FAQ for
A Christmas Carol (2009) More at IMDbPro »

The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for A Christmas Carol can be found here.

Yes. A Christmas Carol is based on an 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas (more commonly known by the shorter title) by English writer Charles Dickens (1812-1870).

Apart from a couple of instances, the film follows the story very closely. Most of the characters' dialogue is lifted from the text and the look of the Ghosts is influenced heavily by the original descriptions and illustrations.

It is a large cap in the shape of a candle extinguisher, which were common in Victorian times (before domestic electricity) as a way of putting out candles without risking the blowing of hot wax.

No, the man was sniffing "snuff", a mixture of tobacco and spices that is used to clear the nasal passages by inducing sneezing, and which was commonly used during the time period of the story.