---
title: "Scrooged"
year: 1988
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/scrooged"
fi1m_id: "scrooged"
imdb_id: "tt0096061"
tmdb_id: 9647
wikidata_id: "Q535395"
fi1m_score: 66
critics_score: 53
critics_reviews: 12
published: "2026-10-04T20:44:37.144048+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-04T20:44:37.615655+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Scrooged (1988)

Directed by Richard Donner · 1h 41m · MPA PG-13 · Fantasy, Comedy, Drama

## Identity

Scrooged

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/scrooged
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** scrooged
- **IMDb ID:** tt0096061
- **TMDB ID:** 9647
- **Wikidata ID:** Q535395
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096061/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9647, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q535395

**Fi1m score: 66** · Critics 53 from 12 reviews

*In a sentence:* Bill Murray regards Christmas cheer as something somebody else should deal with

> Bill Murray’s bad temper supplies most of the pleasure in this uneven Christmas comedy. The ghosts have bite, but Richard Donner struggles to make the warmer passages as persuasive as the cruelty.

## Synopsis

Francis Cross (Bill Murray) has little interest in peace and goodwill as Christmas approaches. Claire Phillips (Karen Allen) and Grace Cooley (Alfre Woodard) are among the people around him, while the Ghost of Christmas Past (David Johansen) makes an unwelcome visit. Cross has no wish to make room for kindness, but supernatural visitors make him the subject of their attention. Drawing on Charles Dickens, the story brings ghosts into a Christmas Cross would prefer to conduct on his own terms.

## Review

Richard Donner’s *Scrooged* is a fitfully funny Christmas comedy, worth considering for Bill Murray’s bad temper rather than for any dependable supply of festive warmth. Writers Michael O’Donoghue and Mitch Glazer give Francis Cross enough cruelty to keep the early scenes sharp. The difficulty comes when the film wants a broader range of feelings without making its other characters equally interesting. At 101 minutes, it still finds time to repeat effects that were more amusing before they became so insistent.

The attack on Santa’s workshop is a good indication of what works. We laughed at it because the violence makes such nonsense of the expected Christmas cosiness. J. Michael Riva’s production design gives the festive imagery enough solidity for its mistreatment to register, rather than letting everything look like a disposable joke. Richard Donner understands how much pleasure there can be in upsetting a familiar seasonal picture, and the opening has the confidence to do it without apology.

Bill Murray makes Francis Cross unpleasant without asking us to congratulate him for being daring. His sour expression is often funnier than the louder business, because it suggests that even the smallest demand on his goodwill is an affront. Alfre Woodard, as Grace Cooley, provides a welcome change in emphasis: her performance makes ordinary decency seem credible in surroundings that encourage caricature. We wanted more of that steadiness, particularly when the lead’s increasing volume begins to do the work of an actual joke.

David Johansen’s cab-driving Ghost of Christmas Past is another useful interruption, with a comic roughness that suits the film’s appetite for discomfort. Carol Kane’s Ghost of Christmas Present is more forceful still, and her directness gives the comedy a needed change of pace. Michael Chapman’s cinematography helps the supernatural material feel threatening enough to disturb the joking. The ghosts work because they can be funny without making the prospect of their company remotely appealing.

The less successful passages are the ones that keep pushing after the comic point is clear. William Steinkamp and Fredric Steinkamp’s editing allows the frantic stretches to run on, so that force gradually replaces surprise. Danny Elfman’s music is more persuasive at sustaining the supernatural unease than at helping the film towards tenderness. The craft gives the ghost story weight, but it cannot supply the quieter attention to people that the script too often neglects.

A Christmas comedy can be abrasive and still earn its moments of generosity. Here, the warmer passages ask for more sympathy than the writing has prepared us to give, and the change in tone can feel imposed. Richard Donner is more assured when unsettling us than when allowing a feeling to develop without pressing it. Against the expectations of the Christmas ghost story, this is a substantial weakness, even when the actors give him something worth leaving alone.

The PG certificate is worth noting alongside the sour humour and the film’s taste for frightening imagery. This is a poor choice for an evening that needs uncomplicated reassurance. If the attraction is Bill Murray in a sustained bad mood, allow for some noisy stretches between the laughs.

*Fi1m score 66, published 4 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The available reviews lean mixed, with praise clustering around Bill Murray’s abrasive performance rather than the film as a whole. Even some detractors find him funny when the character is allowed to be unpleasant, while supporters welcome the dark comedy and supernatural elements. Several reviews also find individual gags or supporting performances worth singling out, though there is little agreement on how well these pleasures hold together.

The divide is wide: Collider warmly endorses the combination of Murray, dark humour and gothic horror, while Variety finds the comedy largely unfunny, making an exception for Carol Kane. Sentimentality is a recurring complaint across otherwise differing assessments, alongside concerns about muddled adaptation and mean-spirited excess. The disagreement concerns not just how many jokes work, but whether the abrasive comedy can support the warmer material. Four of the twelve listed reviews have no accessible verdict, limiting what can be said about their contribution.

## Straight answers

**Is Scrooged worth watching?**

*Scrooged* is worth considering for Bill Murray’s sour humour rather than dependable festive warmth, and we score it 66 out of 100. We find the abrasive comedy and threatening ghosts more persuasive than the warmer passages; it suits viewers happy to accept noisy, repetitive stretches between the laughs.

**How long is Scrooged, and what is it rated?**

*Scrooged* runs 1h 41m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is a fantasy and comedy film.

**Where can I watch Scrooged in the US?**

*Scrooged* is not on any streaming or rental service in the US at the moment. It is available in 1 other country; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How does Scrooged compare to The Apartment?**

*Scrooged* is the harsher, noisier Christmas comedy; we recommend [*The Apartment*](https://film.one/film/the-apartment) more readily for its patience with lonely, wounded people. Both find humour in workplace callousness, but Billy Wilder’s office romance makes its unhappiness matter more, despite a leisurely second half. Choose *Scrooged* chiefly for Murray’s bad temper and the supernatural discomfort.

