Scrooged (1988)

Based on Charles Dickens novel "A Christmas Carol", this movie has appearances by many celebrities.

Frank Xavier Cross (Bill Murray) is an egotistical T.V. executive at IBC. He was a nice person who became cruel and hard hearted since climbing the ladder at work. He has alienated himself from everyone from his girlfriend Claire (Karen Allen)to his family members. When he wins a television award, he leaves it on the seat of a cab. He treats his hardworking secretary Grace (Alfre Woodard) horribly. When one of his employees Elliott Loudermilk (Bobcat Goldthwait) disagrees with his assessment of a show, Frank fires him.

While working late close to Christmas, he gets a visit from his long dead, decomposing ex-boss telling him that he is going to get a visit from three ghosts that are going to show him the error of his ways. He also says that he needs to change or else! He freaks out and the phone in his office dials his old girlfriend Claire's number. He leaves a message and hangs up.

The next day Claire shows up at the rehearsal for the live "A Christmas Carol" show that Frank is putting on. Frank sees her and even smiles. She gives him her card and he sees that she is working at a homeless shelter.

After he eats lunch with his boss (Robert Mitchum), in which he freaks out after seeing eyeballs in his drink, he gets picked up in a cab by the ghost of Christmas Past (David Johansen). He is taken to his childhood home, shown the moment that he met Claire and the year that he was on the "Frisbee" show. It is here that he chose the show over Clair and lost her.

When he wakes up, he goes to see Claire at the homeless shelter and meets some of her clients. When Claire can't go to lunch right away because of a crisis at the shelter, Frank gets mad and tells her to "scrape them off" instead of helping them, meaning the homeless people.

When he meets the Ghost of Christmas Present (Carol Kane), he gets annoyed because she likes to hit him (she likes the rough stuff!). She takes him to Grace's house and shows him how poor they are and shows him how much his brother James (John Murray) misses and defends him.

There is some more work on the set of the live T.V. show in which Bryce, an upstart who knows Frank's Boss, is trying to take Franks job. During this time, the Ghost of Christmas Future shows up, in all of his seven foot robed glory, and shows Frank that Grace's son has ended up in an institution, Claire has turned into a heartless person just like Frank is and he watches James and his wife Wendy at his cremation.

Frank sees the light and wants to change. When Elliott Loudermilk shows up and tries to shoot him, Frank recuits him to go into the booth at the show and stop Bryce from continuing the show. Frank stops production on the show and gives a speech about spending time with family and friends and the spirit of Christmas. Claire shows up on set and they kiss in front of the camera. Sweet!

There are many cameo appearances by celebrities in the movie including Robert goulet, Lee Majors and Mary Lou Retton. Three of Bill Murray's brothers made appearances in this movie.

100 Minutes. PG-13. I give this movie THREE AND ONE QUARTER STARS.