''Scrooged'' is a 1988 American
Christmas fantasy comedy film directed by
Richard Donner and written by
Mitch Glazer and
Michael O'Donoghue. Based on the 1843 novella ''
A Christmas Carol
''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...
'' by
Charles Dickens, ''Scrooged'' is a modern retelling that follows
Bill Murray as Frank Cross, a cynical and selfish television executive, who is visited by a succession of ghosts on Christmas Eve intent on helping him regain his Christmas spirit. The film also stars
Karen Allen,
John Forsythe,
Bobcat Goldthwait,
Carol Kane,
Robert Mitchum,
Michael J. Pollard
Michael J. Pollard (born Michael John Pollack Jr.; May 30, 1939 – November 20, 2019) was an American actor. He is best known for his role as C.W. Moss in the film ''Bonnie and Clyde'' (1967), which earned him critical acclaim along with nomi ...
, and
Alfre Woodard.
''Scrooged'' was filmed on a $32 million budget over three months in New York City and Hollywood. Murray returned to acting for the film after taking a four-year hiatus following the success of ''
Ghostbusters'', which he found overwhelming. Murray worked with Glazer and O'Donoghue on reworking the script before agreeing to join the project. The production was tumultuous, as Murray and Donner had different visions for the film. Murray described his time on the film as "misery", while Donner called Murray "superbly creative but occasionally difficult". Along with Murray's three brothers,
Brian, John, and
Joel, ''Scrooged'' features numerous celebrity cameos.
The film's marketing capitalized on Murray's ''Ghostbusters'' role, referencing his encounters with ghosts in both films. ''Scrooged'' was released on November 23, 1988, and grossed over $100 million worldwide. The film received a positive response from test audiences, but was met with a mixed response upon its release from critics who found the film either too mean spirited or too sentimental. It was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Makeup, but lost to the fantasy-comedy film ''
Beetlejuice''.
Since its release, ''Scrooged'' has become a regular television Christmastime feature, with some critics calling it an alternative to traditional Christmas films, and others arguing that ''Scrooged'' was ahead of its time, making it relevant in the modern day. It has appeared on various lists of the best Christmas films.
Plot
IBC Television executive Frank Cross is pushing his company to broadcast an extravagant live production of ''
A Christmas Carol
''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...
'' on Christmas Eve, making the staff work throughout the holiday. Frank fires executive Eliot Loudermilk for disagreeing with him, and sends cheap IBC-monogrammed towels to most of the people on his Christmas list, including his personal assistant Grace and his brother James, while the powerful and influential people on his list get an expensive four-head hi-fi stereo
VCR. Seeing the stress Frank is under with the production, Frank's boss Preston Rhinelander brings in consultant Brice Cummings to provide assistance, though Brice secretly wants Frank's job.
The night before the show, Frank is visited by the ghost of his mentor Lew Hayward, an unloved miser who died from a heart attack seven years prior. Lew warns him three more ghosts will appear to him over the next day to help Frank avoid the same fate. Before it vanishes, the ghost dials up Claire Phillips, Frank's lost love from years ago. Claire comes to the network to talk to Frank, but Frank does not make time for her and she returns to the homeless shelter where she works.
As rehearsals start and Frank wraps up his lunch with Preston, Frank is visited by the
Ghost of Christmas Past, appearing as a manic taxi driver. He takes Frank to see his past: how he found solace in television to compensate for a cold and distant father, and how he had fallen in love with Claire but lost her when he prioritized his television career over her.
After the visit, Frank goes to the shelter to see Claire, hoping to make amends. However, his attitude quickly sours and he shows his contempt for a homeless man named Herman and the shelter workers. He returns to the studio, but not before telling Claire: "If you wanna save someone, save yourself."
The
Ghost of Christmas Present arrives as an ethereal, sweet-voiced fairy who punches, kicks and slaps Frank to focus his attention. She takes him to Grace's apartment, showing his assistant's struggles to support her large family, including her youngest son Calvin who has remained mute since witnessing his father's death. The Ghost then shows him James, spending a humble yet festive Christmas with a group of friends and his wife Wendie. James still defends Frank, despite Frank's cheap gifts and his refusal to share in Christmas celebrations with him. The Ghost leaves him in a utility space under a sidewalk with Herman, who, Frank finds to his shock, has frozen to death.
