i recently watch this 1999 version of a christmas carol again and it just not good . there quite a bit i could discuss . from the pedestrian production value and obvious studio set and to the performance that range from okay to terrible . but it patrick stewart performance i have just get to get into . a much respect a i have for stewart and i be sorry to say this be the bad performance of ebenezer scrooge i have ever see . i honestly do not know what he do at time . one moment he appear to be frighten by jacob marley ghost and the next he calmly help lift marley jaw when his jaw wrap be untied . scrooge then ask marley and in a curiously philosophical manner and why spirit walk the earth . when marley indicate to scrooge that he and too and forge his own set of chain and stewart look around a if to locate the invisible chain . then he slowly turn his head up toward marley and smile and say and jacob . speak comfort to me . stewart deliver the line a if he believe marley be pull a prank . a if he actually say and jacob . ( you old practical joker and you ) speak comfort to me . strange . yet when he visit his christmas past and present and most of the future and stewart be oddly stoic the whole time . even during tragic moment . there a moment when the ghost of christmas present tell scrooge tiny tim will die and stewart just fold his arm and look down . i be not sure what stewart be try to communicate at that moment because cross one arm be traditionally a defensive posture . be his scrooge try to suppress himself from be emotional and thus fold his arm . or be that stewart way of express sadness . either way and it a strange choice and make bad by the fact that he remain just a unemotional later a he watch the cratchets mourn for tiny tim . i be not look for patrick stewart to break into a crying fit . i just want to be able to discern some sort of emotional response from scrooge . probably the bad decision stewart make occurs during the critical graveyard scene . a with all other version of a christmas carol and scrooge overhears businessmen talk about a recently decease associate . he also witness the dead man effect be pawn off . by the start of the graveyard scene scrooge should at least have some idea that perhaps and just maybe and he the dead man . this be why scrooge hesitates to view the tombstone and ask if the future can be change before even read the inscribed name . practically all the other actor who have portray scrooge have understand this concept represent scrooge know it go to be his name on that stone . he just doesn not want to believe it . so he must read the name to fully come to term with his fate . but patrick stewart play the scene a if it come a a total surprise . he look down at the name on the stone and and in a rare show of emotion and look up at the ghost of christmas yet to come with genuine shock . then he start cry and beg for mercy and promise to change . why do he think the ghost of christmas yet to come show him these moment . who else could the dead man have be . be his ebenezer scrooge so clueless . this be an awful decision by stewart . it a if nothing about scrooge past and present or future really register until he realize he be go to die . only the thought of his own death make him change . have he never read his name on the tombstone and he probably would not have change at all . that the impression we get from stewart choice to be stoic and unemotional up until the graveyard scene . at least stewart performance a the reformed scrooge be appropriate . for the most part . unfortunately and there be an extremely awkward moment in which he appear to be choke and then burst into laughter . i think i know what stewart be go for represent scrooge hasn not laugh for so long and he physically forget how . thus and he have to choke out the laughter . it doesn not work . it a moment stewart no doubt think be clever and yet seem forced and unrealistic . another reviewer suggest patrick stewart seem to be try too hard to be a different scrooge . i think that true . while i believe the character be open to different interpretation and stewart choice seem to be all wrong ( even his decision to stay completely bald . i would love to have see some side burn and a bit of hair growth around the temple ) . believe it or not and i do hate to be so negative because i respect patrick stewart and have enjoy past performance ( my mom absolutely love him ) . i know he play this character on stage before in a one man show and and he claim to have a unique perspective of scrooge . yet stewart seem uncomfortable and confuse in the role . early i ask if patrick stewart scrooge be clueless . in truth and i believe that description belongs to the actor himself . after all his year of experience with a christmas carol on stage and patrick stewart doesn not know ebenezer scrooge at all .