Mickey's Christmas Carol Remastered (2011) Information

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Mickey's Christmas Carol Remastered

Directed by: Burny Mattinson, Chris Williams
Produced by: Burny Mattinson, Peter Del Vecho, Clark Spencer
Written by: Burny Mattinson, Chris Williams, Brian Kesinger
Story by: Burny Mattinson, Chris Williams, Brian Kesinger
Based on: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Starring: Ava Acres, Tony Anselmo, Jeff Bennett, Tyree Brown, Corey Burton, Max Charles, Jim Cummings, Bill Farmer, Pat Fraley, Tyler Ganus, Jess Harnell, Bret Iwan, Grace Kaufman, Maurice LaMarche, Katie Lowes, Burny Mattinson, Pat Musick, Raymond Ochoa, Rob Paulsen, Raymond S. Persi, Christy Carlson Romano, Will Ryan, Phil Snyder, Russi Taylor, Josie Trinidad, April Winchell, Alan Young (1919–2016)
Music by: Alan Menken, Henry Jackman, Stephen Schwartz
Cinematography: Julio Macat
Edited by: Lisa Linder
Production companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release dates: October 26, 2011 (El Capitan Theatre), November 4, 2011 (United States)
DVD/Blu-Ray release date: November 20, 2012
Running time: 98 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English
Budget: $150 million
Box office: $309.0 million
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Mickey's Christmas Carol Remastered is a 2011 American traditionally animated musical Christmas fantasy-comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 51st animated feature (along with Winnie the Pooh & Tinker Bell's Midsummer Rescue) in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, sharing with the 13th and 24th features, Alice in Wonderland and The Fox and the Hound. It shares with Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Disney/Pixar's Monsters, Inc. as Disney's holiday films. Inspired by Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol with many Disney characters, primarily from the Mickey Mouse universe, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, and Robin Hood were cast throughout the film, the film is part of Disney's Mickey Mouse franchise and Walt Disney Animation Studios' first adaptation of Mickey Mouse. The film is directed by Burny Mattinson (The Great Mouse Detective) and Chris Williams (Bolt), written by Dickens, Mattinson, and John Lasseter (Toy Story, Cars, A Bug's Life), and produced by Mattinson, Peter Del Vecho (Treasure Planet, The Princess and the Frog & Tinker Bell's Springtime Belief) and Clark Spencer (Lilo & Stitch, Wreck-It Ralph w/ The Pixie Olympics Arcade). Alan Young and Will Ryan reprise their vocal roles as Uncle Scrooge and Willie the Giant, while Phil Snyder and Jim Cummings replace Eddie Carroll and Will Ryan to provide the voices of Jiminy Cricket and Pete. Most of the entire voice cast for Mickey and his friends (Bret Iwan as Mickey, Russi Taylor as Minnie, Tony Anselmo as Donald, Bill Farmer as Goofy, and Christy Carlson Romano as Daisy) reprise their respective character roles. In the film, Charles Dickens (The Troubadour) tells the story of bitter old miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Scrooge McDuck) and his transformation resulting from supernatural visits by Jacob Marley (Goofy) and the Ghosts of Christmases Past (Jiminy Cricket), Present (Willie the Giant) and Yet to Come (Pete).
It premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on October 26, 2011, and went into general release on November 4, 2011 in Disney Digital 3D, RealD 3D, and traditional 2D formats. The film also features seven songs by composer Alan Menken (well known for his musical involvement in Disney films such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and Tangled & Muppets & Fairies Treasure Autumn) and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who had written songs for previous Disney films (Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame), with Menken also composing its score with Henry Jackman (Winnie the Pooh & Tinker Bell's Midsummer Rescue), as well as a rendition of Fredrick Searles and Irwin Kostal's "Oh What a Merry Christmas Day" theme song by actress and singer Tiffany Thornton.
The film was a critical and commercial success, and received generally positive reviews, garnering a 79% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film earned a Best Animated Feature nomination at the 84th Academy Awards. The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 20, 2012.
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Plot
English author, Charles Dickens (The Troubadour) (Rob Paulsen) divides the book into five chapters, which he labels "staves", that is, song stanzas or verses, in keeping with the title of the book. He uses a similar device in his next two Christmas books, titling the four divisions of The Chimes "quarters" after the quarter-hour tolling of clock chimes and naming the parts of The Cricket on the Hearth "chirps".