Frank desperately tries to escape, breaking through a boarded-up door to end back up on the set of the production. Preston directs Brice to take over rehearsals to give Frank some time off. Retiring to his office, Frank finds a drunken Eliot waiting for him with a shotgun, ready to kill Frank for causing the loss of his job and family. Frank escapes into the elevator where the
Grim Reaper-like
Ghost of Christmas Future
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol''. The Ghost is one of three spirits which appear to miser Ebenezer Scrooge to offer him a chance of redemption.
Following a vis ...
awaits. The Ghost takes him to the future where a now-catatonic Calvin has been institutionalized. Claire has heeded Frank's words and lives a decadent life, now viewing the homeless with disgust. Finally, the Ghost shows Frank's cremation ceremony, with only James and Wendie in attendance. Frightened and remorseful, Frank is further shocked to find himself inside the casket as it is about to be incinerated; he breaks his way out, ending up out of the elevator and facing Eliot, so elated to be alive that he is oblivious to the fact that Eliot is still trying to kill him. Frank's completely changed demeanor surprises Eliot, particularly when Frank offers him a high-level executive position.
With Eliot's help, Frank returns to the production set, secures Brice in the control room, and breaks into the show's live broadcast to speak of his new appreciation for life. He apologizes on-air to Grace, James, and the cast and crew, and makes a passionate plea to Claire to come back to him. Claire sees this at the shelter and heads for the network with the help of the Ghost of Christmas Past. As Frank and Claire reunite, Calvin comes up to Frank and speaks for the first time, reminding him to say the words "God bless us, everyone", much to Grace's elation.
Frank leads the crew in singing "
Put a Little Love in Your Heart", and sees Lew, the three Ghosts, and the ghost of Herman smiling and waving back to him while singing along as the credits roll. Then Frank instructs the people in the theater to sing along. James then quotes "My brother the King of Christmas".
Cast
*
Bill Murray as Frank Cross, a top executive at IBC Television.
** Ryan Todd as young Frank Cross
*
Karen Allen as Claire Phillips, the ex-girlfriend of Frank who works at a homeless shelter.
*
John Forsythe as Lew Hayward, the former mentor of Frank who appears as a ghost after dying of a heart attack at a golf course seven years ago.
*
Bobcat Goldthwait as Eliot Loudermilk, an executive at IBC Television who Frank fires for questioning him.
*
Carol Kane as the
Ghost of Christmas Present, she is depicted as a fairy.
*
Robert Mitchum as Preston Rhinelander, the head of IBC and Frank's superior.
*
Michael J. Pollard
Michael J. Pollard (born Michael John Pollack Jr.; May 30, 1939 – November 20, 2019) was an American actor. He is best known for his role as C.W. Moss in the film ''Bonnie and Clyde'' (1967), which earned him critical acclaim along with nomi ...
as Herman, a homeless man.
*
Alfre Woodard as Grace Cooley, the personal assistant of Frank.
*
John Glover as Brice Cummings, a consultant hired by Preston to help Frank.
*
David Johansen as the
Ghost of Christmas Past, he is depicted as a taxi driver.
* Nicholas Phillips as Calvin Cooley, the son of Grace who has been mute since his father was murdered.
** Raphael Harris as an older Calvin.
*
Mary Ellen Trainor as Ted
*
Mabel King as Gramma, the mother of Grace and the grandmother of Calvin.
* John Murray as James Cross, the brother of Frank.
*
Wendie Malick as Wendie Cross, the wife of James.
*
Brian Doyle-Murray as Earl Cross, the father of Frank and James.
* Lisa Mende as Doris Cross, the mother of Frank and James.
*
Maria Riva as Mrs. Rhinelander, the wife of Preston.
* Al "Red Dog" Weber as
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
, he is seen in the IBC Christmas action special ''The Night the Reindeer Died''.
* Jean Speegle Howard as
Mrs. Claus
Mrs. Claus (also known as Mrs. Santa Claus or Mrs. Santa) is the legendary wife of Santa Claus, the Christmas gift-bringer in Western Christmas tradition.
She is known for making cookies with the elves, caring for the reindeer, and preparing toy ...
, she is seen in the IBC Christmas action special ''The Night the Reindeer Died.
* Damon Hines as Steven Cooley, the oldest son of Grace and the brother of Calvin.
