Bill Murray Week: Scrooged

Howdy kids!  I bet you thought I was off into another dimension again and shirking my blogging review duties!!  WELL YOU WERE WRONG!!!!  That other dimension problem took about 20 minutes real time so I decided we would finish up Bill Murray week with a delightful holiday treat of Christmas. Yes, I am aware that it is January and it is unnecessary to be reminded of such.  With that in mind what could be more traditional Christmas but a bit of Charles Dickens?    And just so we do not lose the crass and cultureless Americans we can always modernize it.  So grab that 18 year old scotch, don’t miss your power lunch and beware of three spirits. This is Scrooged.

Now, don't cry.  You're pretty too.

Frank Cross: No, you are a spoiler brought on by alcohol…Russian vodka poisoned by Chernobyl!

Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is a cold, cynical TV programming executive that has found success and wealth in the field but not without the cost of joy and a normal relationship.  Chasing his career to excel makes him lost the one girl that makes it all worth living, Claire (Karen Allen of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Starman, The Basket, Falling Sky and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) he is strained from his brother James (John Murray of Starting Over, Caddyshack, Moving Violations and A Darker Reality) and in general is a miserable bastard to be around.  His overworked personal secretary Grace (Alfre Woodward of St. Elsewhere, Blue Chips, How to Make an American Quilt and Star Trek:Generations) has to break her family plans and force her to neglect her son Calvin who is withdrawn and mute.  His board of executives put together a commercial for a re-telling of Dickens’ Christmas Carol which Frank finds it too fluffy and cheery.  He then presents his cut of the commercial that would have made young mothers freak quicker than Silent Night, Deadly Night promos.  When criticized by his diminutive yes-man Elliot, Frank takes the complaint in and fires the poor guy on Christmas Eve.

What is Marian doing without Indy?

Heading the live broadcast of A Christmas Carol, Frank’s life begins to almost mirror the story as he is visited by his long dead mentor Lew Hayward (John Forsythe of The Trouble with Harry, Kitten With a Whip, Charlie’s Angels and Dynasty) who tells him to make amends for the error of his ways or he is doomed.  He is to expect three ghosts to come a knocking.   Well unlike some Murray characters, this one does not have an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back and must to deal with his boss Preston (Robert Mitchum of Out of the Past, El Dorado, Cape Fear, Night of the Hunter and Jake Spanner, Private Eye) and the expectations of this show. 

I have just a few comments to be made about this film now.   The spirits are to die for…pun intended.  With the makeup and effects you end up enjoying each ghost for their presence and personality.  Carol Kane portrays the Ghost of Christmas Present and is just inherently wrong as this sweet angelic pixie that kicks the crap out of Frank.  For those of us who have seen it, watch again.  For those that have not, give it a shot.

Whaddua mean Ghostbusters II sucked eggs??!!