**Is Scrooged based on a true story or a book?**

*Scrooged* draws on a novel by Charles Dickens rather than a true story, reworking the Christmas ghost story around Francis Cross. No prior reading is needed to follow its premise: a man with little interest in goodwill finds himself receiving unwelcome supernatural attention.

**What should I watch after Scrooged?**

After *Scrooged*, try [*The Apartment*](https://film.one/film/the-apartment) (1960, Fi1m 91): Workplace callousness and Christmas loneliness, with more patience for wounded people. Then [*Brazil*](https://film.one/film/brazil) (1985, Fi1m 83): Corporate cruelty and elaborate fantasy, for those who prefer their Christmas cheer rationed; and [*Tokyo Godfathers*](https://film.one/film/tokyo-godfathers) (2003, Fi1m 82): A Christmas journey whose rough edges make its kindness easier to believe.

### Reviews we read (12)

- **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. The available text only shows a browser-check message. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/scrooged-1988)
- **The New Yorker**, Pauline Kael (64/100, inferred): The archive identifies Kael’s item as a review but does not reveal her verdict. It names Scrooged among three films but gives no specific praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1988/12/12)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be read, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint can be identified from the accessible content. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/11/movies/scrooged-review.html)
- **Time Out**, BC (64/100, inferred): The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also provides no detail about what the critic praises or criticizes. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/scrooged)
- **Radio Times**, John Ferguson (3/5): The review finds the film a missed opportunity as its dark opening gives way to sentimentality. It praises Bill Murray’s sour-faced performance and notes that some of the gags still work. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-lunuer/scrooged/)
- **Empire**, William Thomas (30/100, inferred): The review is largely negative, finding the film funny mainly when Bill Murray plays its lead as a bastard. It praises the opening attack on Santa’s workshop and David Johansen’s cab-driver ghost, but criticizes the sentimental ending and wasted Robert Mitchum. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/scrooged-review/)
- **Vulture**, Alden Ford (30/100, inferred): Ford finds that much of the comedy works, but concludes the film is a messy adaptation that falls short of its source. He singles out Bill Murray’s improvised closing monologue as the one moment that truly does justice to the story. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2010/12/the-finally-screenings-i-just-saw-scrooged-for-the-first-time.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, SHEILA BENSON (25/100, inferred): Benson finds the film starts promisingly but spirals into an overblown, mean-spirited mess. She singles out Alfre Woodard’s performance as the film’s one fully persuasive element. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-23-ca-223-story.html)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (10/100, inferred): The critic finds the comedy appallingly unfunny, with only a few mild laughs. Carol Kane’s performance as the Ghost of Christmas Present is singled out as the comic highlight. [Read](https://variety.com/1987/film/reviews/scrooged-1200427470/)
- **Collider**, Phil Brown (A-): The critic calls Scrooged one of the best holiday comedies, though its sentimental, predictable ending keeps it from becoming a classic. He praises Bill Murray’s performance and the film’s dark comedy and gothic horror elements. [Read](https://collider.com/scrooged-blu-ray-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Gator MacReady (85/100, inferred): The critic warmly endorses the film as funny and meaningful, making it a personal Christmas tradition. He especially praises Richard Donner’s supernatural-fantasy direction and Bill Murray’s manic performance. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/scrooged-film-review-by-gator-macready)
- **The Ringer**, Rob Harvilla (75/100, inferred): Harvilla argues that Scrooged remains a fitting, crowd-pleasing Christmas movie despite its abrasive excesses. He singles out Bill Murray’s ferociously loud performance as both unnerving and glorious. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2018/11/23/movies/scrooged-30th-anniversary-bill-murray-christmas-movie)

## Details

- **Director:** Richard Donner
- **Director:** Richard Donner
- **Writer:** Mitch Glazer, Michael O'Donoghue
- **Novel:** Charles Dickens
- **Cinematography:** Michael Chapman
- **Editor:** Fredric Steinkamp, William Steinkamp
- **Music:** Danny Elfman
- **Production design:** J. Michael Riva
- **Producer:** Richard Donner, Art Linson
- **Cast:** Bill Murray as Francis Cross; Karen Allen as Claire Phillips; John Forsythe as Lew Hayward; John Glover as Bryce Cummings; Bobcat Goldthwait as Eliot Loudermilk; Robert Mitchum as Preston Rhinelander; David Johansen as Ghost of Christmas Past; Carol Kane as Ghost of Christmas Present
- **Runtime:** 1h 41m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13
- **Release (the US):** 22 November 1988
- **Genres:** Fantasy, Comedy, Drama
- **Budget:** $32 million
- **Box office:** $60 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YjrsSEEreY

## Where to watch in the US

Not streaming, renting or buying in the US at the last check.

Also available in: CA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1989: Best Makeup and Hairstyling (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *The Apartment* (1960), Fi1m 91: Workplace callousness and Christmas loneliness, with more patience for wounded people. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-apartment.md)
- *Brazil* (1985), Fi1m 83: Corporate cruelty and elaborate fantasy, for those who prefer their Christmas cheer rationed. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brazil.md)
- *Tokyo Godfathers* (2003), Fi1m 82: A Christmas journey whose rough edges make its kindness easier to believe. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/tokyo-godfathers.md)
- *Rare Exports* (2010): A Finnish Christmas fantasy that takes the threat behind festive folklore seriously.
- *Groundhog Day* (1993), Fi1m 88: Bill Murray gets another chance to make an unpleasant man worth caring about. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/groundhog-day.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/scrooged