The question has haunted mankind like a ghost:
Can somebody honestly change?
It seems that by thirty or forty at most,
They’re set in their ways
The way furniture stays,
The kind you don’t sell but at best rearrange.
And yet we hear tales of how others transform,
The hackneyed morality plays.
But those are anomalies, far from the norm,
For wishers and dopes
Who need fuel for their hopes
That common unkindness is only a phase.
But Grinches and Scrooges are likely short-term:
No heart changes shape when it melts.
You can’t shake foundations; they’re simply too firm.
It’s nice to believe,
But let’s not be naïve.
If I don’t plan to change, why should anyone else?
__________________________
MPA rating: PG-13
I have long wished that there were more original movie musicals. Rather than waiting for stage musicals to become popular enough to warrant film adaptations, I think there are stories that are better served by getting the movie treatment up front, and Pasek and Paul are leading the way. The Greatest Showman was a mainstream hit, but it seemed like last year’s Spirited didn’t get nearly as much buzz; plus, being an Apple TV+ exclusive means it sadly won’t get the usual annual holiday reruns either. So it seemed only right that I do my own small part to promote this modern retelling of A Christmas Carol, mixed in with meta Scrooged-style comedy milking the chemistry of stars Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds.
The twist to this version of the oft-oft-oft-adapted Dickens story is that it is from the ghosts’ perspective, turning the ghost quartet who once haunted Scrooge into a multi-generational corporation where the dead create personalized illusions to improve one terrible person each Christmas. The current Ghost of Christmas Present (Ferrell) is torn about just how much good they’re doing with these individual redemptions but finds a challenge in the form of cynical media manipulator Clint Briggs (Reynolds). While the supposedly “unredeemable” Clint insists he’s too savvy to undergo the usual moral awakening, both he and his ghostly guide must grapple with just how much someone can change.
Where Spirited shines most is what every musical strives for: fantastic musical numbers. Between the upbeat earworms of Pasek and Paul and the stunningly energetic choreography by Chloe Arnold, the big dance numbers go hard. There are good smaller songs too, but when they aim for a Broadway-level showstopper, every single one succeeds, making it truly mind-boggling to me that the soundtrack got no awards attention at all. I was glad when RRR’s “Naatu Naatu” won the Oscar for Best Original Song, but it’s a little galling when this film’s “Good Afternoon” or “Do a Little Good” are better than any of the other nominees. My personal favorite is “Ripple,” which was cut from the film itself (likely for time) but was clearly too good to not include and was thankfully added to the end credits.
As for the rest of the film, it’s a likable redemption story that doesn’t play out quite as predictably as the usual Christmas Carol adaptation. Ferrell’s Ghost of Christmas Present is the film’s heart as he showcases how the hardest person to forgive is oneself, while Reynolds’ Clint fits comfortably into his lovable jerk mold, wielding his self-proclaimed knowledge of human nature to stoke conflict and cancel culture without ever noticing the aftermath. I’ve never been a fan of either actor’s brand of comedy, but, while there are still moments here that don’t always land for me, I’d consider this some of their best work. This is especially because of how well they stretch their musical chops, despite not having much experience with song and dance, the same being true for Octavia Spencer as Clint’s self-loathing employee. The entire cast does a great job, from Broadway heavyweight Patrick Page as Jacob Marley to Sunita Mani and the voice of Tracy Morgan as the other two Christmas ghosts.
Spirited would be a good film with just its plot, but the music puts it into instant classic territory in my book and a film I plan to make part of my annual Christmas movie schedule. It can seem a bit overlong and overwhelming at times, but I enjoyed my second watch this year more than I did last year, when I added it to my top 365 list and then never reviewed it. If a movie can poke holes in cynicism, promote the idea that anyone can change for the better, and make me dance and sing along, that’s my kind of movie.
Best line: (Ferrell’s Ghost of Christmas Present, to a party guest dressed like Buddy the Elf) “You look stupid.”
Rank: List-Worthy (tied with Scrooged)
© 2023 S.G. Liput
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Putting aside the feeling that I’ve seen versions of all of these characters in other movies many times before, the entire cast of mostly unknowns give their all, instilling a fresh and likable energy to their roles. Ella Hunt is especially good as the wistful Anna, whose zombie-killing weapon of choice is a giant candy cane, and Paul Kaye is a downright ham as the school’s power-mad vice principal. Despite the initial poking fun at how juvenile high-schoolers might actually react to zombies, the whole cast later prove their acting chops as things get more dire. And while dire is to be expected from a movie with Apocalypse in the title, it also sadly saps some of the earlier fun away. Not everyone I wanted to live does, and the half-hopeful ending can’t disguise the inescapable bleakness that almost always accompanies a zombie outbreak. One of the songs even says, “There’s no such thing as a Hollywood ending.”
Best line: (Mr. Savage, after Lisa asks about her boyfriend’s sick grandmother) “Look around you, Miss Snow. What do you see?”
So, yes, I did enjoy it, including its lesson of forgiveness and the reminder of how Dickens shaped the Christmas holiday we know today, which was not as vigorously celebrated back then. I suppose the weakest aspect was Pryce as Dickens’ father John, whose good nature is undermined by drunkenness and financial waste as he mooches off his son. Despite John’s good intentions, I didn’t blame Charles much for snapping at him at one point, and it didn’t seem entirely right that Charles is in the wrong and apologizes with little change seen on his father’s part.
Rhyme and Reason 