Scrooged

Infobox Film
name = Scrooged


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Richard Donner
producer = Richard Donner
Art Linson
writer = Charles Dickens
Mitch Glazer
Michael O'Donoghue
starring = Bill Murray
Karen Allen
John Forsythe
Bobcat Goldthwait
Carol Kane
Robert Mitchum
Michael J. Pollard
Alfre Woodard
music = Danny Elfman
cinematography = Michael Chapman
editing = Fredric Steinkamp
distributor = Paramount Pictures
Mirage
released = November 23, 1988
runtime = 101 min.
country = flagicon|USA
language = English
budget = $32 million
gross = $60,328,558
amg_id = 1:43277
imdb_id = 0096061

"Scrooged" is a 1988 comedy film, a modernization of Charles Dickens's novella, "A Christmas Carol". The film was produced and directed by Richard Donner, and the cinematography was by Michael Chapman. The screenplay was written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue. The original music score was composed by Danny Elfman.

The cast includes: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, Bob "Bobcat" Goldthwait, John Forsythe, Carol Kane, David Johansen, John Houseman, John Glover, and Robert Mitchum. It also features cameo appearances by Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton, musicians Larry Carlton, Miles Davis, David Sanborn, and Paul Shaffer, actor/singer Robert Goulet, and actors Jamie Farr, Buddy Hackett, Lee Majors, and Pat McCormick as well as the Solid Gold Dancers. Bill Murray's real-life brothers, Brian, John, and Joel also appear in the film.

The film was marketed with references to the film Ghostbusters which had been a great success 4 years earlier in 1984. In the USA the tagline for "Scrooged" was, "Bill Murray is back among the ghosts, only this time, it's three against one." In Brazil, it movie was named "Os Fantasmas Contra-Atacam" (The Ghosts Strike Back). In Spain, the film was titled "Los fantasmas atacan al jefe" (The ghosts go after the boss). In Italy the movie was released as "S.O.S. fantasmi" ("S.O.S. ghosts").

The film was a commercial success, but was reviewed negatively by many critics, notably Roger Ebert and Vincent Canby.

Plot

Francis Xavier "Frank" Cross (Bill Murray) is a conceited, cynical television programming executive. He has found great success and wealth, but has become coldhearted and cruel. In the opening scenes he can be seen working out in a room with a wallpaper border that reads "Cross: A thing they nail people to".

His ruthless concentration on his lucrative, fast climbing career has cost him his true love, Claire Phillips (Karen Allen). It has also alienated him from his family, and obliterated any chance of his having a happy and fulfilling life. Essentially, Frank has become nothing but an expensive black suit who barks orders. He grossly overworks his assistant Grace Cooley (Alfre Woodard), forcing her to constantly break plans with her family. ("If you can't work late, I can't work late. If I can't work late, I CAN'T WORK LATE.)

When Cross is given the task of heading up a live broadcast of "A Christmas Carol", his life inexplicably begins to mirror the story he's producing. First, the ghost of his mentor, 1970-media mogul Lew Hayward (who died in a golfing accident), visits him to show him the error of his ways. The Ghosts of Christmas Past (David Johansen), Present (Carol Kane), and Future then appear, and Frank repents. The reformed Frank reunites with Claire, who now runs a shelter for the homeless, and he finds in the end that there are more important things than winning the ratings war.

Most of the characters in the movie represent characters in Dicken's "A Christmas Carol". Frank Cross is Ebenezer Scrooge and his brother James is Scrooge's nephew Fred. Eliot Loudermilk and Grace seem to share the role of Bob Cratchit. Grace's son, who is withdrawn/autistic, is Tiny Tim. Lew Hayward, Frank's former boss, is Jacob Marley. Herman and his fellow indigents are the "portly gentlemen" who are collecting for charity and are refused financial help. Claire is Scrooge's former fiancée, Belle. The three ghosts have the same names. The Ghost of Christmas Past is a cab driver with a Brooklyn accent. The Ghost of Christmas Future appears as the grim reaper, with a TV screen for a face. The Ghost of Christmas Present is a campier female version of the ghost in the original story.

Cast

*Bill Murray as Francis Xavier "Frank" Cross
*Karen Allen as Claire Phillips
*John Forsythe as Lew Hayward
*John Glover as Brice Cummings
*Bobcat Goldthwait as Eliot Loudermilk
*David Johansen as the Ghost of Christmas Past
*Carol Kane as the Ghost of Christmas Present
*Robert Mitchum as Preston Rhinelander
*Nicholas Phillips as Calvin Cooley
*Alfre Woodard as Grace Cooley
*Michael J. Pollard as Herman
*Mabel King as Gramma
*John Murray as James Cross
*Jamie Farr as Jacob Marley
*Buddy Hackett as Scrooge
*Pat McCormick (comic) as the Ghost of Christmas Present (on the TV show within the film)
*Brian Doyle-Murray as Earl Cross
*Mary Ellen Trainor as Ted
*Wendie Malick as Wendie Cross

Cameos

*Robert Goulet as Himself
*John Houseman as Himself
*Lee Majors as Himself

ee also

* List of A Christmas Carol adaptations

External links

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