Movie Rec: "Scrooge & Marley (2012)

Do you like A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens? Would you enjoy a modern gay adaptation of it? If so, Scrooge & Marley (2012) is for you!

On Christmas Eve, Ben Scrooge, the man who hates the holidays, is given the chance to begin again when he is visited by three spirits – the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Revisiting the tragic missteps of his life enables Scrooge to rediscover the joy of the holiday season and make a journey back to love. Recounted from a gay sensibility with heart, comedy and music, the magic of Dickens’ timeless tale comes alive from a fresh perspective that will appeal to audiences of all persuasions.

Scrooge & Marley is a great film that adapts the story and message of A Christmas Carol to modern day issues. Scrooge runs a gay club instead of being a banker, but he’s still such as selfish and miserly as the original canon. This is shown in his refusal to help the local LGBT community and the homeless LGBT shelter. After all, he was never given help when he needed it as a gay teenager in the 70s, living at the YMCA because he had no place else to go. Why should he help anyone now? His nephew Fred is now his niece Freda, poor but happy with her wife. Fezziwig is the owner of a gay club who gives Scrooge a job and a place to stay. Bob Crachit and his husband are struggling to make financial ends meet because of their son’s medical issues.

Not only is the story excellent, but the musical score is great. (Honestly, it’s better than the actual Christmas Carol musical I watched.) And not only does it end just as optimistically as A Christmas Carol, but it goes a step further and lets you see how Scrooge has finally become a member of the community and allowed himself to form friendships and relationships that will last– and how well the shelter is going with his financial backing. It’s just a great film and I recommend it highly.

There are a few possible triggers in the movie, so I've put them behind the cut.

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