* Tamika McCollum as Shasta Cooley, the daughter of Grace and sister of Calvin.
* Koren McCollum as Randee Cooley, the daughter of Grace and sister of Calvin.
*
Reina King as Lanell Cooley, the oldest daughter of Grace and sister of Calvin.
* Kate McGregor-Stewart as Lady Censor
*
Jack McGee and Bill Hart as the carpenter.
*
Kathy Kinney as IBC Nurse
*
Tony Steedman as Bobby, a head waiter
*
Joel Murray, Susan Isaacs, and Kauri Kempson as the guests at James' Christmas party
* Henry Brown, Jeanine Jackson, and
Amy Hill as the technicians
* Robert Hammond as the
Ghost of Christmas Future
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol''. The Ghost is one of three spirits which appear to miser Ebenezer Scrooge to offer him a chance of redemption.
Following a vis ...
(uncredited), he is depicted as a Grim Reaper whose face is like a television and has strange small creatures in his ribs.
*
Don LaFontaine as IBC Promo Announcer (uncredited)
''Scrooged'' features a number of cameos.
Within the live ICB Christmas Special include
John Houseman
John Houseman (born Jacques Haussmann; September 22, 1902 – October 31, 1988) was a Romanian-born British-American actor and producer of theatre, film, and television. He became known for his highly publicized collaboration with director ...
as the narrator,
Buddy Hackett as Ebenezer Scrooge,
Mary Lou Retton as
"Tiny Tim" Cratchit,
Jamie Farr as
Jacob Marley,
Pat McCormick as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Chaz Conner Jr. as the Ghost of Christmas Future (TV),
Paul Shaffer,
Larry Carlton
Larry Eugene Carlton (born March 2, 1948) is an American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and 1980s for acts such as Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. He has participated in thousands of recording sessions, recorde ...
, and
David Sanborn as the Street Musicians, and ''
Solid Gold'' Dancers as the Scroogettes.
Lee Majors appears as himself who is the star of the IBC Christmas action special ''The Night the Reindeer Died''.
Robert Goulet
Robert Gérard Goulet (November 26, 1933 October 30, 2007) was an American and Canadian singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry. Goulet was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts until age 13, and then spent his formative years in Cana ...
appears as himself in the IBC special ''Robert Goulet's Old-Fasioned Cajun Christmas''.
Miles Davis appears as himself.
Anne Ramsey and her husband
Logan Ramsey
Logan Carlisle Ramsey Jr. (March 21, 1921 – June 26, 2000) was an American character actor of television and film for nearly 50 years.
Early life
Ramsey was born in Long Beach, California, the son of Harriet Lillian (née Kilmartin) and Capt ...
cameo as Eva and Billy, Herman's friends at the homeless shelter.
Production
Development

''Scrooged'' was filmed on a $32 million budget
over three-and-a-half months on sets in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
. Exterior shots of the IBC building were filmed outside of the
Seagram Building in New York City.
Murray considered himself "rusty" after having left acting for four years following the release of ''Ghostbusters''.
He described the success of that film as a phenomenon that would forever be his biggest success, compounded by the failure of ''
The Razor's Edge
''The Razor's Edge'' is a 1944 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. It tells the story of Larry Darrell, an American pilot traumatized by his experiences in World War I, who sets off in search of some transcendent meaning in his life. The story beg ...
'' (1984) made him feel "radioactive" and resulted in him avoiding making movies temporarily.
Murray had the opportunity to work on ''Scrooged'' over two years earlier but was enjoying his break from work. When he did feel a desire to return to acting, he said the "scripts were just not that good", and he returned to the ''Scrooged'' project as he found the idea of making a funny Scrooge appealing. Murray was paid $6 million for his role. Producer
Art Linson justified the figure, by saying that for each year Murray stayed away from films, his audience draw and therefore fee potentially increased. At the time, Linson said that aside from
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
, Murray's was the only other name that could draw $10 million of tickets in the opening three to four days.
Murray wanted several changes to the script once he joined the project; among other changes, the romantic plot with Karen Allen's Claire was expanded, and the family scenes were reworked as Murray felt they were "off". Murray worked with scriptwriters,
Michael O'Donoghue and
Mitch Glazer (whom Murray had previously worked with on ''
Saturday Night Live'') until Murray was confident enough to begin filming.
