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Scrooged

  • 1988
  • PG-13
  • 1h 41m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
124K
YOUR RATING
Bill Murray in Scrooged (1988)
 	A cynically selfish TV executive gets haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve.
Play trailer2:33
3 Videos
99+ Photos
Dark ComedyDark FantasyHoliday ComedyHoliday RomanceSatireSupernatural FantasyComedyDramaFantasyHoliday

A selfish, cynical television executive is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve.A selfish, cynical television executive is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve.A selfish, cynical television executive is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve.

  • Director
    • Richard Donner
  • Writers
    • Mitch Glazer
    • Michael O'Donoghue
    • Charles Dickens
  • Stars
    • Bill Murray
    • Karen Allen
    • John Forsythe
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    124K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Richard Donner
    • Writers
      • Mitch Glazer
      • Michael O'Donoghue
      • Charles Dickens
    • Stars
      • Bill Murray
      • Karen Allen
      • John Forsythe
    • 289User reviews
    • 145Critic reviews
    • 38Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 1 win & 5 nominations total

    Videos3

    Theatrical Trailer
    Trailer 2:33
    Theatrical Trailer
    Scrooged
    Trailer 2:33
    Scrooged
    Scrooged
    Trailer 2:33
    Scrooged
    Scrooged: Cats & Dogs
    Clip 0:53
    Scrooged: Cats & Dogs

    Photos169

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
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    + 163
    View Poster

    Top cast99+

    Edit
    Bill Murray
    Bill Murray
    • Frank Cross
    Karen Allen
    Karen Allen
    • Claire Phillips
    John Forsythe
    John Forsythe
    • Lew Hayward
    John Glover
    John Glover
    • Brice Cummings
    Bobcat Goldthwait
    Bobcat Goldthwait
    • Eliot Loudermilk
    David Johansen
    David Johansen
    • Ghost of Christmas Past
    Carol Kane
    Carol Kane
    • Ghost of Christmas Present
    Robert Mitchum
    Robert Mitchum
    • Preston Rhinelander
    Nicholas Phillips
    Nicholas Phillips
    • Calvin Cooley
    Michael J. Pollard
    Michael J. Pollard
    • Herman
    Alfre Woodard
    Alfre Woodard
    • Grace Cooley
    Mabel King
    Mabel King
    • Gramma
    John Murray
    • James Cross
    Jamie Farr
    Jamie Farr
    • Jacob Marley
    Robert Goulet
    Robert Goulet
    • Robert Goulet
    Buddy Hackett
    Buddy Hackett
    • Scrooge
    John Houseman
    John Houseman
    • John Houseman
    Lee Majors
    Lee Majors
    • Lee Majors
    • Director
      • Richard Donner
    • Writers
      • Mitch Glazer
      • Michael O'Donoghue
      • Charles Dickens
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews289

    6.9124.1K
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    Featured reviews

    8cricketbat

    Bill Murray does an excellent job of creating a modern-day Ebeneezer Scrooge

    Scrooged is a fresh, dark and original take on the classic Christmas Carol story. The ghosts are humorous and horrifying and Bill Murray does an excellent job of creating a modern-day Ebeneezer Scrooge. The ending is quite cheesy, but, then again, isn't that what Christmas movies are all about?
    jrb1802

    You'll Either Love it or Hate it.

    Well, Christmas is almost upon us again. So I'm going to comment on a view Festive films. Starting with Scrooged:

    I personally enjoyed this film, but after reading other user's comments on here for the movie, I guess you either Love it or Hate it.

    Why do people get so serious about a movie ? Its just a comedy that pokes a little fun at the Dickens classic.

    They mention that Murray's character of Frank Cross was hateful, spiteful, nasty, horrible etc. etc. ... That was the whole idea!! (You wouldn't have had a movie if he wasn't those things). Scrooge in the novel was horrible, spiteful, nasty, etc. etc.

    Scrooged is funny, but it does hit on a few serious notes also. Especially when Frank is visited by Carol Kane's Ghost of Christmas Present.

    Scrooged is the type of movie that no-one will ever agree on. They have their opinions, and I have mine.

