | Meredith

Shad is in the Bookish Friends FB Group (for our Patreon supporters)

Our Website | Email Us

Support Us:

Become a Bookish Friend | Buy Some Merch

Kaytee CobbComment