O'Donoghue and Glazer found the film's denouement, in which Murray reveals his redemption live on TV, to be the most difficult to write. They settled on the example of Christmas Eve in New York, where people are nice to each other for one night, believing it to be a "miracle we could live with".
Murray was concerned with how he should portray the scene, with Glazer telling him to follow the script. Wanting a central acting moment, however, Murray gave an emotional and manic performance, deviating from his marked positions and improvising his speech. Glazer and O'Donoghue thought that the actor was suffering a mental breakdown. After he was finished, the crew applauded Murray, but O'Donoghue remarked "What was that? The
Jim Jones hour?" Donner turned and punched O'Donoghue in the arm, leaving him bruised for a week.
In a 1989 interview, Murray said, "He shot a big, long, sloppy movie", describing how a lot of filmed content was not present in the film's final cut. For his part, O'Donoghue later said that Donner did not understand comedy, omitting the script's subtler elements for louder and faster moments. He estimated that only 40% of his and Glazer's original script made it into the final film and the surviving content was "twisted". The final cut of the film runs for 97 minutes.
The production was rife with conflict between Murray and Donner. In a 1990 interview with
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
, Murray said that ''Scrooged'' "could have been a really, really great movie. The script was so good... He
onnerkept telling me to do things louder, louder, louder. I think he was deaf."
In a later 1993 interview, Murray said that he and Donner had different visions for the type of film ''Scrooged'' would become,
adding that there was potentially only one take in the finished film that was his.
He described the experience as having a "fair amount of misery" and said "That's a tough one; I still have trouble talking about
'Scrooged'',
describing working on a "dusty, smelly, and smokey" set, feeling alone, and even coughing up blood due to the
fake snow
Fake snow is any product which simulates the appearance and texture of snow, without being made from frozen crystalline water.
Fake snow has been made from many materials. In the early 1900s decorative snow was sometimes made from borax flakes ...
being used. He also admitted to feeling pressure from being the solo star of a film compared to previous productions like ''Ghostbusters'', as he was on set mostly every day where some actors would make brief cameos requiring only a day or two of work.
Donner himself said that he had never worked with Murray before and met up with him for drinks before accepting the project to see if they would get along; they did. The director was more positive about their relationship, describing Murray as "superbly creative but occasionally difficult - as difficult as any actor." Donner said that Murray was always in a working mindset on set, believing it made him tired, so the crew would do "silly things" to improve morale. Donner had not worked with an improvisational comedian like Murray before, who ad-libbed many of his lines, saying "you don't direct
urray
Urray ( gd, Urrath) is a scattered village and coastal parish, consisting of Easter, Old and Wester Urray and is located in the county of Ross in the Scottish council area of the Highland. Urray is also a parish in the district of Wester Ross an ...
you pull him back".
Casting
Bill Murray said that "being the meanest person in the world" as Frank Cross was fun. He described his challenge as having an edge but then completing Cross' transformation into a decent person at the end. Murray said "being a decent person is not that hard. But acting like one is." Carol Kane's ghost was intended to have a body double for ballet scenes until set designer saw Kane rehearsing the dance and convinced Donner that the resulting scene would be funnier with Kane's "horrible" dancing.
Donner and Murray said that Kane would sometimes experience long crying periods during filming, caused by frustration over her violent scenes. Murray also endured some physical pain during his encounters with Kane's character, insisting that she actually hit him during their scenes together, and at one point tearing the inside of his lip when Kane pulled his lip too hard. Kane herself said "I hit Bill Murray with a toaster, and with my wings, and I kicked him in areas that weren't pleasant for him. I had fun. I don't think it was as fun for Bill, because he was the victim! I did what the stunt people told me, but when I had to flap my wings in his face, I really couldn't control them."
The film also features Murray's three brothers;
Joel Murray cameos as a party guest, Brian Doyle-Murray plays Frank's father, and John Murray plays his on-screen brother James.
The film also features the final appearance of the
Solid Gold Dancers.
Comedian
Sam Kinison was considered for the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past before it went to musician David Johansen, a personal friend of Murray's. Robert Mitchum cameos as Frank's boss Preston Rhinelander; the actor was not interested in the small role, but Donner asked him to meet with Murray, who convinced him to take the part.
Lee Majors cameos as himself in the film after being contacted directly by Donner. Majors appears in the opening scene helping to save Santa Claus. Majors was armed with a stripped-down
M134 Minigun, the same one featured in ''
Predator'', which he found difficult to carry due to its weight.