    I love it. The bit at the end where Bill Murray finally realizes what Christmas is really all about, is quite moving as he talks directly to the viewers about it. Then when the cast break into song, Murray urges the Cinema audience to join in with them. The cinema we went to, did! It was a great atmosphere with the cinema singing along with the cast. And it was near Christmas too, which made it all that little bit more special :o)
    6freethinkingworld

    After Thoughts

    What a fun little Christmas film! I was always creep out by the Christmas Carol story growing up, especially this version. Nowadays I find a lot of nostalgia for Scrooged and love the effects on all the ghost. They remind me a lot of Beetlejuice, especially the Ghost Of Christmas Past. Bill Murray is always charming and hilarious, (although the last speech was kinda awkward and speratic, I'm not sure if that were what they were going for, but it leaves the movie on a bit of an awkward mood instead of heart warming), and Karen Allen is always great to see and plays every part she gets perfectly. May not be an every Christmas movie, but is definitely fun!
    8acedj

    Great, modern take

    This is a modern take on the classic Christmas story about Ebeneezer Scrooge from the story A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. To say that there was a lot of creative license taken here would be an understatement, but that does not detract from the fact that this is a great social comment on how commercialized Christmas has become. Bill Murray plays Frank Cross, a television network head that is trying to put on a live version of A Christmas Carol. He is driving his people like slaves and even tells someone to staple antlers to a mouse because they would not stay. He fires a member of his team on Christmas Eve for disagreeing with something he said. He has led a life of greed and cut off anyone that stood in his way, including his brother. That night he is payed a visit from fours ghosts, the first being his mentor, followed by the ghost of Christmas past, present and future. I am sure you are all familiar with the telling of this story. David Johnson and Carol Kane as the ghost of past and present respectively, steal the show. This is a great movie and should be enjoyed by all, every year.
    Dibby

    Is Bill Murray God?

    ...not quite , but his performance in Scrooged isnt far behind omnipitancy. With exception to Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day, this is probably one of his most hilarious performances to date. In this re-working of Dickens "A Christmas Carol" , Murray plays Frank Cross, a tight fisted,selfish Network Executive who, as christmas rapidly approaches, finds himself needing to hasten up proceedings on his networks live Christmas Carol show, which is airing on Christmas eve. From the very start of the film, we are treated to how unkind and selfish, Murrays character really is, yet we still cant bring ourselves to hate him.....even when he suggests to a prop man that he should STAPLE little plastic antlers to the heads of door-mice.

    Due to a very creepy encounter with his dead boss, Cross is warned that he will be visited by 3 ghosts, and so the story takes off, as he meets 3 very unusual ghosts with even weirder traits, such as the ghost of christmas present, who likes to randomly beat Cross up, every time he shows no heart. Best of all is the NOO YAWK talkin taxi driver, who i feel almost steals the show from Murray ....which is one of the hardest things in the world!!!

    Running throughout the film, is, ...sadly, a rather weak sub plot of Cross and his ex-lover, which , i love for all the wrong reasons.....but sadly, to people who have never seen the film, might find a bit tedious.

    But of course....its Murray who comes away from this looking cool, as , even though he has experienced some genuinely scary things ( the halucination of a waiter on fire is still creepy), we lap up his dead pan reactions to it all!!

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    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Bill Murray falling on his way out of the restaurant was unscripted and a genuine accident. (As evidenced by the reaction of the actor playing the waiter, and Murray's feet as he falls.) Apparently, it was due to the stairs still being wet, after splashing the waiter with water, that caused him to lose his footing.
    • Goofs
      After Frank Cross wakes up in his office after Lew visits him, he drinks some vodka that has a golf ball in it. When he drops the golf ball on his desk, it bounces three times in front of Frank's face. On the second and third bounces, the ball actually goes higher than on its first bounce. Although this is "impossible," it is meant to emphasize the supernatural origins of the ball. Also note that the sound effects correspond with this "supernatural" activity.
    • Quotes

      Frank Cross: [looking around at dilapidated surroundings] Well, this is nice. Where are we, Trump Tower?

    • Crazy credits
      About a third of the way through the closing credits, Bill Murray appears with the word "Scrooged" across the screen in front of him. He looks down and brushes the front of his jacket a few times, with each brush a couple of the letters in the title chase off the screen as if he's brushing them off his jacket.
    • Alternate versions
      TBS runs an "edited for content" version of this film, that deletes or changes profanity and questionable dialog.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Last Rites/Oliver & Co./The Land Before Time/Far North/Child's Play (1988)
    • Soundtracks
      Brown Eyed Girl
      Written by Van Morrison

      Performed by David Johansen (as Buster Poindexter)

      Produced by Hank Medress, David Johansen (as Buster Poindexter)

      Buster Poindexter courtesy of RCA Records

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 23, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Los fantasmas contraatacan
    • Filming locations
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada(Exterior)
    • Production companies
      • Paramount Pictures
      • Mirage Productions
      • Mirage Enterprises
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $32,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $60,328,558
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $13,027,842
      • Nov 27, 1988
    • Gross worldwide
      • $60,329,560
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 41m(101 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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