Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843, a novella about a greedy miser named Ebenezer Scrooge who hates Christmas. Scrooge makes the holiday season miserable for everyone around him, until four ghosts visit him: an old business partner and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future. By the end, Scrooge's heart grows by three sizes and he finally sees the joy of Christmas.

A Christmas Carol has been turned into a movie many times over, with dozens of adaptations for the big screen, television, cartoons, TV shows and more. Here is a look at five of the best adaptations of A Christmas Carol that everyone needs to see.

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A Christmas Carol (1951)

Alastair Sim in A Christmas Carol (1951)

The best traditional version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol came in 1951, with Alastair Sim taking on the role of Scrooge and completely making it his own. Every version made after this had a lot to live up to, as Sim was both a terrible person and a great comic actor at the same time.

Even better is Sim's Scrooge's redemption arc. His portrayal of the man finding his Christmas spirit once again might be the best of any adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Seeing Sim celebrate Christmas will make anyone want to get up and dance along with him.

A Christmas Carol (1984)

George C. Scott in A Christmas Carol (1984)

In 1984, there wasn't a better actor to play a grumpy older man than George C. Scott. From his roles in Patton and Dr. Strangelove to his later performances in Firestarter, he was pretty much the opposite of a fun guy. That made him perfect for Scrooge in the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol.

Despite this version's made-for-TV budget, the film didn't come across as low quality. 1984's A Christmas Carol pulled in Scott as Scrooge, David Warner (The Omen) as Bob Cratchit and even Edward Woodward (The Wicker Man) as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Scott was fantastic in A Christmas Carol and picked up an Emmy nomination for the role.

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The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Michael Caine in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992).

The Muppets released some great movies in the '80s and '90s, but the one that might stand above them all is its adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Released in 1992, all the fan-favorite muppets such as Kermit, Foggy, Gonzo, Piggy and Fozzie took part in The Muppet Christmas Carol. In this version, Gonzo plays Charles Dickens and tells his story as a narrator, and Kermit the Frog is Bob Cratchit, but the main draw in The Muppet Christmas Carol is the legendary Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge.

Scrooged (1988)

Bill Murray in Scrooged (1988)

Not all adaptations of A Christmas Carol are straight retellings. During an era where he was making comedy classics like Ghostbusters and Caddyshack, Bill Murray teamed up with Richard Donner (The Goonies) to make Scrooged in 1988. In this version, Murray played Frank Cross, the president of a television network who ordered his company to make a live production of A Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve and fired the executive who disagreed with him. However, Cross then faced off with the three ghosts (brilliantly portrayed by David Johansen, Carol Kane and Robert Hammond) while also dealing with a disgruntled employee with a gun (Bobcat Goldthwait).

A Christmas Carol (1997)

A Christmas Carol (1997)

There are plenty of animated versions of A Christmas Carol, with the most popular likely being Mickey's Christmas Carol from 1983. However, the best might be the 1997 animated movie featuring Tim Curry as the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge. It is a brilliant casting, as his dry voice and tone are perfect for the miser. 1997's A Christmas Carol is an animated musical, and Tim Curry in musicals is always a treat. Curry gets a couple of great chances to sing, including a song battle in a tavern and a redemption song at the end, both of which prove the actor to be one of the best when it comes to offbeat musical performances.

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