Soundtrack
In 1989,
A&M Records released the soundtrack to ''Scrooged'', which features nine songs. Seven of the songs were released as singles:
Put a Little Love in Your Heart (October 1988), "
The Love You Take
"''The Love You Take''" is a duet song by American musician-singer-songwriter Dan Hartman and freestyle\dance singer Denise Lopez. As part of the official soundtrack for the 1988 comedy film ''Scrooged'', starring Bill Murray, it would be relea ...
" (December 1988), "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" December 1988 "We Three Kings of Orient Are", A Wonderful Life,
Sweetest Thing 1988 Christmas Must Be Tonight.
The rendition of "
Put a Little Love in Your Heart" by
Al Green
Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), better known as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including " Take Me to the River", ...
and
Annie Lennox
Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...
spent 17 weeks in the U.S. music charts, peaking at number 9 on January 14, 1989.
Release
The film's marketing made references to Murray's role in ''Ghostbusters'', with taglines including "Bill Murray is back among the ghosts, only this time, it's three against one".
''Scrooged'' premiered in Los Angeles, California on November 17, 1988,
followed by its public release on November 23, 1988.
Box office
''Scrooged'' was a moderate box office hit on release in the United States.
It earned $18.6 million during its release over its
Thanksgiving-extended opening weekend in the United States at 1,262 theaters. It was the highest earning film that weekend, ahead of ''
The Land Before Time'' ($8.1 million) and ''
Oliver & Company'' ($6.3 million), both in their second weekend,
and made ''Scrooged'' the fourth highest-opening weekend of the year.
The second weekend saw an over 40% drop, taking $7.5 million.
Over the Christmas holiday period itself, the film had fallen to ninth place, behind ''The Land Before Time'' and ''Oliver & Company''.
The film left theaters after eight weeks with a total gross of $60.3 million, making it the 13th highest-grossing film of 1988.
The film grossed $40 million overseas for a worldwide total of $100.3 million.
Home media
The DVD version was scheduled for re-release on October 31, 2006 as the "Yule Love It!" edition. This version was to include commentary by Donner, "On the set with Bill Murray", Murray's message from the
ShoWest exhibitors convention, and other featurettes including "The Look of ''Scrooged''", "Updating Ebeneezer", "Bringing the Ghosts to Life" and "Christmas to Remember". Although Paramount promoted the "Yule Love It!" edition with images of a custom DVD case and a retail price as late as September that year, it missed its release date and it remains unreleased. The reason for this has not been disclosed.
''Scrooged'' was released on
Blu-ray on November 1, 2011. The release featured a 1080p resolution transfer of the original film and DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 quality sound. The release was criticized for only including the film's theatrical trailer, with
Collider's Phil Brown saying "there must be some incredible behind-the-scenes stories to tell."
Reception
Critical response
Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a score of 69% based on 49 critics. The critics' consensus reads, "''Scrooged'' gets by with Bill Murray and a dash of holiday spirit, although it's hampered by a markedly conflicted tone and an undercurrent of mean-spiritedness."
Pre-release audience screenings in Summer 1988 were positive, with 93% of those surveyed rating the film as "very good", the highest rating studio
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
had received at the time. Press screenings nearer to release however were met with responses ranging from ovations to disgruntlement.
Audiences polled by
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.
Background
Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
On release, reviews were similarly mixed.
Roger Ebert called it one of the most "disquieting, unsettling films to come along in quite some time", saying that it portrays pain and anger more than comedy.
''Empire''s William Thomas called it a slick and cynical update of Dickens’s tale, but that it is only funny when Murray's character is being a "complete bastard".
''The Washington Post''s Joe Brown said that it was a "sprawling mess", but that he liked it. Brown said that ''Scrooged'' was unlikely to become a seasonal tradition like ''
It's a Wonderful Life'' (1946) and ''
Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947), considering that it would age poorly and either scare or be too adult for child audiences.
The ''Los Angeles Times''s Sheila Benson said the film's opening is its high-point, featuring the parody IBC lineup of "Robert Goulet's Cajun Christmas" and "The Night the Reindeer Died", but as the film progresses the laughs become more sporadic and the tone becomes darker. Benson said that the film is a "mass of sharp, well-deserved paper cuts" to the entertainment industry, citing Murray's character whose life knowledge is based on the
Golden Age of Television
The first Golden Age of Television is an era of television in the Television in the United States, United States marked by its large number of live productions. The period is generally recognized as beginning in 1947 with the first episode of th ...
