Cheap Scrooged (DVD) (Bill Murray, Karen Allen) (Richard Donner) Price

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Customer Reviews of Scrooged

"What about my bonus?" "Towel or a facecloth?"
In 1988, Richard Donner (who directed the 1976 horror film "The Omen", the 1978 film "Superman" and all four "Lethal Weapon" films between 1987 and 1998) directed the hilarious film "Scrooged", which is a modernized remake of the classic Charles Dickens' short story "A Christmas Carol". The film stars the well-known actor/comedian Bill Murray as Francis 'Frank' Xavier Cross, the "Ebenezer Scrooge" character of the film. Frank is a high-rolling, power-hungry, penny-pinching TV executive who decides to produce a live version of the classic "A Christmas Carol" on his TV station on Christmas Eve. His secretary, Grace Cooley (Alfre Woodard), is the "Bob Cratchit" of the story. With several children to raise, including her seemingly autistic son Calvin (Nicholas Phillips)--the "Tiny Tim" of the story, Grace has no choice but to begrudgingly work for Frank underpaid and under appreciated. When Frank's boss, Preston Rhinelander (Robert Mitchum, 1917-1997), decides that Frank needs as assistant, the brown-nosing Bryce Cummings (John Glover), Frank becomes extremely jealous; but Frank's problems are only beginning when the ghost of a former coworker, Lou Hayward (John Forsythe), pays him a visit.

There are many memorable scenes in the film including Frank reliving part of his childhood with the taxi-driving Ghost of Christmas Past (David Johansen), Frank reliving meeting his former girlfriend Claire Phillips (Karen Allen) who works in a homeless shelter, Frank seeing his brother James Cross (played by Bill Murray's actual brother, John Murray) and his family celebrating Christmas with the hilarious Ghost of Christmas Present (Carol Kane), Frank being terrorized by a fired employee Eliot Loudermilk (Bobcat Goldthwait), Frank meeting the Ghost of Christmas Future (Chaz Conner, Jr.), Frank thinking that a waiter is on fire, the various accidents that the TV censor (Kate McGregor-Stewart) endures, and the ending scenes. Several cameo appearances include Jamie Farr, Robert Goulet, Buddy Hackett, John Houseman, Lee Majors, Pat McCormick and Mary Lou Retton (who Frank wants to portray his TV "Tiny Tim").

There is no way to know whether Charles Dickens (1812-1870) would like this modern remake of his classic story, but I believe that he would love the fact that his story remains just as powerful, entertaining and inspiring today as it was when it was first published in 1843. Overall, I rate "Scrooged" with 5 out of 5 stars for its superb use of poetic license, great humor, engaging plot and wonderful dialog. It has become a Yuletide classic itself that I never tire of watching each year.

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SO CLOSE!
Bill Murray had already scored a perfect 5 stars in a movie about a louse who gets a magical opportunity for reform in 1983's hilarious and touching "Groundhog Day". Aparently drawn by this theme, he gets close in this re-spin of Dickens' classic featuring Frank Cross (a nasty network-TV executive) as Scrooge's cognate -- but only just so close. The list of supporting characters is replete with cowering minions and big-name cameos -- Robert Mitchum, Karen Allen, Carol Kane, David "Buster Poindexter" Johansson, Bobcat Goldthwaite and Buddy Hackett among others. The ghostly visits are entertwined with the plot device of a live TV production of "A Christmas Carol" of which Frank is in charge. Pacing, witty script, truly memorable and funny characters, interesting effects and Murray's own sly comic sourness build up as the Three Ghosts create a comic/dramatic crescendo that should, by all rights, climax in a brilliantly Transformed Frank Cross. Unfortunately, it is at this point that the film sputters to a barely believeable crawl as Murray breaks into a camera-hogging, unconvincing monologue on how good Christmas feels. Not even Al Green and Annie Lennox's brilliant duet of "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" over the credits can rescue the overall weak denoument. Still, the rest of the film is so good I am inclined at every viewing to overlook the slightly [weak] ending. Certainly a cut above many efforts to modernize Scrooge, this is in no way a disappointing movie and could easily become a family standard, especially for Murray fans. But for the real thing from start to finish (along with substantially more belly-laughs) I would recommend "Groundhog Day" as the seasonal balance to this bit of Christmas decor.

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A cult classic.
I usually bring my sister wherever in the world I am at Christmas time. She knows I have a copy of Scrooged, but she brings one of her own anyway...full redundancy.

This movie is hilarious on every level. It's chock full of obvious simple humor, but you can "dive deep" for humor at almost any point in time and find some unique absurdity that must have had the writer laughing his a@# off at the time of writing.

I've you've never seen...well, don't wait for Christmas, get at once.

Enjoy...