History Heartwarming / TheMuppetChristmasCarol

** Quoth YouTube user Michael Townley commenting on a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpb9EbmvM5M&index=13&list=PLEa0avMb_W_JKtxTBVTtV-r1JPxniKLg- YouTube video of Scrooge thanking Beaker for the scarf, leading into "Thankful Heart"]]:

* Scrooge allowing Kermit and the bookkeepers to have Christmas off. It's a tiny hint that Scrooge isn't so heartless as he lets on.

* Michael Caine's delivery of this line:

** Actually, the Ghost himself is probably a walking heartwarming moment. The other ghosts don't even bother hiding their contempt of Scrooge, viewing him as an enemy to be shocked out of his backwards views. By contrast, this one is chuckling almost all the time he's around Scrooge. He really embodies the joy and brotherliness of Christmas, viewing Scrooge more a man who's gone astray, gently correcting him most of the time, and passing him off to the next ghost with an encouraging 'Go forth and know him better, man!'

** Quoth YouTube user Michael Townley on a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpb9EbmvM5M&index=13&list=PLEa0avMb_W_JKtxTBVTtV-r1JPxniKLg- YouTube video of Scrooge thanking Beaker for the scarf, leading into "Thankful Heart"]]:
-->''It's ridiculous, but I actually feel emotional when Scrooge is given the scarf. It means so much to him, just that one little gift. Michael Caine is brilliant in this.''

** It's also heartwarming due to the fact that Beaker flipped off Scrooge, the last time he seen him. Now that he sees a changed man, giving him the scarf was the least he could do.

* Meta-example: Steve Whitmire said that he was very nervous about taking over as the voice of Kermit. The night before he began production, he had a dream that he met Jim Henson in a hotel lobby. He told Jim his fears and Jim assured him that he'd do just fine.

'''!!!Behind The Scenes:'''

-> "There have been countless variants of Dickens’ yuletide redemption story, including versions starring Mickey Mouse, The Jetsons and Mr Magoo. But the greatest of these by far is The Muppet Christmas Carol. Having Jim Henson’s famous felt creations anchor the film automatically punches up the fantastical elements of Dickens’ narrative – after all, this is a story of ghosts, magic and time-travel. But it is Michael Caine’s performance that makes it, and he acts opposite the Muppets as if they are flesh and blood. The seriousness with which he invests his performance makes it an explosion of emotion, a deeply felt interpretation of Dickens’ story rather than a parody of it – showing that the smartest way to renew a classic isn’t always with irony, but sincerity."

'''Behind The Scenes:'''
This review from the BBC explaining why it's become such a holiday classic:
"There have been countless variants of Dickens’ yuletide redemption story, including versions starring Mickey Mouse, The Jetsons and Mr Magoo. But the greatest of these by far is The Muppet Christmas Carol. Having Jim Henson’s famous felt creations anchor the film automatically punches up the fantastical elements of Dickens’ narrative – after all, this is a story of ghosts, magic and time-travel. But it is Michael Caine’s performance that makes it, and he acts opposite the Muppets as if they are flesh and blood. The seriousness with which he invests his performance makes it an explosion of emotion, a deeply felt interpretation of Dickens’ story rather than a parody of it – showing that the smartest way to renew a classic isn’t always with irony, but sincerity."

* Bob and Tiny Tim doing their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIX2OUETAfY "Christmas Scat."]] As Dickens put it in the book, the Cratchits may not have been handsome or well-dressed, but they were ''happy.''

* Bob and Tiny Tim doing their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIX2OUETAfY "Christmas Scat."]] As Dickens put in the book, the Cratchits may not have been handsome or well-dressed, but they were ''happy.''

-->'''Bob Cratchit/Kermit:''' "He said he hoped people saw him at church because it would be good for them to remember, on Christmas Day, Who made lame men walk and blind men see."

* Bob and Emily discussing Tiny Tim's behavior at church:

* Fred saying "Christmas is a loving, honest, and charitable time. And though it's never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that Christmas has done me good, and will do me good, and I say, 'God bless it'!" And then the rat bookkeepers cheer.

*** Actually, the Ghost himself is probably a walking heartwarming moment. Most of the Ghosts of Christmas Present don't even bother hiding their contempt of Scrooge, viewing him as an enemy to be shocked out of his backwards views. By contrast, this one is chuckling almost all the time he's around Scrooge. He really embodies the joy and brotherliness of Christmas, viewing Scrooge more a man who's gone astray, gently correcting him most of the time, and passing him off to the next ghost with an encouraging 'Go forth and know him better, man!'

* The ending, naturally, especially since it's dedicated to the memory of Jim Henson and Muppeteer Richard Hunt.

* Fred saying "Christmas is a loving, honest, and charitable time. And though it's never but a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that Christmas has done me good, and will do me good, and I say, 'God bless it'!" And then the rat bookkeepers cheer.

* In the opening number "Scrooge", as Scrooge is walking through the streets - he walks past a mouse who says "please sir, I want some cheese" and ignores her. During the "With A Thankful Heart" number, he can be seen giving the same mouse a block of cheese. D'awwwww.

-->'''Scrooge:''' It's my own employer! As hard and ruthless as a rose petal!

-->'''Scrooge:''' It's my own employer! As hard and ruthless as a rose petal!