The film begins with a live-action sequence set in Boston in 1857, the site of a live reading by renowned novelist Dickens (Simon Callow). As he begins his 'story of ghosts' a woman in the audience screams because she has seen a mouse and Dickens points out that this is appropriate since his story begins with a mouse. At this point the story turns into the animated version and Dickens explains that the mouse, named Gabriel, carries a glimmer of hope amidst the glaring co-existence of rich and poor in the streets of London. Throughout the subsequent unfolding of the well-known story Gabriel acts as a miniature Greek chorus, providing younger members of the audience with a point of entry into the story and, in the case of the potentially frightening elements (the Ghosts of Past, Present and Future), a place of refuge.

Ebenezer Scrooge:
Cratchit, that slobbonly, good for nothing... Even a tiny mouse is more tidy!

Performed by Kate Winslet
Produced by Steve Mac
Engineered by Chris Laws and Matt Howe at Rokstone Studios, London
Assistant Daniel Pursey
Written by Steve Mac and Wayne Hector
Published by Rokstone Music/Universal Music/Universal Music
Except USA: Rokstone Music/Songs of Windswept/Universal Music
Used by kind permission of Universal Music Publishing Ltd
Rokstone Musice LTD/Universal Music Publishing Ltd 2001
2001 Illuminated Films (Christmas Carol) Ltd