Editing Scrooged (section)

{{short description|1988 film by Richard Donner}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Scrooged
| image          = Scrooged film poster.JPG
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Richard Donner]]
| producer       = Richard Donner<br />[[Art Linson]]
| screenplay     = [[Mitch Glazer]]<br />[[Michael O'Donoghue]]
| based_on       = {{basedon|''[[A Christmas Carol]]''|[[Charles Dickens]]}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|<!--Per poster billing-->
* [[Bill Murray]]
* [[Karen Allen]]
* [[John Forsythe]]
* [[Bobcat Goldthwait]]
* [[Carol Kane]]
* [[Robert Mitchum]]
* [[Michael J. Pollard]]
* [[Alfre Woodard]]
}}
| music          = [[Danny Elfman]]
| cinematography = [[Michael Chapman (cinematographer)|Michael Chapman]]
| editing        = [[Fredric Steinkamp]]<br />[[William Steinkamp]]
| studio         = [[Mirage Enterprises|Mirage Productions]]
| distributor    = [[Paramount Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1988|11|23}}
| runtime        = 100 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $32 million
| gross          = $100.3 million
}}

'''''Scrooged''''' is a 1988 American [[Christmas film|Christmas]] [[fantasy film|fantasy]] [[black comedy film|black comedy]] film directed by [[Richard Donner]] and written by [[Mitch Glazer]] and [[Michael O'Donoghue]]. Based on the 1843 novella ''[[A Christmas Carol]]'' by [[Charles Dickens]], ''Scrooged'' is a modern retelling that follows [[Bill Murray]] as Frank Cross, a cynical and selfish television executive who is visited by a succession of [[Ghost|ghosts]] on [[Christmas Eve]] intent on helping him regain his Christmas spirit. The film also stars [[Karen Allen]], [[John Forsythe]], [[John Glover (actor)|John Glover]], [[Bobcat Goldthwait]], [[Carol Kane]], [[Robert Mitchum]], [[Michael J. Pollard]], and [[Alfre Woodard]].

''Scrooged'' was filmed on a $32 million budget over three months in [[New York City]] and [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] from December 1987 to March 1988. Murray returned to acting for the film after taking a four-year hiatus following the success of ''[[Ghostbusters]]'', which he found overwhelming, although he had a minor role in ''[[Little Shop of Horrors (1986 film)|Little Shop of Horrors]]''. Murray worked with Glazer and O'Donoghue on reworking the script before agreeing to join the project. The production was tumultuous, as Murray and Donner had different visions for the film. Murray described his time on the film as "misery", while Donner called Murray "superbly creative but occasionally difficult". Along with Murray's three brothers, [[Brian Doyle-Murray|Brian]], John and [[Joel Murray|Joel]], ''Scrooged'' features numerous celebrity cameos.

The film's marketing capitalized on Murray's ''Ghostbusters'' role, referring to his encounters with ghosts in both films. ''Scrooged'' was released on November 23, 1988, and grossed over $100 million worldwide. The film received a positive response from test audiences, but was met with a mixed response upon its release from critics who found the film either too mean-spirited or too sentimental. It was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling|Academy Award for Best Makeup]], but lost to the fantasy-comedy film ''[[Beetlejuice]]''.

Since its release, ''Scrooged'' has become a regular television Christmastime feature, with some critics calling it an alternative to traditional Christmas films, and others arguing that ''Scrooged'' was ahead of its time, making it relevant in the modern day. It has appeared on various lists of the best Christmas films.