On Christmas Eve 1843, Ebenezer Scrooge (Scrooge McDuck) (Alan Young), a bitter, miserable old moneylender at a London counting house, goes to the funeral of his former business partner, Jacob Marley (Goofy) (Bill Farmer). At first, he refuses to pay the undertaker, but eventually gives up the two pennies and takes another pair from Marley. He leaves the funeral parlor in a sour mood.
Seven years later, Scrooge is still the same; he holds everything that embodies the joys and spirit of Christmas in contempt. He refuses to visit his cheerful nephew, Fred (Donald Duck) (Tony Anselmo), at his Christmas dinner party with his family, and rudely turns away two gentlemen (Ratty and Moley) (Corey Burton and Jess Harnell) who seek a donation from him to provide a Christmas dinner for the poor. He complains when his overworked, underpaid clerk Bob Cratchit (Mickey Mouse) (Bret Iwan) begs to take the day off for his own poor family. At home that night, Scrooge is visited by Marley's ghost, who is now forced to spend his afterlife carrying heavy chains forged from his own greedy ways. Marley tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits that night, and that he must listen to them or be cursed to carry chains of his own. As Marley departs, Scrooge witnesses other restless spirits who wasted their lives and are suffering from their inability to help their fellow man. Scrooge is then visited by the three spirits Marley spoke of – each visit detailed in a separate stave – who accompany him on visits to various Christmas scenes.
The first of the spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Past (Jiminy Cricket) (Phil Snyder), takes Scrooge to Christmas scenes of Scrooge's boyhood and youth at the boarding school, which stir the old miser's gentle and tender side by reminding him of a time when he was kinder and more innocent. These scenes portray Scrooge's lonely childhood, his relationship with his beloved sister Fan (Webbigail Vanderquack) (Russi Taylor) who died giving birth to Fred, and a Christmas party hosted by his first employer, the warm-hearted Mr. Fezziwig (J. Thaddeus Toad) (Jeff Bennett), who treated Scrooge like a son. They also portray Scrooge's neglected fiancée, Belle (Daisy Duck) (Christy Carlson Romano), who ends their relationship after she realizes that Scrooge will never love her as much as he loves money, and a visit later in time to the then-married Belle's large and happy family on Christmas Eve. The elderly Scrooge is unable to bear witnessing these events again and extinguishes the spirit with the jar.
The second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present (Willie the Giant) (Will Ryan), takes Scrooge to several different scenes – a joy-filled market of people buying the makings of Christmas dinner and a major part of this stave is taken up with Bob Cratchit's family feast, and introduces his youngest son, Tiny Tim (Morty Fieldmouse) (Max Charles), who is full of simple happiness despite being seriously ill. The spirit informs Scrooge that Tiny Tim will soon die unless the course of events changes. The spirit then takes Scrooge to celebrations of Christmas in a miner's cottage and in a lighthouse. Scrooge and the spirit also visit Fred's Christmas party, where Fred speaks of his uncle with pity. Before dying in an immense bell tower, the spirit shows Scrooge two hideous, emaciated children named Ignorance and Want; he tells Scrooge to beware the former above all, and replies to Scrooge's concern for their welfare by repeating Scrooge's own words: "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?"
The third spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Pete) (Jim Cummings), shows Scrooge Christmas Day one year later. The spirit shows Scrooge scenes involving the death of a "wretched man". The man's funeral will only be attended by local businessmen (Weasels) (Jess Harnell, Jeff Bennett, Bill Farmer, and Corey Burton) if lunch is provided. His charwoman Mrs. Dilber (Clara Cluck) (Russi Taylor), his laundress (Aunt Gertie) (April Winchell), and the local undertaker (The Sleuth) (Burny Mattinson) steal his bedroom fixtures while his corpse still lays in the bed, and sell them to a fence named Old Joe (Mortimer Mouse) (Maurice LaMarche). Tiny Tim is also shown to have died, leaving the Cratchit family to mourn him on Christmas. Scrooge is horrified and asks the spirit whether the images he has seen are sure to happen or can be changed. To little response, the spirit takes Scrooge to a dark and desolate graveyard and reveals Scrooge's own grave, showing his own date of death as December 25 of a forthcoming year, and forces Scrooge to fall into his empty coffin sitting in a deep grave atop the fires of Hell.
