Mingle the notions of the Charles Dickens classic book A Christmas Carol with a selfish, cynical television executive portrayed by Bill Murray, you get a preview of the better executed Groundhog Day (1993) in the form of Scroooged (1988) as directed by Richard Donner.
Bill Murray portrays the character Frank Cross, who in his selfish ways plays the Ebenezer Scrooge role that makes the comedic take on Christmas, named Scrooged, a movie title and a transitive verb. The movie is unique in furthering the notion of making Frank a cynical character who cannot see that he has the chance for sustained love in Claire Phillips, who grants Frank the nickname Lumpy. Karen Allen portrays Claire Phillips.
Grace Cooley, as portrayed by Alfre Woodard, serves as the assistant to Frank Cross. Cooley is the Bob Cratchit of Scrooged, with her son Calvin Cooley serving in the equivalent to Tiny Tim. Nicholas Phillips portrays Calvin Cooley, the son of Grace Cooley through the movie. The Cooley family does serve a role in helping uplift the feeling of Scrooged come the movies conclusion, though the resonance of their purpose in the film loses something in for me in the comedic story that the film means to offer.
Where Scrooged earns its marks lands moreover in the commentary about the cynical, partly dark, and the sometimes slapstick execution of the commentary made about executive leadership, love, the meaning of Christmas, and the sacrifices made in choosing to pursue certain parts of these competing priorities in the face of other points. Lew Howard, as portrayed by John Forsythe, speaks to the character of Jacob Marley. Frank Cross misunderstands the meaning Lew Howard’s example has for him. Cross and the audience begin the ghostly visits, in fact, with a visit by Frank’s former boss.
David Johansen and Carol Kane both inject a brilliant sense of character in their portrayals of the Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present opposite Bill Murray‘s Frank Cross. The sense of taking Cross through his paces both kicking and screaming offer charming examples of comeuppance for Frank Cross that speak well for the movie. The execution of these points reflect the parts of Scrooged that I enjoyed the most. The bringing about of Frank’s change, and the closing contrast of that storyline against Robert Mitchum‘s Preston Rhinelander and Bobcat Goldthwait‘s Eliot Loudermilk were part of where, as mentioned earlier, the movie Groundhog Day exceeds the movie Scrooged.
Scrooged as a film works as a Christmas movie, mostly for an older audience than films you would want as a first choice for young children. The point there is suggesting an audience that would most appreciate the humor of this film rather than the inherent sophistication of the film. As a comparison, Scrooged today hits me in a way that is similar to the television series Night Court (1984-1992). My rating for Scrooged as directed by Richard Donner is 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5 stars.
Matt – Saturday, December 18, 2020
Matt Lynn Digital 