A Christmas Carol

Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old businessman who cares little for others, spends Christmas Eve counting coins and turning away neighbors, until a spectral cascade unsettles his world. On this holy night he is visited by three spirits who embody his past, his present, and the chilling consequences of his future. Through memories of lost chances, rueful portraits of life in his shadow, and visions of a cold and lonely end, he is forced to see how his selfish choices have shaped not only his own fate but the lives around him. The encounters push him to question whether redemption is still possible before it is too late. His transformation unfolds through quiet, human moments that let audiences feel the weight of choices he ignored for years.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this 2009 adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol uses motion capture to animate the story; Jim Carrey voices Scrooge and the visiting spirits, joined by a stellar supporting cast.

The film stands out for its bold use of motion capture to give a familiar tale a modern cinematic pulse. It helped popularize high end 3D family fantasy and sparked conversations about performance capture as a storytelling choice while keeping the holiday mood central. Its most talked about moments involve Scrooge facing the ghosts in stark, shadowy rooms and the surprising warmth that emerges in his interactions with Tiny Tim and Cratchit family.

Critics generally praised the film for its visual ambition and for delivering a heartfelt version of a well known story; some found the digital look distracting at times, but the central themes of generosity, forgiveness, and personal renewal feel clear and moving throughout. The film also raises questions about memory and bias, showing how a life can be rewritten by perspective and choice.

Box office data is not provided in the information available here, so I cannot report on worldwide gross or budget. The film was released in 2009 and featured a distinctive performance capture presentation.