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Scrooged 1988 PARAMOUNT PRODUCTIONS, DIRECTED BY RICHARD DONNER Starring Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe, and John Glover Scrooged is one of the many, many spin-offs of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, “A Christmas Carol”. If you’ve enjoyed the book, as well as some of the many renditions that have surfaced over the years, then this film should be no exception. It has everything you’d expect to find in a version of the aforementioned classic, but with this movie, I find it has just a little bit more. Much like a lot of the other holiday films on this forum that date back to the late 80‘s/ early 90‘s, this movie was one that I grew up on throughout the holiday season. I cant say that I saw it very often, nor could I have told you much about it up until just last year, when I purchased it to add to my collection. I can see now why much of my family got such a kick out of it. Bill Murray is just about the funniest actor alive. Murray plays Frank Cross, a miserable television executive who cant seem to find the good in anything. Frank is the youngest network president in television history, yet despite the success at the office, he remains a failure as a human being. Frank hates just about everything. He doesn’t seem to have time or respect for his family, employees or colleagues. One evening, while in his office, Frank is visited by his former boss, who died seven years prior. After refuting his warnings, Frank is thrown into flashback, after flashback, and even some fast forwards. The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present & Future that most would connect to the “Christmas Carol” formula are all present and accounted for. If you’re familiar with Dickens tale, then you know the moral of the story. And if you havent, by watching this movie, you’ll get it. In one of the most enlightening scenes in any a Christmas movie Ive seen, Murray takes a leap in his character. After the epiphany, he appears on television and addresses the world as a new man. In a rant that seems endless, Frank spills the truth of the holidays, humanity and the direction he wants his life to go in. A very powerful, and heartwarming message The supporting characters help Murray a lot throughout the feature. His assistant Grace (Alfe Woodard) plays the traditional hardworking single mother, who seems to always bite her tongue at the over-the-top antics of her boss. When stumbling into the past, Murray rediscovers his love for ex-girlfriend Claire (Karen Allen), and begins to reconsider the choices he made in the years that led him to the collision course he had just endured. I don’t see a lot of negativity in this movie. Theres some dialogue here and there that some might raise an eyebrow to. Other than that, I find this to be a great comedic Christmas classic. I just hope that some people arent swayed from seeing it because of some lackluster reviews, particularly by Roger Ebert. I think its safe to say that Ebert isn’t much of a reliable source anymore. If you don’t deem it as “classic”, Im sure it will throw a smile or two on your face. I find myself laughing throughout the entire picture, mainly because of my fondness of Bill Murray. A must for any holiday movie fan. MOUNT CRUMPIT RATING: 4 / 5 |
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