''Ebbie'' or ''Miracle at Christmas: Ebbie's Story'' is a 1995

TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

directed by George Kaczender, written by

Ed Redlich Ed Redlich is an American television producer and writer. He was the executive producer for ''Without a Trace'', for which he wrote 5 episodes, as well as the executive producer for ''Shark'' starring James Woods. He created the television serie ...

, and starring

Susan Lucci Susan Victoria Lucci (born December 23, 1946) is an American actress, television host, author and entrepreneur, best known for portraying Erica Kane on the ABC daytime drama ''All My Children'' during that show's entire network run from 1970 ...

in the title role. It is a gender-reversed retelling of the 1843 novella '' A Christmas Carol'' by

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

, with a hard-hearted female character in place of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge.

Plot

The title character is businesswoman Elizabeth "Ebbie" Scrooge. Ebbie has never appreciated Christmas, and has been rotten to the holidays. She doesn't give to the needy, doesn't care about her employees at Dobson's (the store she owns), and most of all, she works on Christmas. One night, the ghost of her partner, Jake Marley (counterpart to Dickens'

Jacob Marley Jacob Marley is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'', a former business partner of the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who has been dead for seven years.Hawes, Donal''Who's Who in Dickens'' Routledge (1998), Goog ...

character, played here by

Jeffrey DeMunn Jeffrey DeMunn (born April 25, 1947) is an American stage, film and television actor known for playing Captain Esteridge in '' The Hitcher'' (1986), Sheriff Herb Geller in ''The Blob'' (1988), Andrei Chikatilo in '' Citizen X'' (1995), Harry Terwi ...

), haunts her. She is soon brought back to a deserted Dobson's, where the Ghosts of Christmas Past ( Jennifer Clement and Nicole Parker) show her the Christmases she has celebrated. They take her to a very significant Christmas when her sister Francine (

Molly Parker Molly Parker (born 30 June 1972) is a Canadian actress, writer, and director. She has had roles in independent films as well as television. Her accolades include two Genie Awards, one Canadian Screen Award, one Independent Spirit Awards nomina ...

) died after nearly miscarrying her niece (Ebbie believes that Francine would have survived had she not left her alone to attend a party); it is also the Christmas she met her soon-to-be boyfriend Paul (

Ron Lea Ron Lea is a Canadian actor, best known for his roles in '' Doc'', '' Street Legal'', and '' This is Wonderland''. Lea also served as a director on some episodes of ''Doc''. Filmography Film Television External links *Lea bio {{DEFAUL ...

). They show her many other Christmases, including another grim one when Paul leaves her because she values work over him, when she and Marley take over Dobson's, and finally, the previous year, when Marley died. The

Ghost of Christmas Present The Ghost of Christmas Present is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol''. The Ghost is one of three spirits which appear to miser Ebenezer Scrooge to offer him a chance of redemption. Following a visit fr ...

(

Lorena Gale Lorena Gale (May 9, 1958 – June 21, 2009) was a Canadian actress, playwright and theatre director. She was active onstage and in films and television since the 1980s. She also authored two award-winning plays, ''Angélique'' and ''Je me so ...

) shows her the life of her assistant Roberta Cratchet (

Wendy Crewson Wendy Jane Crewson (born May 9, 1956) is a Canadian actress and producer. She began her career appearing on Canadian television, before her breakthrough role in 1991 dramatic film ''The Doctor (1991 film), The Doctor''. Crewson has appeared in ma ...

), her daughter Martha (Laura Harris) and her son Tiny Tim ( Taran Noah Smith). Next, she sees the party that she is invited to every year by her niece (also

), but has always declined; everyone toast Ebbie, but her niece does not drink (the reason being that she is pregnant). She sees Paul and his wife and children, and Ignorance and Poverty in the form of feral homeless children, while the ghost throws all of her harsh words back at her. Then, the Ghost of Christmas Future shows her a terrible future where Tiny Tim has died, Dobson's is shut down, and she herself is hit by a car, has no visitors in the hospital, and dies flat broke. After experiencing all those visions, Ebbie becomes a better person. She is shown the next morning, whereupon she bids good morning to the doorman. She also orders a large turkey for the Cratchets, donates money for the poor children, buys a coat for a homeless woman (Elan Ross Gibson) and offers her a job, gives Rita a raise (so Rita no longer needs to work her second job), gives a better job to Roberta, and finally attends the party her niece has been inviting her to. The movie ends with Ebbie at the Cratchets' house, eating dinner with them.

Cast

as Elizabeth "Ebbie" Scrooge *

as Roberta "Robbie" Cratchet *

as Paul *

as Francine "Frannie", Mother and Daughter *

as Rita /

* Jennifer Clement as

Ghost of Christmas Past The Ghost of Christmas Past is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol''. The Ghost is one of three spirits which appear to miser Ebenezer Scrooge to offer him a chance of redemption. Following a visit from ...

#1 * Nicole Parker as Ghost of Christmas Past #2 * Susan Hogan as Mrs. Dobson * Kevin McNulty as Mr. Dobson * Taran Noah Smith as Tim "Tiny Tim" Cratchet *

as Jake Marley * Adrienne Carter as Little Ebbie * Bill Croft as Luther / Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come * Elan Ross Gibson as Homeless Woman *

Laura Harris Laura Harris is a Canadian actress. Early life Harris is the daughter of schoolteachers. She began acting in radio dramas and animation series when she was five years old. As a child Harris was educated at Crofton House School and attended c ...

as Martha Cratchet * Sarah Hayward as Nurse #2 * Maria Herrera as Nurse #1 * Gary Jones as Floor Manager * Tamsin Kelsey as Mrs. Taylor *

Karin Konoval Karin Konoval (; born June 4, 1961) is Canadian-American actress who has appeared in theatre, numerous TV series and supporting lead roles in many feature films. Her screen credits include Maurice the Orangutan in '' Rise of the Planet of the Ap ...

as Ebbie's Mother * David Lovgren as Michael *

Tom McBeath Tom McBeath is a Canadian actor. He is the winner of three Jessie Awards best known for playing Col. Harold Maybourne on ''Stargate SG-1''. In 2017, he started playing Smithers on '' Riverdale''. Biography He appeared in an episode of ''Street ...

as Van Munson * Hrothgar Mathews as Ralph * Larry Musser as Ebbie's Father * Malcolm Stewart as Patterson * Carolyn Adair as Pregnant Friend * Liza Huber as 70's Girl (uncredited) *

Tong Lung Kim Tai-chung (June 5, 1957 – August 27, 2011), also known as Kim Tai-jong or Tong Lung (唐龍; Chinese stage name), was a Korean born taekwondo practitioner martial artist, actor and businessman. Kim was one of two stand-ins for Bruce Lee u ...

as Vietnamese Store Owner (uncredited) * Trevor Lawrence Young as Caroler (uncredited)

Sources

* {{A Christmas Carol 1995 television films 1995 films English-language Canadian films American Christmas drama films Canadian Christmas drama films Canadian drama television films Christmas television films Films based on A Christmas Carol Television shows based on A Christmas Carol 1990s Christmas drama films 1995 drama films Films directed by George Kaczender American drama television films 1990s American films 1990s Canadian films

Plot

Cast

See also

Sources