Ebbie

I have seen a 'classic' film version of A Christmas Carol, set in Dickensian times and starring Patrick Stewart and Richard E. Grant. I have also seen a funny children's version, starring Michael Caine and Jim Henson's excellent Muppets. 'Ebbie' is the first modernised version I have seen. It is always interesting to watch modernised versions of classic tales, even if they are not always good. The thing I wasn't sure about was the decision to make nearly all the main characters female, not a feminist thing as the IMDB tells me it was written by two men. It is interesting to see Scrooge as a woman, this was a good decision. It was also necessary to make Scrooge's nephew into a niece, to make her more similar to her beloved sister, even using the same actress (budget problems? - the spirits are also played by other characters from the film). But I wondered if it was pointless to have Roberta Cratchett, a single parent, as well as most of the spirits being female. Brilliant acting from Susan Lucci, an excellent actress whose only other notable role seems to be on the soap 'All My Children'. Look out for Wendy Crewson from 'Air Force One' as Roberta.

Truly touching and wonderfully human update of the classic Dickens tale... a memorable scene in the early part of the film (ghost of Christmas Past)where a young Ebbie(Lucci at her most stunning) recalls a troubling childhood incident involving a stray kitten is particularly heartwarming. Lucci displays her full spectrum of talent portraying Ebbie's transformation from young innocent to savvy (albeit cold-hearted)business executive, and layers what might have been a hackneyed performance with levels of complexity....her performance at the film's finale gives new meaning to what could have quite simply been just tripe.

Why is it taking so long to release this "classic" on DVD? Don't miss it!

A modern day retelling of the classic story Scrooge tells the tale with a female in the lead by the name of "Ebbie". Ebbie Scrooge is the head of a major department store. She is a very cold and sometimes cruel woman who focuses only on her work and nothing else. Christmas time and we see that Ebbie hates the holiday. People wish her "Merry Christmas" to which she doesn't respond, the bonuses she gives are dirt cheap and she even fires an employee on Christmas Eve. In true Scrooge fashion, Ebbie is met by three ghosts (Past, Present,Future). They show her what has happened in her life to make her the way she is, and what will happen to her if she continues down the same path.

I really enjoyed Ebbie, so much to the fact that I think this is close to being the best modern day adaptation of the Scrooge story out there. It has a lot of charm with it's back-story of why Ebbie is the way she is. Seeing Ebbie in the past as this innocent young woman who had a caring sister/loving boyfriend makes it sad to see her throw it all away for her career. The movie is told at a very good pace, it isn't ever slow or boring. Susan Lucci does do a great job as Ebbie, and I really liked Wendy Crewson in the supporting role of Roberta Cratchet. She of course has the role of Bob Cratchit from the classic tale. Jeffrey DeMunn does so well as Jake Marley too!

Ebbie is a holiday movie that really should be seen by all. Unfortunately if you don't catch Ebbie on TV, you most likely won't get a chance to see it as it's not been released on DVD. It's one of my favourite films to see at Christmas.

8/10

This version of "A Christmas Carol" starring La Lucci as Ebenezer Scrooge (aka "Ebbie") is surprisingly well done and well acted. The movie is brought up to date by its setting; a department store rather than a moneylending house. The supporting cast does an excellent job in showing the true meaning of Christmas and how it is never too late to change your life. I scour the TV Guide and watch it every Christmas. Would someone please get this out on DVD?

I've seen many versions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL and can find something good about each of them. My least favorite version (of those I've watched) is SCROOGED, because I find it too hyperkinetic and not all together. Even that one has redeeming qualities. EBBIE is something new and different. Not only is Dicken's timely-for-all-times tale brought into contemporary times, but SCROOGE is a woman--and played by one of my favorite soap opera characters, Susan Lucci. All of the technical aspects (e.g. the way Jake Marley communicates with God by cell-phone when dealing with getting Ebbie in the right spirit; the way that the familiar death scene [once portrayed by a neglected tombstone with Scrooge's name on it] is portrayed by the flat-line signal sound of a heart monitor in a lonely hospital room) sends out the clear message that this fine old Christmas tale hits home these days just as it did in the mid 1800's.