Reel Jolly series: “Scrooged”

For this edition, I took a look at a couple different takes of the beloved Charles Dickens’ tale “A Christmas Carol.” For this particular review, I will be talking about the 1988 Bill Murray dark Christmas comedy “Scrooged.”

In this modern take on “A Christmas Carol,” Frank Cross is a wildly successful TV executive whose cold ambition and curmudgeonly nature has driven away the love of his life, Claire Phillips.

But after firing a staff member, Eliot Loudermilk, on Christmas Eve, Frank is visited by a series of ghosts who give him a chance to re-evaluate his actions and right the wrongs of his past.

“Scrooged” is one of those holiday favorites that I try to revisit every now and then. Even though the initial critical reaction was mixed to fairly positive, it has been considered a cult classic or an annual holiday tradition for some audiences.

The 1988 Bill Murray comedy is well known for its dark, cynical humor, Murray’s iconic and often sarcastic performance, and its creative updates to the classic story, especially the unique and highly memorable ghosts. This movie does a decent job blending satire with some fairly heartfelt moments.

Bill Murray’s hilarious and vulnerable portrayal of the selfish TV executive Frank Cross is a major highlight of this holiday cult classic. Mixing in his usual ad-libbed lines, Murray delivers a lot of sharp one-liners and his ability to transition from pure meanness to genuine emotion, makes his dark, comedic take on Scrooge really iconic and memorable.

While this re-telling of “A Christmas Carol” features some fairly memorable and some

hilarious bits throughout the movie, the one thing that truly stands out are the three ghosts. The updated spirits of the Ghost of Christmas Past (a manic, cigar-chomping taxi driver) and Present (a “kooky” and kind of violent fairy) brings both some great humor and emotion as we go through Cross’ life. The most memorable of the ghosts is, of course, the Ghost of Christmas Future (a terrifying silent figure with a design that leans heavily into horror) that shows him a series of grim moments of what will happen if he doesn’t change.

One of my favorite moments is actually the final scene where Cross breaks into a moving and uplifting monologue with the closing song, “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” that helps make this scene feel really heartfelt.

In the years since its release, “Scrooged” has become a regular feature on TV and streaming during the Christmas season and has developed a strong following. Over time, fans have appreciated its dark humor, fast pace and Murray’s performance. 

MPA: Rated PG-13   (runtime 101 minutes)   (available on Paramount Plus; MGM+; AMC+; also available to rent through various PVOD services)

• Bill Murray falling on his way out of the restaurant was a genuine accident. Apparently, after splashing the waiter with water, Murray lost his footing on the still-wet stairs.

• Bill Murray and director Richard Donner reportedly did not enjoy working together, creating a lot of tension on the set. When asked by film critic Roger Ebert if he had any disagreements with Donner, Murray replied: "Only a few. Every single minute of the day. That could have been a really, really great movie. The script was so good. There's maybe one take in the final cut movie that is mine. We made it so fast, it was like doing a movie live. He kept telling me to do things louder, louder, louder. I think he was deaf."

• When Frank is startled by an actor who he thinks is the Ghost of Christmas Future, he elbows his secretary in the face. It wasn't scripted; Bill Murray really hit Alfre Woodard by mistake.

• This was Bill Murray's first starring role since Ghostbusters (1984). He had been living in Paris and had seriously considered giving up acting altogether.

• Carol Kane would get upset at having to "rough up" Bill Murray in their scenes together.

• Bill Murray turned down the lead roles in Rain Man (1988), Big (1988), and Cocktail (1988) to make this film.

• The movie did modestly well at the box office with a domestic gross of $60M on a budget of $32M, but Bill Murray was initially disappointed with the box office results as his last starring film was Ghostbusters (1984) which, at the time, was the highest grossing comedy film ever. He felt that, as this was his first big film after a four-year hiatus and with its similar themes to Ghostbusters, it would be a huge hit, but initial reception was mediocre at best. However the film's reputation has grown substantially since its release. It is now regarded as one of the best and most popular Christmas films thanks to television viewings and home media.

• Paramount announced a special edition release titled the "Yule Love It! Edition" to be released on October 31, 2006. However, it was recalled for unknown reasons.

• In the closing credits, Frank trying to get the audience in the movie theatre to participate was entirely ad-libbed by Bill Murray.