Differences between A Christmas Carol and The Muppet Christmas Carol

A list of the notable differences and changes made between A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and the Muppets' adaptation featured in The Muppet Christmas Carol. The 1992 film is often cited as being a strongly faithful adaptation of Dickens' text (despite starring frogs and dogs and bears and chickens and whatever), but as always with adaptations, there are changes. Many minor characters and passages are omitted entirely, Muppet characters added for joke or transition purposes, scenes reordered, and unnamed characters from the book have names for convenience.
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Final lines of dialogue in the film:	Final lines of dialogue in the film:
RIZZO: 	Nice story, Mr. Dickens.
GONZO: 	Oh thanks. If you like this, you should read the book.
Picture	Notes
 	Charles DickensGonzo the Great portrays author Charles Dickens as "a blue, furry Charles Dickens who hangs out with a rat" and serves as an omniscient storyteller and narrator for the Muppets' film. While Dickens is not a character in the original story, and many of Gonzo's antics and asides with Rizzo are not part of the real-life Dickens' original novella, much of Gonzo's narration and turns of phrase are taken verbatim from the prose of the original Dickens text.
 	Mr. Applegate The character of Mr. Applegate, the nervous tenant pleading with Scrooge over his late mortgage payments, is not present in the original novella.
 	The Caroler at Scrooge's DoorThe caroler at Scrooge's door sings "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" in the original story, while he sings "Good King Wenceslas" in the Muppet adaptation.
 	Jacob MarleyThe character of Jacob Marley is bifurcated into two brothers named Jacob and Robert for the Muppet adaptation so that the role could be played by Statler and Waldorf. However, rather than break entirely from the original text, Jacob Marley is still the only face to manifest on Scrooge's doorknocker.
 	Sister FanIn the original novella's vision of Christmases past, Ebenezer's sister Fan (Fred's mother) is seen picking Ebenezer up from school and walking him home. Scrooge reflects on his relationship with his caring sister. The character is omitted from the Muppet adaptation (and from many others).
 	FezziwigIn the original novella, Scrooge apprenticed under Mr. Fezziwig. The character was changed to Fozziwig and is played by Fozzie Bear in a wig. In the Muppets' adaptation he runs a rubber chicken factory. The role of Mrs Fezziwig, his wife, is replaced with his ma.
 	The Cratchit childrenIn the original story, the Cratchit family includes six children - Martha, Belinda, Peter, Tim, and two unnamed "smaller Cratchits," boy and girl. In the Muppet adaptation there are four children - Peter, twin daughters Betina and Belinda, and Tim.
 	Fred's Christmas Party In the book, the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge first to the Cratchit's house, then to his nephew's. Here it's the other way around. In addition, the toast to Scrooge is omitted and the only mention of him is in the game of Yes and No. Fred's unnamed wife is christened Clara in the movie.
 	The boy at the windowWhile Bean Bunny portrays both the caroler at Scrooge's door and the boy at Scrooge's window who is sent to fetch the Christmas turkey for the Cratchits, in the original novella, they are different characters.
 	Emily's outburstThe original story has Bob Cratchit encountering a post-reformation Scrooge at the office the next day, rather than Scrooge visiting the Cratchit home on Christmas. Thus it does not feature a threat from Emily to raise Ebenezer "right off the pavement" immediately before Scrooge reveals that therefore he is about to raise his salary and help pay off his mortgage.
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Category:Movie Lists