You are Johnny Depp. Your professional life — heavily reliant on the goodwill and fondness that often arises when people hear your name, or at least that of Captain Jack Sparrow — is in a state of disarray.
A highly publicized and chaotic series of accusations related to on-set assault (including a lawsuit you resolved) and domestic violence (which you have denied), along with headline-grabbing defamation trials, have collectively damaged your previously stellar reputation. Your most recent significant franchise role, portraying Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter Fantastic Beasts series, came to an end when Warner Bros. requested your resignation following your defeat in a libel case against the Sun newspaper for labeling you a “wife beater.”
Since then, you have had few noteworthy appearances. Meanwhile, a history of nearly unbelievable spending has led to the acquisition of a private island and an entire French village (along with almost enough wine to intoxicate a nation) and debts comparable to those of some of the world’s most extravagant small nations.
What are your options?
Interestingly enough, for your first major Hollywood project following the conclusion of your defamation lawsuit against ex-partner Amber Heard (a trial you largely triumphed in, with Heard being ordered to pay you $10 million US over her abuse claims), you have selected Ebenezer. This is a cherished, albeit frequently retold, narrative. To many, this choice may seem more like a public relations maneuver than a genuinely engaging film.
Upon further reflection, perhaps revisiting Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol makes a certain amount of sense. The story revolves around the titular, miserly Scrooge learning to embrace Christmas and humanity through encounters with one ghost and three spirits, all set in Victorian-era England. You once again find yourself wandering through the grimy, soot-laden streets of London, employing the accent that some North Americans find convincing and the British find disturbing that you’ve honed throughout your career.
However, as you parade about in carefully worn cloaks and period-appropriate whimsical hats, it may prove challenging for viewers to rekindle the fondness they once felt watching Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, or even your portrayal of Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They used to admire you, didn’t they?
This somewhat adequate comeback seems to echo that sentiment. Can they not find a way to appreciate you once more?
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In truth, this performance isn’t bad. With your exaggerated expressions and vocalizations, your wide-eyed exclamations and sentimental speeches guide audiences through Dickens’s timeless, though somewhat syrupy, tale of transformation.
This isn’t a standout Depp performance, nor does it possess much depth or creativity. However, it bears resemblance to the enjoyable roles you used to offer. The quirky grin and casually humorous dialogue that supported blockbuster hits remain intact. That must count for something, right?
You also have a stellar cast supporting you: Ian McKellen as your cautionary business partner Jacob Marley, Rupert Grint as your overworked employee Bob Cratchit, and Tramell Tillman as the ominous, almost pagan Ghost of Christmas Present.
Tramell Tillman, left, portrays the Ghost of Christmas Present alongside Johnny Depp’s Ebenezer Scrooge in Ebenezer. (Jaap Buitendijk/Paramount Pictures)
Each actor fulfills their role: delivering clever lines as effectively archetypical — and necessarily simplistic — characters. They aim to make your unlikable protagonist endure enough to eventually appear relatable and deserving of societal acceptance once again.
In fact, the familiarity here is so quintessentially Depp that audiences may find themselves half-expecting to see Helena Bonham Carter’s face emerge from around every dark, cobbled corner. Director Ti West (MaXXXine, Pearl, X) tries to inject his unique campy-horror style into the classic tale, but instead of achieving the captivating genre blend seen in Tim Burton’s Scissorhands, what results is more akin to a Saturday matinee performance.
We see the excessive use of clanking chains and wailing spirits reminiscent of central casting from Fleet Street. West’s few original takes seem aimed at humor yet land as blunt and somewhat offensive. For instance, instead of depicting Dickens’s trembling child-ghosts as symbols of “ignorance” and “want,” we encounter creatures resembling Dr. Seuss’s Thing 1 and Thing 2, screeching and scuttling about like tiny, transparent ankle-biters from hell.
Redemption roulette
So, why did you choose this path, Johnny? Upon reflection, leaning on this now-predictable narrative instead of seeking something fresh is an ideal strategy for your current situation. You are not the first celebrity to create “fall from grace” headlines. In the extensive list of attempts to regain your footing, a common theme often emerges.
There have been less successful endeavors, such as Will Smith’s painfully self-punishing Emancipation, which tells the story of an enslaved man whose whip-scarred back aided in the abolition of slavery. Or Kevin Spacey’s amateurish The Man Who Drew God, focused on a blind man falsely accused of child abuse. Additionally, Armie Hammer’s Citizen Vigilante and Jonathan Majors’s Run Hide Fight: Infidels both center on lone men fighting against people framed as the scum of society.
Conversely, there have been more triumphant comebacks. Winona Ryder reemerged from her criminal past with a small role in Black Swan, but her true return was as the endlessly devoted mother in Stranger Things. After a reputation for poor performances, Mickey Rourke made a temporary comeback as the battered yet valiant lead in The Wrestler.
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Robert Downey Jr. perhaps achieved the most remarkable comeback, transforming public perception from his struggles with addiction and arrests to his portrayal of a charming, altruistic billionaire in Iron Man.
Ultimately, the quality of a film does not necessarily reflect the character of its star. While not universally applicable, a reliable formula for recovery exists: if you seek to mend a tarnished reputation following controversy, position yourself as the sympathetic victim or selfless hero (or a combination of both) in a narrative that gently mirrors your own experience.
While Ebenezer may be quite acceptable — and as original as the entry on “Simple Wikipedia” — it at least fulfills your requirements. Based on a narrative so adept at evoking goodwill towards humanity that it essentially gave birth to the modern notion of Christmas generosity, what more could you desire?