, and Mitchum's character who wants to add elements to the network shows that attract pet audiences, but Benson lamented that these details were never expanded upon.
''The Hollywood Reporter'' said that the story was uproarious and sometimes vitriolic, labeling it a scathing satire of the entertainment industry, that was a "wild and wooly holiday feast that should scrape off the competition". Their review continued that ''Scrooged'' features "wickedly amusing flashbacks", but also some overwrought comic misfires.
The ''Radio Times'' John Ferguson appreciated the film, calling it a "joyously black Christmas treat", but once the "sentimentality starts seeping in", it seems like a misstep.
A 2007 review by ''
Den of Geek'' agreed, saying that the film and Murray are at their best before the redemption begins, and that the only film to come close to capturing Murray's vitriol was ''
Bad Santa'' (2003).
Jonathan Rosenbaum called ''Scrooged'' an ironic film, for seemingly condemning the commercialization of Christmas while also capitalizing on it, taking on the moral message of ''A Christmas Carol'', "without sacrificing its
yuppie priorities for an instant". Rosenbaum cited the ending in particular, wherein Frank gives his Christmas message, causing Karen to leave the needy homeless to come to his side, and both are watched over approvingly by Herman, a homeless man who froze to death.
Ebert and ''Empire'' concurred about the ending. Ebert said that the necessary words are spoken by the characters, but it lacks heart, continues at embarrassing length, and seems like an onscreen breakdown.
''Empire'' also called the ending embarrassing and beyond Murray's capabilities.
Conversely, the BBC's Ben Falk said it is hard not to join in singing at the end.
Critics were divided by Murray's performance.
Falk said that Murray is a comic genius at his best, and Brown said that he created a credible, comic character.
Ferguson said that the first part of ''Scrooged'' featured Murray at "his sour faced best".
''The Hollywood Reporter'' called him "hilariously convincing" and "impressively sinister" as the TV executive, saying that his hip and sassy performance gives the film energy, nuttiness and charm. Their review said that his deadpan, cutting style was hilarious, but that he layers the character's histrionics with inner sensibility that makes his eventual redemption believable and uplifting.
Conversely, Ebert said that Murray looks genuinely unhappy, and lacked the lightness and good cheer lurking beneath previous performances. Ebert also criticized Murray's ad-libbing, blaming it for being at odds with, and blocking the flow of the story.
Benson said that Murray imbued Frank Cross' worst attributes with sincerity, making his redemption difficult to accept.
Carol Kane was praised for her performance, with ''The Hollywood Reporter'' referring to her as a "certified hoot", and ''Entertainment Weekly''s Sara Vilkomerson saying that she "steals the show" from Murray.
Benson said that watching her fragile, winged character pummel Murray was "strangely satisfying", although the joke eventually wore out.
Benson was more positive on Woodard, saying that she offered the film's one completely persuasive performance.
''The Hollywood Reporter'' also praised Woodard, Mitchum, and John Glover's credible portrayal of a sleazy executive. Both ''The Hollywood Reporter'' and Brown appreciated Goldthwait's role, with Brown calling it "twitchingly touching".
Thomas called Johansen's Ghost of Christmas Past a "bonus", but he and Benson lamented the "king's ransom of actors" that were wasted.
''The Hollywood Reporter'' said that Elfman's music is "full blast with holiday spirit", and singled out
J. Michael Riva
J. Michael Riva (June 28, 1948 – June 7, 2012) was an American production designer.
Early and personal life
John Michael Riva was born in Manhattan, to William Riva, a Broadway set designer, and Maria Elisabeth Sieber, a German-born actress ...
's production design, calling it "dead on the mark funny".
O'Donoghue was very critical of the finished film. He said, "We wrote a fucking masterpiece. We wrote ''
It Happened One Night'' (1934). We wrote a story that could make you laugh and cry. You would have wanted to share it with your grandchildren every fucking Christmas for the next 100 years. The finished film was a piece of unadulterated, unmitigated shit."
