Not every adaptation of classic literature can feature the Muppets, but then, not all of them need the Muppets (Blasphemy!). Some adaptations have the comedic stalwart known as Bill Murray, and as in Scrooged, an update of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, he has enough funny within him to carry an entire film. We’ve seen the character of Ebenezer Scrooge brought to life in countless incarnations, and rarely do they ever contribute anything new to his story of repentance and redemption on Christmas Eve. The sad truth is: most people don’t think to add their own spin to classic stories, most just adapt them verbatim. Do that too much and eventually it just feels tired. However, if you add a comedy genius, make him a heartless TV executive whose desire for success knows no limits of depravity, and then subject him to the visits of three twisted spirits – you just might have enough chutzpah to teach an old dog a new trick. Simply, if Scrooged isn’t part of your holiday viewing tradition, it ought to be for Bill Murray’s performance alone; the fact that you get Karen Allen, John Glover, and Bobcat Goldthwait to sweeten the pot should make it a no-brainer.
Frank Cross (Murray), a power hungry TV executive, has all but destroyed the magic of the holiday season. He works his secretary (Alfre Woodard) to the point of demoralization, fires and sends into a spiral of depression the one employee (Goldthwait) who speaks his mind, and sends cheap gifts to all his acquaintances save for the ones who can advance his career. Oh, and he’s also producing a Christmas special designed to keep people glued to the TV instead of spending time with the family, and he’s using a promotional spot so disturbingly awful that it actually induced a heart attack in an elderly woman—a fact that makes him absolutely giddy. Cross is primed to have the top-rated Christmas special ever, but it has come at the cost of the happiness of everyone around him. Of course, to him that’s only fair, considering he gave up the love of Claire, the one woman (Karen Allen) he ever loved in order to get there.
Luckily for the rest of the world, the spiritual powers that be have taken notice of Frank’s perverse approach to the Yuletide mentality, and they’ve decided to force him to take stock of his life by presenting him with visions of his past, present and future courtesy of a sassy fairy, a demented cabbie, and the specter of death. Can Frank change his ways in time to save Christmas Eve without costing him his career? The twist on Charles Dickens’s story has all of the main elements firmly in place, but its gleefully dark sense of humor in retelling it makes Scrooged a certified comedy classic.
Without a doubt, Bill Murray is the star of the show. There’s hardly a second where the man isn’t on the screen, and for good reason: Murray’s sense of humor drives virtually every gag the film’s got. The flat line delivery that has made him famous serves Murray well here as he converses with the spirits or off-handedly says something to an employee that completely and totally ruins their day. To be fair, Murray’s established likability deserves credit for being one of the only reasons Scrooged works as well as it does. Were a lesser known comedian with less of a fan-favorite reputation playing the role of Frank Cross, it’s unlikely there’d be enough automatically credited leeway to the character that audiences would care enough to see him cured of his wicked ways. At the start of the film, Frank Cross is entirely deplorable – he doesn’t have any redeeming values; his sole sign of humanity comes a little later on when he falls over himself trying to flirt with Claire, but even then he comes across as something of an ass. It’s not until the spirits set upon him that Cross becomes a character deserving of pity, and so it begs the question of whether or not audiences would stick around as long as they do if it wasn’t the remarkably likable Bill Murray front and center.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
Just a theatrical trailer will be found in the extras section.
"Scrooged" is on sale November 1, 2011 and is rated PG13. Comedy. Directed by Richard Donner. Written by Mitch Glazer, Michael O'Donoghue. Starring Alfre Woodard, Bill Murray, Bobcat Goldthwait, John Glover, John Forsythe.
