Muppet Christmas Carol question...

[The 11th UrRu]

Welcome to the board Mr UrRu (...or *insert name here*...).

When I bought the dvd version last Christmas, the song was missing and I was very surprised because I hadn't heard anything about cuts to the movie before then. I hunted through second hand shops and managed to get hold of an old video version which contained the song. It's a very beautiful moment, makes me cry. It's the turning point for Scrooge...how could they cut it?

I have no facts, but if I had to guess Id say the chances are pretty good here that the actual song rights may have been tied up in legalities some how. Thats the only thing I can think of, unless they did it on purpose for some reason, which I have a hard time believing. It is too bad because your right, its a significant moment in the movie.

 

[theprawncracker]

The reason the song was removed is because diector Brian Henson felt it slowed down the film too much, so he cut it.

 

[The 11th UrRu]

The reason the song was removed is because diector Brian Henson felt it slowed down the film too much, so he cut it.

Your right indeed, heres more info I dug up:

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Muppet_Christmas_Carol

The song "When Love Is Gone" was originally planned to be part of the film; however, it was dropped when film makers found that the test audiences (mainly family viewers with younger children) become restless during the scene. Its reprise at the film's finale, "The Love We Found," and the pop version over the closing credits, were retained. Producers felt the song slowed the film down, and was not Muppet-focused; plus the film was already pushing the limits of many younger viewers' attention spans in the test screenings. The producers decided to cut the song from the theatrical release of the film. It was not until the film was released on home video that the song was presented to the viewers. They felt that the song worked better in a home-viewing context, and audiences would be more accepting, understanding and appreciative of its inclusion. Since they regretted cutting the important song from the theatrical edit, they decided to add it back in to the film for all subsequent home video and DVD releases in the USA, along with all subsequent TV airings of the movie. The film retains the cut in the UK and Region 2 DVD release. The issue of this cut was discussed by director Brian Henson in the film's DVD audio commentary recorded in 2002 (again, except on the UK DVD release, which omits the commentary as well).

 

[Ruahnna]

I would like to say, as mildly as possible, that this in a classic example of assuming that The Muppets and muppet productions were for children instead of adults. Taking this song out was a terrible mistake, because it is there more than any other place that we see Scrooge's terrible remorse and sadness over what he had been--and is no longer. It awakens in him the loss that he has caused himself, and sensitizes him to the loss that he might be responsible for causing by his tight-fisted and hard ways.

But at least they fixed the problem when they released the newer DVDs.

 

[peyjenk]

I was almost eight when MCC came out in 1992, and saw it with my family that Christmas season in the theater. The next Christmas, I got the video as a gift, and it has been a family tradition ever since.

So, we've watched the "home version" for the last fourteen years and saw the "theater version" only once, meaning that not a single one of us even remembers MCC without "When Love is Gone". It actually seems quite unbelievable that the film ever existed without that song, as it is such a beautiful and significat point in the film. I'm glad I've grown up with it, instead of without.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Hmm, I'm not really into the movie, and I tend to agree that it slows down the film and takes away from The Muppets. But I can also see why cutting the song hurts the story a bit, taking away Scrooge's motivation to change.

 

[Beauregard]

I have to point out, that I don't think I know any family who doesn't watch this movie at least once every year...who knew it would become one of their biggest movies, even though many of the Muppets themselves are hardly featured at all (read: Fozzie).

 

[CensoredAlso]

That is very nice that people took it as a holiday tradition, though I personally didn't. (I was more of a Christmas Toy fan )

 

[Beauregard]

I couldn't get into Christmas Toy...I loved Family Christmas, but Christmas Toy just grated on my spine a bit too much.

 

[KermieBaby47]

I clicked the wiki link, but it's taking too long to load to answer my question:

Does anyone remember seeing the song "Room In Your Heart For Love" sung by Beaker & Bunsen in the theatrical release? I could almost swear that I saw that sequence at the theatre when MCC first came out. I can't remember if I got the soundtrack before or after I saw the movie, but I can see in my mind's eye Bunsen walking around the desk singing to Scrooge.

Dunno, maybe me crazy.