A Christmas Carol Movie Review: It’s Christmas Eve and 7 years before, Ebenezer Scrooge (Patrick Stewart) buries his long-time friend and business partner, Jacob Marley. Since then Scrooge is always in a bad mood. His loyal, but meek clerk, Bob Cratchit (Richard E. Grant), is the target of Scrooge’s cruelty and bitterness. Scrooge’ s nephew, Fred Bowley, spreads Christmas cheer, but all his uncle can say is ‘Bah! Humbug!’ Scrooge is alone in his office on Christmas Eve. He sees the ghost of Jacob Marley. Marley warns Scrooge that the suffering he causes others, he will have to repay even in death, and warns him that there’s only one chance to escape that fate. He also informs Scrooge that three spirits will visit him and he is to obey them in order to redeem himself.