Sticking with light-hearted but rooted comedies, Richard Donner makes his second appearance on the list with Scrooged, a tongue-in-cheek version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Directed by Richard Donner
Screenplay by Mitch Glazer and Michael O’Donoghue
Starring: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe, and John Glover
A misanthropic TV exec, Frank Cross, seems to take joy from treating others with disdain and has about as much Christmas spirit as a lump of coal. As he cracks the whip on his employees working on the company’s production of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the story takes on a new life as Cross is visited by three ghosts who attempt to show him the true essence of the holiday.
This movie is a fantastic example of Donner’s versatility in the director’s chair as he modernized one of the most cherished Christmas stories and integrated a dark but clever sense of humor into the presentation. Mitch Glazer and Michael O’Donoghue had a tall task adapting this story and, based on the Metacritic score, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Maybe that’s because of the reverence with which Dickens’ original is treated, but this was about as clever and enjoyable of an adaptation as you could have asked for.
If you don’t want to see Bill Murray as a modern-day Ebenezer Scrooge, then I seriously question your Christmas spirit. While Bill Murray has gone on to become something of a cultural icon, this role came right during the middle of Murray’s heyday. His signature blend of sarcasm and deadpan humor works wonderfully for a character who we know will eventually turn the corner and be redeemed. It helps take the sting out of some of his earlier, mean-spirited actions.
While the movie is mostly focused on his redemption arc, the cast is absolutely stacked with talent. The primary supporting roles belong to Karen Allen, John Forsythe, John Glover, and Bobcat Goldthwait but you’ll also see names like Alfre Woodard, Robert Mitchum, Buddy Hackett, Robert Goulet, Lee Majors, and Mary Lou Retton. There’s definitely no shortage of enjoyable characters throughout this movie.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but this was one of the Xmas movies that helped shaped my experience of the holiday on screen. Something about the sets and the overall darker tone, blended with humor always stood out to me. You can rent Scrooged through most video-on-demand services.
Bah Humbug and Happy Holidays!