DITRC Review: Scrooged

Plot: Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is a cynical television executive whose focus on his career cost him his true love Claire (Karen Allen). In the midst of planning a live broadcast of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Cross is visited by the ghost of his former boss Lew Hayward (John Forsythe) who tells Frank he will be visited by three ghosts. But will the ghosts of Christmas Past (David Johansen), Christmas Present (Carol Kane), and Christmas Yet to Come (Robert Hammond) be able to change Frank's ways and make him see the true meaning of Christmas?

Review: At first glance Scrooged seems like the umpteenth re-imagining of Charles Dickens' story, but somehow Director Richard Donner (The Omen, Superman, Lethal Weapon) is able to turn Scrooged into a hilarious and touching 20th century take on the 19th century classic.

The key reason is not surprisingly the comedic performance of Bill Murray. Murray is at his sarcastic one-liner best in Scrooged, delivering lines with the impeccable timing we've all come to expect from the gifted actor. From the opening dissection of his excec team's Christmas promotional commercials, to hilarious interactions with The Ghost of Christmas Present, to one of the better one liners ever caught on screen in a restaurant, Murray carries Scrooged like the fat man in the red suit carrying a sack of toys.

Furthermore, Scrooged is loaded with a ton of talent in small roles. Robert Mitchum takes a hilarious turn as Preston Rhinelander, Frank's boss who thinks shows for dogs and cats are the wave of the future. Jamie Farr and Buddy Hackett make appearances as Marley and Scrooge. Even Robert Goulet, Lee Majors, and Mary Lou Retton find their way on screen.

However, the two best supporting roles in this film are Bobcat Goldthwait as Eliot Laudermilk (the ostensible Bob Crachet in Scrooged) and Karen Allen as Claire, Frank's lost love. I remember the first time I saw Eliot tell Frank that Frank's advertisement for Scrooge "looked like the Manson Family Christmas Special." I nearly fell off my chair laughing. And Karen Allen is simply lovely as Claire. Not only does she look great, her performance creates strong emotional resonance and her chemistry with Bill Murray is impeccable.

Now some might find Frank's speech at the end of Scrooged a little preachy and heavy handed. I can see that. But I also thought it was remarkably fresh and sincere. It's one thing for an actor to read lines off a script. It's quite another for an actor to make the audience believe what he's saying. Bill Murray pulls it off.

So if you're looking for a Christmas movie equally as funny as National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation or A Christmas Story this season, I highly recommend Scrooged.

My rating: 8/10