Scrooged (1988)
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A cynical television executive undergoes a transformative journey after being visited by a series of ghosts on Christmas Eve.
The story
On December 23, Frank Cross, the ruthless and cynical president of IBC television, is preoccupied with ensuring the success of his extravagant live broadcast of A Christmas Carol scheduled for Christmas Eve. He launches a violent, fear-mongering advertisement for the show, and fires meek executive Eliot Loudermilk for questioning its content. That night, Frank is visited by the ghost of his mentor Lew Heyward, who died an unloved miser and regrets not performing good deeds while alive. Lew warns a terrified Frank that he will soon be visited by three ghosts to help him avoid the same fate.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Frank Cross, a cynical TV executive, is haunted by the ghost of his mentor, who warns him of his own impending fate as a miserable man. He is then visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, who takes him through various stages of his life, including his past relationship with Claire Phillips. Next, the Ghost of Christmas Present shows him the struggles of his assistant Grace and the distance between him and his brother James. Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Future shows him a bleak future where his loved ones are miserable and he is alone. After a terrifying vision of his own death, Frank undergoes a transformation. He rehires Eliot, takes over the production, and interrupts the live broadcast to deliver a heartfelt message of redemption. He reconciles with his family and Claire, while the ghosts look on with approval.
- First release year
- 1988
- Runtime (minutes)
- 101
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Richard Donner
- Writers
- Mitch Glazer · writer; Michael O'Donoghue · writer
- Cast and characters
- Bill Murray · Frank Cross; Karen Allen · Claire Phillips; John Forsythe · Lew Hayward; Bobcat Goldthwait · Eliot Loudermilk; Carol Kane · Ghost of Christmas Present; Robert Mitchum · Preston Rhinelander; Michael J. Pollard · Herman; Alfre Woodard · Grace Cooley
- Genres
- Christmas; fantasy; black comedy
- Themes
- redemption; commercialization of Christmas; selfishness
- Tone and mood
- black comedy; satire; bitter
- Premise and plot tags
- time travel; supernatural; holiday
- Source material / true-story basis
- A Christmas Carol
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 38 · scale: 100 · review count: 14
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Makeup · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film's marketing utilized Murray's previous role in Ghostbusters.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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