MCC: What would you have changed?

[Hubert]

You know, many people criticize The Muppets Christmas Carol for being too human central or having bad casting choices, which makes me curious. If you were a shaping force in the production of this movie, what casting would you have changed to make the movie a bit more Muppety?

One that comes to mind right away for me would be something others have mentioned here in the past. I'd love to have seen Scooter as Scrooge's nephew Fred. He seems perfect to fill the role. And plus, look at the connections! Scooter had a mean uncle in TMS, and now he'd have one again.

 

[CensoredAlso]

The main thing for me is that the parts of the three ghosts should clearly have been played by some of the standard Muppet characters. It's always enjoyable seeing the Muppets impart their unique brand of wisdom on humans, hehe.

 

[Hubert]

Yeah, I definitely second that. The ghosts as humans really would have livened things up. I know they didn't use Muppets so that the ghosts would seem more effective, but for some reason I still feel like with a right choice of Muppets they could have pulled it off.

I know I remember reading that they had considered Muppets for ghosts, who were they? I think they wanted Scooter for one and maybe Piggy for another? Can't say for sure though without doing some research.

I really don't know which Muppets I would want there. Gonna have to think about that.

 

[charlietheowl]

I know that it was a hard time for the Muppets, because so many of Jim Henson and Richard Hunt's characters were still yet to be recast, but I would have had Scooter as Scrooge's nephew (like Hubert said) and Sweetums as the ghost of Christmas present. The other ghosts I really can't think of any ideas for right now.

 

[Oscarfan]

The main thing for me is that the parts of the three ghosts should clearly have been played by some of the standard Muppet characters. It's always enjoyable seeing the Muppets impart their unique brand of wisdom on humans, hehe.

In the commentary, Brain said that having some of the established characters playing the ghosts would've diluted the emotion of the story (i.e. Gonzo as the Past).

The ghosts aren't very Muppety, with the exception of Present, who's fabulous.

 

[CensoredAlso]

In the commentary, Brain said that having some of the established characters playing the ghosts would've diluted the emotion of the story (i.e. Gonzo as the Past).

Well I have to respectfully disagree. Humor does not automatically cancel out touching emotion. The Muppets have always been good at combining humor with poignancy.

Mickey's Christmas Carol had Disney characters playing the ghosts very effectively.

 

[charlietheowl]

In the commentary, Brain said that having some of the established characters playing the ghosts would've diluted the emotion of the story (i.e. Gonzo as the Past).

I think that only would have been a problem if the character had a distracting schtick to them, something that would have blocking them from connecting emotionally to the crowd, like a Lew Zealand for example. But I think that a lot of the Muppet characters were capable of carrying serious emotional weight because they had done that in parts in other films.

 

[Hubert]

I think that Muppets as ghosts could have worked as long as they very carefully picked the characters. The Muppets can do the work of any emotion, and if they were very carefully picked, used, and written, it may have been able to work. Of course, not any Muppet could go there. You wouldn't want Crazy Harry as Present, after all.

I know that it was a hard time for the Muppets, because so many of Jim Henson and Richard Hunt's characters were still yet to be recast, but I would have had Scooter as Scrooge's nephew (like Hubert said) and Sweetums as the ghost of Christmas present. The other ghosts I really can't think of any ideas for right now.

I kinda like Sweetums as Present. Even though he's a bit background-ier than some other Muppets, he has a very "big and jolly" type sense that he could have done just as well as the Present in the movie.

 

[charlietheowl]

Admittedly, I only thought of Sweetums because he is big, just like the original Ghost of the Present. It didn't even occur to me to think of a smaller character, hahaha.

 

[Drtooth]

Well I have to respectfully disagree. Humor does not automatically cancel out touching emotion. The Muppets have always been good at combining humor with poignancy.

Mickey's Christmas Carol had Disney characters playing the ghosts very effectively.

I'm strongly on the fence about it. On the one hand, it would have been a much funnier, more Muppety film if they did have established character, but I really think it was more creative and daring that they didn't. A Puppet that was performed under baby oil/water? That's all Jim. Plus, I think we'd be robbed of Ghost of Christmas Past. Face it... he was the best thing in the film, and Jerry Nelson at his best. Especially the character's subtle reference to Santa Claus.

And in Hindsight, well... Animal could have been a good Christmas Yet to Come, but in Bah Humduck, they used Taz. Would have made the other look too similar.

My problem stems more from humans taking most of the other roles, but the sad thing is, the one thing that needed a major change couldn't have been, as Richard Hunt passed and no one recast Scooter yet. Scooter really should have been Fred, and had another Muppet character (probably original) as his wife. That was a nagging hole. On some level, Fred should have been a Muppet of some sort. I like Donald's very truncated role as Fred in the Mickey Mouse version. But then again, the Mickey one was perfect, as they already had a character named Scrooge anyway. Hindsight? Glittering Goldie should have played Belle instead of Daisy, but it works.

Personally, my favorite will always be the Mr. Magoo one. All the ghosts were original characters, but they managed to get the Gerald McBoing Boing characters as the Cratchits. They even have subtle references to Dr. Seussian language in their musical number.