Original subtitles

Until Ebenezer Scrooge repents,

your soul will never have everlasting peace.

Humbug, I will say. "Repent what?" I will say.

I am, without doubt, stuck here forever.

-Lottie. -Our father

made my brother stay here at Christmas.

I see ye, boy. Now what did ye say?

One of my children is very sick. And his treatment costs money.

Mrs. Cratchit, please, take ten now

and come to my apartment on Christmas Day at 4:00p.m.

This is not a game, Ebenezer...

Scrooge.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Spare a penny for the poor, madam, on this fine Christmas day.

And so it came to pass that on this Christmas day

seven years ago...

Why do I feel the cold?

Why do I feel the cold if I am only here in spirit and not here in body?

The cold that you are feeling comes from within,

from inside your soul.

Before this moment, you couldn't feel it,

but now you can.

Then if I am to become a compassionate and tender person,

I will need thicker socks.

When real feeling returns, pins and needles will begin.

Needles in your heart.

Pins to hold up pictures from your past.

Come. Follow poor Mary to her destiny and witness what you did.

And remember, this is not about you, Ebenezer Scrooge,

it is about her.

Merry Christmas to you, madam.

Dear God, forgive me.

Dear, dear Bob, forgive me.

Children, forgive me.

Jesus, turn your head.

Come in.

I do not need to witness this.

I do not need to be here.

-Drink? -No. Please...

Let's get this thing done.

I said I'd be back for...

For what?

For the pouring of the brandy on the pudding.

A perfect Christmas tradition.

Pour perfectly good brandy to an already cooked pudding and set fire to it.

Thus burning the pudding and wasting the brandy.

To the moment.

And what is the moment? I need to be clear.

Our arrangement.

I need to be clear.

You will...

give me money if...

I allow you

to do what you want.

And what

do I want?

-I need to be clear. -I have to say it out loud?

Yes.

I imagine...

intercourse.

To be clear--

you are willing to have intercourse with me

in return for the £20 cash I have put on the fireplace,

along with the ten I put down as a deposit on your virtue.

In the name of God.

-You would do it in the name of God? -For my son.

-As you know... -Yes. Yes, I know.

Please.

My family are all waiting.

I do this only for the life of my child.

In truth, your reason for needing the money is not part of my experiment,

and therefore not of interest to me.

Everyone has their own reasons for wanting and needing money.

That is not the issue.

My experiment is about currency.

It is about finding out the extent of the things a good person will do

in return for money

and how much each bad thing would cost.

Thereby establishing a kind of exchange rate, a human exchange rate.

Similar to the exchange rate on the commodity market.

Except now...

it is your virtue.

Your virtue up for auction.

And with it, any doubt in my mind about human nature.

Going...

...going...

...gone.

I have no interest in you, Mary Cratchit.

Nor in anyone in this way anymore.

The intercourse I sought was purely of the intellectual kind.

You are a devoted wife,

a loving mother, and yet, on Christmas Day,

you are prepared to run across town in the snow

and break every solemn vow and commandment

in return for money.

Take it.

You've already given me what I want.

Proof.

Merry Christmas.

Never speak of this.

I will never tell your husband.

But if he should ever tell you he is thinking of leaving my employment,

the truth might slip.

I count on you to urge caution to him as he considers his future career.

I value your husband very highly.

Now go and burn your figgy pudding.

I will.

And I will say a prayer.

That someday...

some power of justice

will grab you by the throat

and drag you

to a true, bright mirror

that you might see the truth in your reflection.

And that the truth will be known to the world.

I am a woman,

and I have the power to summon such spirits.

And I fucking will.

Humbug.

Is it true?

Was it Mary Cratchit who summoned you to take me by the throat?

Behold.

Even yet.

No pins, mm?

No needles.

Oh, fuck.

-What care I about another? -Just-just remember.

The-the money I gave to Mary Cratchit

was used to save her son's life, and-and Tim lives still.

So if you view virtue purely through the consequence of action

rather than the motivation for the said action,

we have just witnessed my former self doing a good thing.