Scrooge suddenly awakens to find that he is alive, and also that it is Christmas Day, and that all three spirits have visited him over the course of one night. He joyously spots a child on the street and sends him to have a prize turkey brought to him, so he can have it delivered to the Cratchit home. He wishes Mrs. Dilber a Merry Christmas as she runs off claiming that Scrooge had gone mad. He gives money to the poor and celebrates with his fellow men when he goes for a walk. Later that night, Scrooge attends his nephew's dinner. The next morning when Bob Cratchit comes to work late, Scrooge raises his salary before sending him out to buy more coal. As he steps out, Bob Cratchit affirms with the audience that Scrooge has become a kinder man and a second father to Tiny Tim, who survives thanks to Scrooge's charity. The story closes with the narrator repeating Tiny Tim's famous words: "God bless us, everyone!"
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Character Cast
Scrooge McDuck – Ebenezer Scrooge
Mickey Mouse – Bob Cratchit
Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio – Ghost of Christmas Past
Willie the Giant from Fun and Fancy Free – Ghost of Christmas Present
Pete – Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
Goofy – Jacob Marley, Ebenezer's dead partner
Donald Duck – Fred Hollowell, Ebenezer's nephew
Minnie Mouse – Mrs. Cratchit
Daisy Duck – Belle, Ebenezer's young romance
Millie Mouse – Belinda Cratchit
Melody Mouse – Martha Cratchit
Ferdy Fieldmouse – Peter Cratchit
Morty Fieldmouse – Tiny Tim
Troubadour Tortoise from Mickey's The Three Musketeers – Charles Dickens
Three Little Pigs, the Ducks & Geese, Weasels from The Wind in the Willows, The Secretary Bird from Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Carolers (12-15 in number, doubling as street shoppers & merchants, Fezziwig employees, Hollowell guests, Brokers, Poulterer, etc.)
Della Duck – Janet Hollowell, Fred's new wife
Ratty from The Wind in the Willows – Mr. Jeeves, Charity Solicitor
Moley from The Wind in the Willows – Mr. Howell, Charity Solicitor
Webbigail Vanderquack from DuckTales – Fan, Ebenezer's little sister (10-12 years old)
J. Thaddeus Toad from The Wind in the Willows – Mr. Fezziwig, Ebenezer's jovial employer
Clarabelle Cow – Mrs. Fezziwig
Horace Horsecollar – Dick Wilkins, Ebenezer's apprentice and coworker from Fezziwig's
Rabbit children from Robin Hood, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Chip 'n Dale – Boys and Girls (5 or 6 of each, school-age to teen; Ebenezer's boyhood friends; Fezziwig's daughters; Poor Man's children; Ignorance & Want, etc.)
Peter Pig – Gentleman #1
Paddy Pig – Gentleman #2
Chip 'n Dale – Ignorance & Want (boy and girl, 4-6 years old)
Mortimer Mouse – Old Joe, the junk dealer
Gertie Duck – Mrs. Oliver, the charwoman
Clara Cluck – Mrs. Dilber, the laundress
The Sleuth – Mr. Tackleton, the Undertaker
Toby Tortoise and Max Hare from the Silly Symphonies shorts The Tortoise and the Hare and Toby Tortoise Returns
Gus Goose
Grandma Duck
Angus MacBadger from The Wind in the Willows
The Secretary Bird from Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Poulterer
Lady Kluck, Sis and Tagalong from Robin Hood
Skippy and Toby from Robin Hood
Mother Rabbit and Grandma Owl from Robin Hood
Otto from Robin Hood
The Three Little Wolves
Cyril Proudbottom from The Wind in the Willows
Weasels from The Wind in the Willows – Brokers 1, 2, 3 and 4
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Voice Cast
Alan Young – Scrooge McDuck/Ebenezer Scrooge, a cold-hearted, tightfisted, miserly old moneylender and the frugal owner of a London counting-house
Bret Iwan – Mickey Mouse/Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's abused, underpaid clerk
Bill Farmer – Goofy/Jacob Marley, the ghost of Scrooge's former business partner; Horace/Dick Wilkins, Scrooge's old roommate; Practical Pig, one of the carolers; Weasel #3, one of the business men
Phil Snyder – Jiminy Cricket/Ghost of Christmas Past, the first of the three spirits
Will Ryan – Willie the Giant/Ghost of Christmas Present, the second of the three spirits
