Review of Scrooged

There is one single scene in the film I found to be genuinely moving and that is when Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is transported via taxi cab driven by Jake Johansson to when he was a boy. Watching him with his mother at that age is the only heartfelt moment in this otherwise ugly and very mean spirited Christmas movie. I've seen various adaptations of A Christmas Carole and even at his worst Scrooge is never as cruel.and sadistic as Frank Cross. Perhaps it is due in part of my dislike of Bill Murray who seems to have found a niche place with these sort man-child characters who need to go on some sort of quest to redeem himself. But in most of those previous adaptations of the Dickens story the redemption was earned and we get the impression that Scrooge was made bitter by various events in his life. I have never felt that way about Frank Cross. He comes across as a spoiled and entitled SOB who feels more like a sitcom caricature that an actual character. As much as I like Carol Kane her scene with Murray has to be the most unpleasant to watch as she smashes him with a toaster, pokes him in the eye, and just beats him up. It should be slightly enjoyable to watch but it isn't by any stretch of the imagination. But even the supporting characters are straight of a sitcom and the ending is nothing but schmaltz. It could have been a good retelling of the story but it is as subtle as a ballpean hammer to the chestnuts. If it wanted to go dark then stay dark and not go for the warm fuzzy ending. But as mentioned above, that scene with his mom, especially when she calls him Frankie Angel. Niagara Falls.