Bravo.

You are a rock.

A pile of rubble.

A heart lost, never to be found.

The sun measures my allocation.

My time with you is done.

-So-so I am forgiven? -How many times must you be told?!

It's not about your forgiveness!

Well, what is it, then?

How am I supposed to find what I'm meant to find,

or feel what you want me to feel if-if I don't know what it is?

It is now midday. The second spirit will come when the clock strikes midnight.

The second spirit will search the blizzard for your heart.

And if it only finds rocks and ice,

-Ebenezer Scrooge be damned! -Wait. Wait.

Wait, tell me what to expect. No, tell me what is expected of me.

My-my thoughts are my own, but my soul is beyond my control.

Spirit, tell me how to change it!

Spirit. Is there hope?

Has he changed? Spirit, speak.

Please tell me the work you've done has managed to change him.

I can't stay here for eternity.

They're sending you.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas, one and all.

Many benefits. Prosper.

I mean you prosper, not me.

Seasons tidings, et cetera, et cet...

Merry Christmas, one and all.

And on and on it goes. Empty, false and forced.

Year upon year, endlessly.

Ebby.

Spirit?

Spirit?

Ebby, go wait outside.

Our father has left us.

At last.

Lottie.

You paid for my funeral, yet here I am.

The ghost of Christmas present.

A present unknown to you.

Unknown to almost everyone till they're made to look.

Come.

-Come on. -Lottie.

If I'd known what you did for me years ago I would've shown more understanding.

I will show and you will learn.

And hopefully... you will soon begin to feel.

So you need to wrap up.

You may recall that when I was alive, I was quite the scientist.

Well, I still am. What I will show you is in the name of science.

You like experiments, don't you?

Any scientific study of human society will illustrate

the success of that society is dependent upon the function of the collective.

And the function of the collective is dependent on various discrete factors.

You know, Lottie, I once remarked that you were the brightest person I knew.

Later, I remarked that you were also a bit of a show-off about it.

Now just pay attention.

Our first case study.

It is Christmas morning.

Not past, not future, but here and now.

Not an easy time for Bob and Mary.

Not much surplus for gifts for the children.

Bob has taken Belinda's old ice skates and he's mending them

so that she can skate on the pond on Christmas day, as she loves to do.

Mary's writing out a story that she was told as a child. From memory.

She has an excellent memory.

The story of Icarus.

She's illustrating it for Tim so that she can give it to him.

And they have no money for books.

Tim will value this book more than any bought in a shop.

And if you're worried about the ink, Bob offered to steal some from your supply,

but she refused.

She didn't want anything in the house that was touched by Ebenezer Scrooge.

-It's Christmas! -Ho-ho, Merry Christmas.

-Merry Christmas. -Merry Christmas.

-You sleep all right? -Merry Christmas.

Is this an experiment to see if you can wring blood from my heart?

No. No, I show you this scene to comfort you.

-Did you sleep? -Yeah.

Did you? No?

They have no money. But listen.

That's for you, Belinda. This is for you. That one's for you too, Tim.

What they lack in money they make up for with love.

-Fruit and nuts. Yes! -To share, Belinda.

-Don't you see the science of it? -Biscuits. Thank you.

Love makes them mend and draw and write, make do.

My ice skates. Good as new.

Without love, they would demand more money for new skates and real books.

Every Bob Cratchit in England survives half on money...

...and half on love.

-You gonna go out on them today? -Yes.

This book is beautiful.

-Be careful, it might be a bit wet. -Okay.

-Thank you so much for these. -You are welcome.

Ebenezer.

It is I.

Your dad was up all night.

So it is love.

Love that saves the system from revolution.

A scientific and economic reason for you to embrace it, Ebenezer.

-See the value of it. -You're mocking me.

You mock yourself, putting a value to things that have no price.

How many candles are there under the tree?

And bells. How many bells?

And presents for the children-- how many were there?

You didn't count.

You stared for a long time but you didn't count.

Before, you counted everything. This time, you looked.