Jim Cummings – Pete/Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, the third of the three spirits
Tony Anselmo – Donald Duck/Fred, Scrooge's optimistic nephew
Russi Taylor – Minnie Mouse/Mrs. Cratchit, Cratchit's wife; Clara Cluck/Mrs. Dilber, Scrooge's charwoman; Webbigail Vanderquack/Fan Scrooge, Scrooge's late sister; Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Scrooge's classmates; Fifer Pig, one of the carolers
Christy Carlson Romano – Daisy Duck/Belle, Scrooge's neglected fiancée
Rob Paulsen – The Troubadour/Charles Dickens, an author of the story
Max Charles – Morty Fieldmouse/Tiny Tim, Cratchit's youngest son
Raymond Ochoa – Ferdy Fieldmouse/Peter Cratchit, Cratchit's oldest son
Grace Kaufman – Melody/Martha Cratchit, Cratchit's oldest daughter
Ava Acres – Millie Mouse/Belinda Cratchit, Cratchit's young daughter
Jeff Bennett – Mr. Toad/Mr. Fezziwig, the proprietor of a warehouse business / Peter Pig, one of two gentlemen / Weasel #2, one of the business men
Corey Burton – Ratty/Mr. Jeeves, one of two charity solicitors / Ludwig Von Drake / Weasel #4, one of the business men
Jess Harnell – Moley/Mr. Howell, one of two charity solicitors / Paddy Pig, one of two gentlemen / Weasel #1, one of the business men
April Winchell – Clarabelle Cow/Mrs. Fezziwig, Fezziwig's wife; Aunt Gertie/Mrs. Oliver, Scrooge's laundress
Katie Lowes – Della Duck/Janet, Fred's new wife
Josie Trinidad – Daphne Duck/Caroline
Pat Musick – Fiddler Pig, one of the carolers
Maurice LaMarche – Mortimer Mouse/Old Joe, a fence
Raymond S. Persi – Secretary Bird, a poulterer
Burny Mattinson – The Sleuth/Mr. Tackleton, Scrooge's undertaker
Pat Fraley – Young Scrooge
Tyree Brown – Skippy Rabbit
Tyler Ganus – Toby Turtle
Additional Voices (Citizens of London, carolers, street shoppers & merchants, Fezziwig employees, Hollowell guests, Unidentifiable dog, fox, pig, rabbit, squirrel, bear, raccoon, goose, and chicken characters)
Isabella Acres, Stephen Apostolina, Bob Bergen, David Boat, Reed Buck, June Christopher, David Cowgill, Wendy Cutler, Debi Derryberry, Terri Douglas, Eddie Frierson, Earl Ghaffari, Jean Gilpin, Nicholas Guest, Emily Hahn, John Kassir, Daniel Kaz, Dave Kohut, Lauren MacMullan, Mona Marshall, Scott Menville, Laraine Newman, Paul Pape, Moira Quirk, Lynwood Robinson, Trenton Rogers, Jadon Sand, Alan Shearman, Kath Soucie, Fred Tatasciore, Matthew Wolf.
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Places/locations
London, England, UK
Scrooge & Marley's Counting House
The Mansion
The English Countryside
The Schoolhouse
Fezziwig's Warehouse
The Cratchit Cottage
The Hollowell House
The Darkness
The Graveyard
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Soundtrack (November 12, 2013)
The film's score was written by accomplished songwriter and composer Alan Menken (Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules), who has worked on a number of Disney films previously. Fellow composer Stephen Schwartz (The Prince of Egypt, Enchanted, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pocahontas) wrote the lyrics for seven songs, also composed by Menken. Menken and Schwartz previously worked together on the songs for Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Enchanted.
Tracks
Oh, What A Merry Christmas Day – Tiffany Thornton
The Day of the Money – The Troubadour & Scrooge McDuck
Christmas Joy – Mickey Mouse & Morty Fieldmouse
Business – Goofy
Under Romance – Daisy Duck & Uncle Scrooge
Christmas is Here – Willie the Giant
Bless with Love – Morty, Mickey, Minnie, Melody, Millie, and Ferdy
Here We Come A-Wassailing – Carolers
God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen – Carolers
Marley's Ghost Visits Scrooge
The Ghost of Christmas Past
Carol of the Bells – Carolers
Let Us See Another Christmas
Deck the Halls (Piano Version)
Flight to Fezziwigs
Sir Roger de Coverly
Another Idol Has Replaced Me
Carol of the Bells (Piano Version)
I Saw Three Ships – Carolers
Coventry Carol
Old Joe & Mrs. Dilber
This Dark Chamber
None of Us Will Ever Forget
Who Was That Lying Dead?
