SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
It's time for Movies You Missed, where we ask friends, colleagues and listeners to watch classic films they just somehow never got around to seeing. Last week, it was "It's A Wonderful Life." This week, since 'tis still the season, "A Christmas Carol."
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL")
DAVE GOELZ: (As The Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens) Hello.
SIMON: But not quite as Charles Dickens wrote it.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL")
GOELZ: (As The Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens) Welcome to "The Muppet Christmas Carol." I am here to tell the story.
STEVE WHITMIRE: (As Rizzo the Rat) And I am here for the food.
GOELZ: (As The Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens) My name is Charles Dickens.
WHITMIRE: (As Rizzo the Rat) And my name is Rizzo the Rat.
SIMON: How did Dickens lose his British accent?
Ebenezer Scrooge, the character whose last name has become a synonym for being stingy and cold, is played by Michael Caine. Scrooge, of course, is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, future and discovers the true meaning of - eh, come on, you know.
Audrey Wang had never seen "The Muppets Christmas Carol" (ph) - until now. She lives in New York City, works in communications and joins us from our studios at NPR New York. Thanks so much for being with us.
AUDREY WANG: Thanks for having me.
SIMON: So how did you ever miss this film?
WANG: Well, basically, in '91, when I was 8 years old, my family and I moved to the States from Taiwan. So we had American culture in Taiwan - you know, "Knight Rider," "MacGyver," "ALF" - but missed the...
SIMON: Oh, all the classics, yeah.
WANG: Right, exactly, all the '80s hits. But when I came to the States, I didn't know English. And I call the years of '91 through maybe '93 a cultural black hole in which I just had to go back and revisit - as I did yesterday - certain cultural touchstones.
SIMON: And this includes the Muppets.
WANG: Yes.
SIMON: "The Muppets Christmas Carol."
WANG: Yes.
SIMON: So you've seen the film, thankfully. And?
WANG: I thought it was very charming, you know. I think maybe people have certain nostalgia with "Sesame Street" or Muppets or this movie in particular that I don't have. So it's very cute. I love musicals, so that wasn't a detraction. It's a very charming movie. I can see why people would like it.
SIMON: Let's ask our producers - can we hear a little singing, Sami (ph)?
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL")
JERRY NELSON: (As Robin the Frog as Tiny Tim, singing) Life is full of sweet surprises. Every day's a gift. The sun comes up, and I can feel it lift my spirit - fills me up with laughter, fills me up with song. I look into the eyes of love and know that I belong.
SIMON: I'm getting goose flesh.
WANG: Yeah, I feel nothing (laughter).
SIMON: What? You feel nothing?
WANG: Yeah, I feel nothing (laughter). I'm not dead inside. I do love Christmas and holiday movies. But this isn't - maybe because I don't have the connection with Muppets or "Sesame Street" - you know, they weren't part of my childhood. So I do not - it's cute, but...
SIMON: Well - but I bet you knew who Michael Caine was before this film. What did you think of his Scrooge?
WANG: Good. I mean, I don't know how I would - I mean, I'm not an actor or an actress. So I'm not sure how I would handle being in a room with people with puppets on their hands crawling around and...
SIMON: (Laughter).
WANG: ...You know, navigating it. So I loved his Scrooge, you know - very serious, very, you know, wicked. And he gets redeemed at the end and buys geese for Muppets. It's - I believed in his Scrooge.
SIMON: You know, every actor we've ever interviewed who has acted with the Muppets have said inside of a few minutes, half a scene, you believe.
WANG: I can see that. I believed, you know, Muppets and humans populated this world. I can see that (laughter).
SIMON: Yeah. I still think they do. Now, may I tell you one of my favorite lines?
WANG: Yes.
SIMON: OK. So Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit says - (imitating Kermit) please, Mr. Scrooge, it's gotten colder...
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As Rat Bookkeeper #1) Yeah.
NELSON: (As Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit) And the bookkeeping staff would like to have an extra shovel full of coal for the fire.
SIMON: Another bookkeeper says...
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As Rat Bookkeeper #2) All of our pens have turned to inksicles (ph). Now our assets are frozen.
SIMON: (Laughter).
WANG: That's a pretty good Kermit. I'll buy your Kermit.
SIMON: Yeah? Thank you. Thank you.
Well, did you have a favorite line or scene?
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL")
WHITMIRE: (As Rizzo the Rat) Christmas apples.
GOELZ: (As Gonzo the Great as Charles Dickens) We've got McIntosh, Red Delicious...
WANG: I liked in the beginning when Rizzo the Rat is eating an apple.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL")
GOELZ: (As Gonzo the Great as Charles Dickens) They won't last long the way you're eating them.
WHITMIRE: (As Rizzo the Rat) Hey, I'm creating scarcity - drives the prices up.
GOELZ: (As Gonzo the Great as Charles Dickens) Rizzo.
SIMON: (Laughter).
WANG: So I kind of enjoyed that part. I thought it was very clever.
SIMON: Yeah.
WANG: And I think if you're an adult, maybe there's parts of that that you can catch in the film, which may be in the Pixar-related world we're so aware of these days. But I liked that part.
SIMON: Has seeing the movie made you feel a little differently about this holiday?
WANG: I think it was a good start to, you know, the idea of snow and vacation and maybe Christmas cheer or holiday cheer.
SIMON: I mean, the message seems to be our hearts thaw in this holiday season.
WANG: Sure. I think that would be a good thing to feel all year-round as opposed to, you know, over two weeks. But I think that is the message that most people feel with family and, you know, realizing the wrongs and going into a new year with a better start.
SIMON: Well, I have that goose flesh again.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL")
NELSON: (As Robin the Frog as Tiny Tim) Bless us all who gather here...
SIMON: Audrey Wang, thanks so much for joining us on Movies You Missed: "Muppets Christmas Carol" (ph).
WANG: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL")
WHITMIRE AND NELSON: (As Kermit the Frog and Robin the Frog as Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, singing) No place on earth compares with home. And every path will bring me back from where I roam. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.