Is that a good thing? Is that... progress?

You tell me.

I thought you were supposed to know it all.

Do you smell that, Ebby? The day passes quickly. Already it's dinnertime.

Mm, and there's goose.

Mary. As a lonely widow, I had a dozen invitations to dinner,

and I'm mightily glad that I chose to accept yours.

-Never a finer goose was seen. -And so cheap.

It had a broken leg or a leg shorter than the other or something.

-Bob, you carve. -After dinner, I'm going skating.

-I want to come. -You can't hardly walk. How you skate?

-Belinda, please. -I will skate someday.

You will. But if you read my book, you will learn how to fly.

-Will we have figgy pudding this year? -Eat your dinner first, Belinda.

Of course we'll have figgy pudding. It's already in the copper.

And will we pour brandy on it and set light to it?

Yes, but you'll have the bit without the brandy.

Wasn't there a year where Mum had to go out and missed the brandy being poured?

-When was that? -Really? That's a shame.

-Come on, Dad, I'm starving. -Yeah, me, too.

-Tim. -Thank you.

-Mm, would you look at that. -Did you help Belinda, Tim?

I plucked the goose.

The absence of money a family can survive.

The absence of truthfulness they cannot.

-Mary. -I'm fine. Please go and carve.

-We discuss the source of the money... -How? How?

It's as though the whole issue is somehow with us in this house.

I need to tell you, Bob.

I want to tell you the truth. No, I can't stand...

Mum, Martha's trying to carve and she's making...

Go, Belinda.

-Hurry up. -Come on, Dad. Come on, Mom.

I want to tell you...

where I got the money for Tim's operation.

It's as if she can see me.

Sometimes, in high emotions, they can see spirits.

Mary, if you want to tell me the truth here and now, please go ahead and do it.

And before the goose goes cold.

The truth is...

...there is no rich cousin in America.

I made him up.

That Christmas day, I...

I...

I went...

to Margaret Henderson. Lady Henderson.

You remember her. The one who lost her mind.

I remembered when I worked for her,

she had so many diamonds that she never wore.

I asked if I could have a pair of her earrings.

-Why is she lying? -To spare the day.

-What? -To spare her loving husband.

She was old and she was confused, and...

For all she knew, I might as well have been asking for a ginger biscuit.

She said, "Yes, take them."

I took the diamonds from her jewelry box and I sold them.

So, there.

Here I stand before you,

your wife the jewelry thief.

That is how I got the money.

Sweetheart, this moment of truth is the best Christmas present I've ever had.

I have something to tell you. All of you.

Come.

Everyone, I have some news.

Cratchit tribe, one and all...

-Your father has something to tell you. -Bob, let's eat first.

-The news will help with our digestions. -What news?

-Can we eat while we listen? -Hush, Belinda.

I, uh...

I wish to announce I've made a decision.

About my career.

I've decided that, uh,

Monday morning, December 26-- that's tomorrow--

I'm gonna go into the office, I'm gonna hand in my resignation notice

to that old skinflint Ebenezer Scrooge.

-Yes! -Mary, don't be alarmed.

I've received an alternative offer by Mr. Thwaites of Thwaites and Langley.

He was disgusted by some of the things Scrooge said to him on the street.

He sent me an offer.

And, uh, the best part is, uh,

my, uh, my Christmas gift to the whole family.

In my new position, I will be receiving two extra shillings every week.

-Two shillings? -So, next year there will be

brand-new ice skates for you, Belinda, there will be real wings for you, Tim.

Dad, thank you!

-Thank you, Dad. -You're welcome.

-Bob, congratulations. Well done. -Thank you. Thank you.

Mary.

You of all people hate Scrooge.

And when I leave we'll be free of him.

We will never be free of him.

-What do you mean? -Enough.

We will get Christmas done, Bob.

-Then we must speak again. -Mary...

We will get Christmas done!

There.

A happy family silenced by your experiment.

I want her to know that if Bob Cratchit resigns,

I will say nothing about what happened. I-I want to tell her that right now.

She already feels your presence. We need to leave.