I'm Still Here
We Wish You A Merry Christmas – Carolers
Ride On My Good Man
Sussex Carol
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing! (Reprise) – Chorus
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Reception/Critical response
Mickey's Christmas Carol Remastered received generally positive reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 80% of critics gave the film positive reviews, with an average rating of 7.4 out of 10, the consensus saying "A great addition to Disney's animation legacy, Mickey's Christmas Carol Remastered garners beautiful traditional animation and a fantastic plot with Walt Disney's lovable rodent that is sure to win new fans for the holidays." CinemaScore polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film grade "A" rating on an A+ to F scale.
Rating
The film was rated G: "General Audiences-All Ages Admitted." by the Motion Picture Association of America.
This is a film which contains nothing in theme, language, nudity and sex, violence, etc. which would, in the view of the Rating Board, be offensive to parents whose younger children view the film. The G rating is not a "certificate of approval," nor does it signify a children's film. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated films. The violence is at a minimum. Nudity and sex scenes are not present; nor is there any drug use content.
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Trailers
The teaser trailer was released on June 24, 2011, debuting with Cars 2 and Winnie the Pooh & Tinker Bell's Midsummer Rescue, and an official trailer was released on September 14, 2011, coinciding with The Lion King 3D.
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Supervising Animators
Bruce W. Smith – Scrooge McDuck
Mark Henn – Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Morty, Ferdy, Melody Mouse, Millie Mouse
Dale Baer – Goofy, Mortimer
Nik Ranieri – Jiminy Cricket, Ratty
Glen Keane – Willie the Giant
Andreas Deja – Pete
Randy Haycock – Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Webby Vanderquack, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Della Duck
Eric Goldberg – Troubadour, Moley
Anthony DeRosa – Mr. Toad, Gertie Duck
Duncan Marjoribanks – Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, the Sleuth
Michael Surrey – Clara Cluck
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Birthdays
Alan Young: Date of Birth: November 19, 1919 [age 91] at Tyne-and-Wear, England
Bret Iwan: Date of Birth: September 10, 1982 [age 29] at California, USA
Bill Farmer: Date of Birth: November 14, 1952 [age 58] at Kansas, USA
Phil Snyder: Date of Birth: February 6, 1953 [age 58] at Washington, USA
Will Ryan: Date of Birth: November 13, 1939 [age 71] at California, USA
Jim Cummings: Date of Birth: November 3, 1952 [age 59] at Ohio, USA
Tony Anselmo: Date of Birth: February 18, 1960 [age 51] at Utah, USA
Russi Taylor: Date of Birth: May 4, 1944 [age 67] at Massachusetts, USA
Christy Carlson Romano: Date of Birth: March 20, 1984 [age 27] at Connecticut, USA
Rob Paulsen: Date of Birth: March 11, 1956 [age 55] at Michigan, USA
Max Charles: Date of Birth: August 18, 2003 [age 8] at Ohio, USA
Raymond Ochoa: Date of Birth: October 12, 2001 [age 10] at California, USA
Grace Kaufman: Date of Birth: April 29, 2002 [age 9] at California, USA
Ava Acres
Jeff Bennett: Date of Birth: October 2, 1962 [age 49] at Texas, USA
Corey Burton: Date of Birth: August 3, 1955 [age 56] at California, USA
Jess Harnell: Date of Birth: December 23, 1963 [age 47] at New Jersey, USA
April Winchell: Date of Birth: January 4, 1960 [age 51] at New York, USA
Katie Lowes: Date of Birth: September 22, 1981 [age 30] at New York, USA
Josie Trinidad
Pat Musick: Date of Birth: November 1, 1956 [age 55] at Missouri, USA
Maurice LaMarche: Date of Birth: March 30, 1958 [age 53] at Ontario, Canada
Raymond S. Persi: Date of Birth: February 17, 1975 [age 36] at California, USA
Burny Mattinson: Date of Birth: May 13, 1935 [age 76] at California, USA
Pat Fraley: Date of Birth: February 18, 1949 [age 62] at Washington, USA
Tyler Ganus
Tyree Brown