Soundtrack Review: A Christmas Carol (2009)

Posted by Jorn Tillnes

November 19, 2009

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A Christmas Carol cover Movie Soundtrack Review: This is a review of the motion picture score A Christmas Carol by Alan Silvestri.

“This is not a Christmas classic, but undoubtedly a score that will put you in a Christmas mood.”

Yea, Christmas is here! Well almost anyway. At least Hollywood starts early, but that’s okay. A Christmas Carol is of course one of the most beloved and remembered of Christmas stories. The famous Charles Dickens story has rendered numerous movies and adaptions and will continue to do so. Ebenezer Scrooge is a sad, angry man who hates Christmas. He gets visited by the three ghosts of Christmas who show him his past, present and future to get him in a proper Christmas mood. A timeless, wonderful story, this time animated in full Walt Disney 3D. Starring Jim Carrey as Scrooge, Robert Zemeckis as director and Alan Silvestri as composer, we’re in for a treat!

Track List

01. A Christmas Carol Main Title (*****)
02. Scrooge Counts Money (***)
03. Marley’s Ghost Visits Scrooge (***)
04. The Ghost Of Christmas Past (*****)
05. Let Us See Another Christmas (*****)
06. Flight To Fezziwigs (*****)
07. First Waltz (****)
08. Another Idol Has Replaced Me (****)
09. Touch My Robe (*****)
10. The Clock Tower (*****)
11. Carriage Chase (****)
12. Old Joe And Mrs. Dilber (***)
13. This Dark Chamber (****)
14. None Of Us Will Ever Forget (***)
15. Who Was That Lying Dead? (*****)
16. I’m Still Here (****)
17. Ride On My Good Man (*****)

Zemeckis & Silvestri Connection

I want to talk about the Zemeckis and Silvestri connection a little bit, because it’s one of the reasons why I really was looking forward to A Christmas Carol. Whenever Zemeckis direct, Silvestri comes along for the ride and it has produced some of the most memorable scores ever produced. I have fond memories of The Polar Express, Cast Away, Forrest Gump and of course the classic Back To The Future. Now you know why I am so enthusiastic, you should be too! Of course this has set the bar high for both director and composer and honestly, I expect nothing less than brilliance from both. Bernard Herrmann, Stephen Warbeck Alan Menken (and others) have done versions of this movie before, and now it’s Alan Silvestri’s turn.

Right from the start, Silvestri takes control and renders a beautiful opening theme in ‘A Christmas Carol Main Title’ which has all the hallmarks of Christmas. It includes some original writing from Silvestri and some classic Christmas songs put in there for good measure. The mix is potent and it’s wonderful. So far, Silvestri is right on cue to make A Christmas Carol a Christmas classic. The illusion of a Christmas classic is held for a while, but the illusion breaks like when I realized Santa Claus wasn’t real. Okay, it might not be this heartbreaking, but before we venture into the negative stuff, let me assure you that this is a good score, a very good score in fact.

Searching For Magic

I have to mention this, but the magic of Christmas is a bit lacking. The magic I felt when watching Edward Scissorhands for the first time with my sister while listening to the wonderful score by Danny Elfman. The laughter and the joy of Home Alone with John Williams enthralling score. There’s just something missing here in Silvestri’s A Christmas Carol to make it a true Christmas classic and I’ll tell you what it is. There’s too much fluff in here to be perfectly honest. The themes are missing, the great ones like the one from Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Cast Away and The Polar Express. Even in a Christmas setting, there are ways to incorporate that.

However I have to say that this score surely puts me in a Christmas mood. There are also cues like ‘Scrooge Counts Money’ and ‘Marley’s Ghost Visits Scrooge’ which does not put me in a Christmas mood at all, but for the most part it’s highly enjoyable. The most enjoyable parts are the actual Christmas tunes and not Silvestri’s original composing. Still it’s Alan Silvestri’s adaption and we have to give him credit for his great work.
Conclusion

It’s quite a short score, just under 42 minutes, but Silvestri does display some Christmas magic here that is deserving of mention. The original Silvestri parts are the cues lacking, whereas the Christmas tunes are the music that keeps this soundtrack in shape. This is not a Christmas classic, but undoubtedly a score that will put you in a Christmas mood. The Polar Express was closer in that respect, but this has enough magic and Christmas spirit to make you cheerful. Don’t be a Scrooge! Take a chance on this score as you will discover some great material here well worth the admission price, even if it’s a digital one.