Get out of my house.

Get out of my house.

Get out of my house!

And behold, Ebenezer,

the bruised and broken body of Christmas Day.

Seen with your own eyes.

Now listen.

This very Christmas morning...

...in a valley far away...

...they are singing.

Where are we?

A Christmas Day memorial service

for those who lost their lives in your great Trechloddfa pit disaster.

What do you see?

-What am I meant to see? -No tears. Nor self-pity.

You see men and women and children united.

-They harbor no hatred? -There's some hatred.

That boy.

He takes a train to London every Christmas Eve

to pay his respects at Jacob Marley's grave.

He lost his father andtwo brothers to your economies.

My goodness.

The feelings you instill are terribly strong.

Given my time again, I would not reduce expenditure on timber.

Given the time again, I would not be myself.

There.

The first pin.

The first needle.

"Erected in memory of the 17 brave ponies

"who perished in the earth one Christmas Day in the morning."

Do you remember Flash?

The black horse I rode to school before I was sent away.

Yes.

And then when I went away, Father sold him.

Just as when I was a boy...

...he sold me.

Ebenezer, my time with you is almost done.

Please speak of it.

I just...

I am feeling regret.

It comes to me like a... like a...

like a lump in my throat. A lump of rock in my throat.

Regret.

That is a start, isn't it?

I should have thanked you...

...for taking me out of that school,

where I now know I was part of a bargain

done between a schoolmaster and our father.

My father.

My own father.

There.

Said out loud.

If saying it conquered it, I would shout it.

It doesn't.

Lottie, I sh... I should have loved you.

But I want you, in all the world, to understand...

it was too late.

You came with your carriage and your gun

too late.

That is what I will say as my defense.

Ebenezer...

...when the next spirit comes...

...please don't offer him excuses.

He is the terrible one.

The unknown one.

And the one who decides.

He has no interest in the past.

-Lottie... -Only what lies ahead.

-Go back inside. He'll be waiting. -Lottie...

Goodbye, dear brother.

I couldn't love you.

So...

this is the future.

Spirit?

When the bell tolls, the spirit comes. Yes, I understand.

And I am ready.

I understand you are the spirit of Christmas future,

and because we can never know the future, you are not allowed to speak.

Yes. I do have a heart.

I am ready for whatever you wish to show me.

My office.

Goodness, look at all the coal.

I must be out of town.

Still looks... looks the same.

It's not too far in the future. What year is this?

"Dear Mr. Scrooge, this letter is to inform you

that I am as of this day offering my resignation."

S-So he's doing it, he's resigning.

"Before I leave, I wanted you to know

"that you are the most unpleasant, devious, inhuman..."

Dad. Come. It's Tim. There's been an accident.

-When? How? -He went-he went to the pond.

He borrowed my ice skates, but he didn't tell anyone.

Nobody was with him.

All right, come on. Come on.

Wait.

My sister said it is you who decides.

Are you deciding now? Is it in your power to change things? If it is....

Me? I can change things? How?

You mean if I had my time again. We-Well, then, give it to me.

I know I don't deserve a second chance, but I understand what it is I must...

Tim, you'll catch your death.

Or is it death that has caught you?

Is he dead?

Between life and death.

Tim. Tim!

If you can hear me, you must live!

You must stay away, Tim, for your mother!

We're here, little man. Stay with us.

I don't care about the rules.

We're here, little man.

No, no, no, no.

Don't... don't leave us, Tim. Tim, no...

My... self.

What year is this? What year do I die?

But it is Christmas.

No mourners, just worldly goods.

Well, actually, Spirit, I don't care.

I don't care what will become of me.

I only care about one thing.

Bravo.

Bravo.

I know my fate.

And you know my question.

What happened to Tim Cratchit?

No matter what, nothing sinks them.

Not even death.

Nothing makes them question because they have...

Spirit,

I need to know why.

What was the reason for all of this?

Why did you spirits come to me?

Why did you show me all of this?

What purpose?

I'm not sure what the reason is, Ebenezer, but I know the purpose.

