You’ve likely seen every Christmas movie multiple times. That may include a few versions of A Christmas Carol. It’s one of my favorite stories. The seasonal flavor. The horror. The redemption. That said, there are dozens of adaptations to pick from. Rotten Tomatoes lists more than 80! It’s hard to pick just one. Allow me to help. Here are the ten best A Christmas Carol movies for you to watch with the kids.
10. Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol
A silly, but charming take on the classic tale. It features all of the gags from the half-blind, fully delusional cartoon character.
9. A Christmas Carol (1997)
An animated musical with a few storytelling flourishes that stray from the original but don’t distract. Tim Curry as Scrooge is <chef’s kiss>.
8. Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009)
This is the dead-eyed Jim Carrey one. If you can look past his soulless shark eyes, Jim Carrey offers a stoic but approachable take your kids will enjoy, especially when the redemption kicks in.
7. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)
A short, but sweet version of the story that’s beautifully hand-drawn and jam-packed full of Disneyness.
6. A Christmas Carol (1938)
The original full-length talkie. It hits all the right notes and has that old school MGM filmmaking charm.
5. A Christmas Carol (1984)
A bleak version of the classic. But the cast, music, and settings bring you back to the Dickens era like no other.
4. Scrooged (1988)
The funniest interpretation of the Scrooge scripture. More importantly, Bill Murray and Karen Allen have chemistry that make you feel the self-debilitating impact of his selfishness more than any other version.
3. A Christmas Carol (1971)
An Academy Award-nominated (!!!) animated retelling of the classic. Features a wonderful cast and the impeccable work of animation icon Ken Harris (How the Grinch Stole Christmas!).
2. A Christmas Carol (1951)
Alastair Sims defines Scrooge in this darkly atmospheric adaptation that gives you all of the seasonally festive feelings you want this time of year.
1. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Michael Caine anchors this mostly Muppet cast. He never wavers, bringing a dark, intimidating Scrooge to the Muppetverse. Despite his presence, the Muppets are not out-acted. They are a Christmas miracle.
Tip: You’ll find the untrimmed original version under the film’s “Extras” on Disney+.