Awards
Make up artists
Thomas R. Burman
Thomas Robert Burman (born November 28, 1940) is an American make-up artist. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Makeup and Hairstyling for the film '' Scrooged''. Burman also won five Primetime Emmy Awards and was nomin ...
and
Bari Dreiband-Burman
Bari Dreiband-Burman is an American make-up artist. She was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Makeup and Hairstyling for the film ''Scrooged''. Dreiband-Burman also won five Primetime Emmy Awards and was nominated for eighteen ...
were responsible for the film's single nomination at the
61st Academy Awards
The 61st Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1988, and took place on Wednesday, March 29, 1989, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, beginning at 6:00&nb ...
for
Best Makeup, losing to ''
Beetlejuice''.
Legacy
Since its release, ''Scrooged'' has become a
cult classic and a Christmas classic, being regularly shown on television during the holiday period. ''
Entertainment Weekly''s Whitney Pastorek called it an immortal classic and argued that it is the most underrated Christmas movie. Pastorek said that the film is "both crude and sentimental, resonant and ludicrous...''Scrooged'' is the perfect holiday movie for bitter, reluctant, closet Christmas lovers".
''
The Boston Globe''s Maura Johnston said that the film was ahead of its time which allowed it to remain relevant years later.
''PopMatters'' said that their view of the ongoing commercialization of Christmas, and the film's anticipation of marketing tactics aimed at pets watching television, made the film more relevant now than at the time of its release.
In 2012, ''Den of Geek!'' described it as the "finest Christmas comedy of all time".
Al Green's and Annie Lennox's "Put a Little Love in your Heart" is also played regularly at Christmas despite not being about or mentioning Christmas.
O'Donoghue disavowed the film before his death, stating that the script was much funnier than what ended up on screen.
Contemporary review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes offers a score of based on reviews—an average rating of , which provides the consensus: "''Scrooged'' gets by with Bill Murray and a dash of holiday spirit, although it's hampered by a markedly conflicted tone and an undercurrent of mean-spiritedness."
The film also has a score of 38 out of 100 on
Metacritic based on 14 critics indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".
In 2015,
IGN named it the 11th-best holiday movie of all time.
In 2016, ''
Empire'' listed ''Scrooged'' as the seventh-best Christmas film, and in 2017, ''
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
'' and ''
Consequence of Sound'' listed it as, respectively, the 12th-best and 23rd best.
That same year, Collider named it the fifth-best adaptation of ''A Christmas Carol'', calling it is easily the best non-traditional translation of the story, and saying that it uses "a classic tale of redemption as the framework for a satire of modern culture's desire to embrace the irredeemable".
In 2018, ''
The Ringer'' said that even 30 years after its debut, the film represented the perfect Christmas movie, saying it is "loud, cartoonish, and misanthropic, but... remarkably well-suited for our fraught present moment".
David Johansen's
New York Dolls
New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial succe ...
bandmate
Arthur Kane
Arthur Harold Kane Jr. (February 3, 1949 – July 13, 2004) was a musician best known as the bass guitarist for the pioneering glam rock band the New York Dolls. Kane was a founding member of the Dolls in 1971 and remained an integral part of the ...
was sent into a jealous rage after seeing Johansen's prominent role in ''Scrooged''. Kane reacted by beating his wife, and attempting suicide by jumping from a third-story window.
See also
*
List of Christmas films
Many Christmas stories have been adapted to feature films and TV specials, and have been broadcast and repeated many times on television; since the popularization of home video in the 1980s, their many editions are sold and re-sold every year d ...
*
List of ghost films
*
Adaptations of ''A Christmas Carol''
References
Bibliography
*
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External links
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{{Portal bar, Film, United States, 1980s
1988 films
1980s Christmas comedy films
1980s fantasy comedy films
1980s ghost films
1988 romantic comedy films
American Christmas comedy films
American fantasy comedy films
American ghost films
American romantic comedy films
1980s English-language films
Films scored by Danny Elfman
Films about television
Films based on A Christmas Carol
Films directed by Richard Donner
Films produced by Art Linson
Films set in New York City
Films set in 1955
Films set in 1968
Films set in 1969
Films set in 1971
Films set in 1988
Films set in the 1990s
Films set in the 2000s
Films shot in New York City
Films shot in Toronto
Paramount Pictures films
Films with screenplays by Michael O'Donoghue
Films with screenplays by Mitch Glazer
Miles Davis
1980s American films