It's all to do with redemption

and our joint liability.

All three spirits have done their work.

I asked them to let me have a final try.

We were so, so wrong.

Admit that, at least.

No.

No, I refuse.

I refuse to change.

All their efforts were for nothing, because I refuse redemption.

What in God's name, Ebenezer, why?

This fate--

this piss-covered, second-class grave is exactly what I deserve.

And if redemption were to result in some kind of forgiveness,

I do not want it.

Because I would find a way to justify

everything I have done according to the consequence.

'Cause that's who I am.

The only thing...

The only thing I want the spirits to do,

the only change I want them to make...

...is to spare the life of him.

Oh, you poor man. You all right?

I am more than all right.

I can feel.

And I can feel that I can feel.

-Feel what? -At the moment, a pain in my ass.

Ouch. Yes.

I was meaning to sprinkle this on the ice earlier.

What with it being Christmas, I forgot.

Yes. Yes.

Everything in life is a lesson if you care to learn.

The sprinkling of gravel on ice

is an action taken by a person for the benefit of others

without expectation of any reward of any kind.

A whole new philosophy on human nature

encapsulated in a handful of gravel.

Did you hit your head?

Forgive me.

-Merry Christmas, sir. -It is. It is, yes.

-Merry Christmas, sir. -Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you. Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

This I will do.

This I will gladly do.

No one will skate here this Christmas!

Mary. As a lonely widow, I had a dozen invitations to dinner

and I'm mighty glad that I chose to accept yours.

-Never a finer goose was seen. -And so cheap.

It had a broken leg or a leg shorter than the other or something.

Bob, you carve.

-I'm going skating. -I want to come.

-You can't hardly walk. How you skate? -Belinda, please.

I want to skate someday.

-Expecting company, Martha? -I wouldn't presume.

-Good God. -Yes, I know.

-Unwanted presumption. But on this day-- -What are you doing here?

But this day, this I must do. I have three things I need to say.

-Get out of my house. -One, two, three, and then I will go.

-Item number one... -I said leave.

I know you're planning to hand in your resignation tomorrow.

-Bob, what's he talking about? -Know that you leave with my blessing.

Yes, blessing.

How'd you know I'm planning on handing in my resignation?

I just know. And you are retiring at a very appropriate time

because, tomorrow morning, I am closing the company down.

-You need to leave my house. -Scrooge and Marley

will trade no more in this world,

and as a gesture of good will, my final item of company business is to...

-You need to leave my house. -...is to draw up a check for £500.

Made payable to you, by way of thanks for your service.

So, new ice skates for you, Belinda, and more books for you, Tim.

Mum, how's he know about my ice skates?

I know these things because I've been shown them by spirits.

This is item number two, by the way. I have been visited by spirits

who were summoned by someone to grab me by the throat

and drag me to a bright mirror so that I might see the truth.

-Mr. Scrooge, have you been drinking? -Not yet, but later I will.

I will drink a toast. Indeed. To fathers and mothers

and children and whoever you are.

At home, together for Christmas.

Item number three, regarding children. Item three.

Belinda, the pond where you love to go skating is no longer in use.

It has been rendered unusable. Tim, you will not go skating.

You will stay at home, you will read your book,

and you will learn to fly instead.

Is this what happens when someone drinks laudanum?

No. No, this is what happens when someone finally understands...

...is made to understand...

...what it is to be human.

That is all.

Thank you. The check will be delivered by hand.

Merry Christmas.

-Merry Christmas. -I'll show you out.

-Mary. -It's fine.

I do not know what's happened to you,

and I don't care.

Your £500 will be welcome,

but it will not buy forgiveness.

Nor shall forgiveness ever be earned or expected or wanted.

My business now is the future. I will just be the best I can be.

For the spirits and the bright light

and the mirror,

I thank you.

Sleep well, Jacob.

What I don't understand is why there would be camels in the snow.

-Merry Christmas! -Merry Christmas!

Teach us to do that.

Spirits.

Past, present and future.

There is still much to do.