I'm trying
something different to get in the holiday spirit this year. Every
day, from now through Christmas, I will be watching a different
Christmas movie or television special. I have compiled the list of
features ahead of time and am drawing one, at random, from my
Christmas stocking everyday to determine what gets watched. Thank
you for joining me in this endeavor. Here comes day eighteen.
Scrooged (1988)
This pick marks the second one that is based on A Christmas
Carol. I'm not sure when I
originally saw this movie, though I do remember being slightly scared
of its ads. What can I say, I was an easily frightened kid. Further
there was something weird about seeing Bill Murray, who I knew primarily as
Peter Venkman, harassed by ghosts. In any case, I did eventually see
it and it was enjoyable. It isn't a feature that I watch every
holiday season, but I'm not fully sure why that is. I enjoy it every
time that I do. Maybe I'll have to change my viewing habits
regarding this movie.
Synopsis
Of the three features on this list
that are based on A Christmas Carol,
Scrooged is the one that does the most to mix things up. Primarily, it is
simply a modern (a least 1988 modern) retelling of the classic tale.
As such we will look at it less in depth than some other features;
the same way I treated Mickey's Christmas Carol. We are introduced
to Frank Cross, a young, hot shot television executive who is
overseeing the production of a live broadcast version of A
Christmas Carol set to air on
Christmas Eve. His promo for the special doesn't embrace the spirit
of the story but instead is provocative simply to get eyes on the
product. When questioned about its tone by a subordinate named Eliot
Loudermilk, Frank fires him. Through this and his giving out of network branded towels
for Christmas, it is made clear that he is not a very pleasant
person.
 |
| A live special with stunt casting. Make it a musical and it could air next year. |
What follows is a fairly by the
numbers retelling. Frank is visited first by the ghost of his former
mentor and then in sequence by each of the Ghosts of Christmas.
Where it differs from the traditional tale is the time scale in with
the visits occur and the way each of the ghosts are portrayed. In
terms of when the visits happen, the ghost of his mentor visits the
night of the 23rd
of December and the other ghost arrive throughout the afternoon of
the 24th.
This has the effect of making those around him begin to question his
sanity. The Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas
Present are portrayed in a more comedic fashion than normal but still
manage to get the weight of the story across. The Ghost of Christmas
Future is as terrifying as it should be.
 |
| They definitely got the Ghost of Christmas Future right. |
In the end, Frank rehires and
promotes Eliot, who was in the process of trying to kill Frank over
his firing before the arrival of the last ghost intervened. With
Elliot's help Frank then interrupts the live broadcast to spread his
newly minted appreciation for the holiday and implore people to keep
the spirit with them all year long. Frank's assistant's son (the
film's stand-in for Tiny Tim) says his first words since witnessing
his father's murder. And everyone joins in song as the credits roll.
Final Thoughts
Scrooged is a retelling of A Christmas Carol
and that is not a bad thing. Chances are you already know all the
story beats long before you start watching. That is simply a fact of
adapting one of the most popular holiday stories of all time. By no
means does this serve as a reason to pass it by. First, there is
something fun about it being a version of A Christmas
Carol that takes place in a
world where that story exists. It gives Bill Murray's Frank Cross a
really good reason to doubt if he is truly encountering ghosts or just
cracking under the stress of making the television special. Second
the more irreverent takes on most of the ghosts are also very fun to
watch. Carol Kane as the Ghost of Christmas Present stands out
particularly in this regard. Finally, and probably the best reason
to watch this feature is simply Bill Murray.
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| This guy makes everything he touches better. |
People who know me
frequently accuse me of having a man crush on him and that is not an
accusation that I can fully refute. But, he is hilarious in this in
the same way that he is hilarious in all of his comedic roles. I
guess, from a story stand point, this could be something of a
problem. Even at the points when his character is supposed to be at
his absolute worst, you can't help but be amused by Murray. But,
then again, you wouldn't really want Bill Murray to not be Bill
Murray so it is fine. Overall, a fun Christmas movie that balances a
typical heartwarming tale with a sarcastic eighties comedy edge. Its
likely to be enjoyed by the whole family, even moody teens or people
who act like moody teens. See you back here in about 24 hours or so.
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