I’m gonna make this short and sweet, ’cause I think it’s the way Frank Cross would want it: While the rest of the world is weeping along with musty old roasted chestnuts like It’s a Wonderful Life and Hey Look It’s Santa Charlie Brown You Dumbass (or whatever it’s called), there is but one Christmas movie that melts my heart. That movie, PopWatchers, is Bill Murray’s immortal classic, Scrooged, a crotchety nugget of late ’80s Manhattan filled with taxicabs and homeless shelters and mysterious sidewalk steam, the magical insidery world of network television, Bobcat Goldthwait with a shotgun, Carol Kane with a toaster, mice with reindeer horns potentially stapled to their heads, the Solid Gold dancers showing just a teensy bit of nipple, and one final singalong of "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" which brings me to tears every single time. My mother can have her Rosemary Clooney and White Christmas, my cousins can have their Zooey Deschanel in Elf. I’ll take my favorite Williamsburg scenester in a holly-laced top hat crooning, "Feed me, Seymour," to no one in particular. Both crude and sentimental, resonant and ludicrous, and featuring Murray at his most dashing pre-Lost In Translation peak, Scrooged is the perfect holiday movie for bitter, reluctant, closet Christmas lovers like me. Maybe it’s the "bitter, reluctant" part that keeps it off the Hallmark Channel. I dunno.
But what about you, PopWatchers? Is there a holiday movie you think belongs in the canon that maybe gets a little overlooked now and again? Share it in the comments… or just use them to quote your favorite line from Scrooged. Here, I’ll start: "Oooh, a Christmas party! I’m so glad I wore my pretty dress!"
More holiday fun from EW:
20 Worst Holiday Movies
Exclusive First Look: Ausiello’s 2008 Christmas list
Lettie’s ‘Age of Solo’: The CD I’m giving this holiday season
What’s the saddest moment in a holiday TV special?
Sorry, Whitney, but this movie is maybe the WORST Christmas film I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen Ernest Saves Christmas. Scrooged is too long, with clunker jokes, and forced Christmas cheer. Definitely NOT underrated!
Love, Love, Love Scrooged. I watch it every Christmas Eve while the rest of the world is watching “It’s a Wonderful Life”. When they start up Put a Little Love in Your Heart, for me it’s “Niagra Falls, Frankie Baby”.
“Pick a side, grandma!” Love, love, love that movie!!
Made me smile to see this- Scrooged is my favorite Christmas movie as well. While my partner loves Scrooge and my family insists on watching Miracle on 34th every year- Christmas has to include Scrooged for me!
Ooooh, look, its a TOASTER!!!
Makes me laugh out loud every time.
Love this movie.
the best scrooged ever – loved it as a kid, love it now.
It just doesn’t get much better than “a TOASTER!!”
It just doesn’t get much better than “a TOASTER!!”
completely agree. it’s the one christmas movie i will watch with my family of xmas movie addicts. fave lines include:
“Elliot Loudermilk – Code Nine”
“Call the police!”
“I’m sorry, I thought you were Richard Pryor”
and the classic
“Which floor?”
Couldn’t agree more. I tell everyone every year that Scrooged is the best xmas movie EVER! As a matter of fact, rented it on pay per view yesterday…Frank Cross is priceless!
Scrooged is great… but The Ref is better!
Scrooged is the best.
LOVE this movie.
i don’t appreciate whitney’s attitude regarding the charlie brown xmas special. the charlie brown special is a great xmas tradition. apparently excessive snark makes up for one’s lack of verbal expression.
Who hates the Charlie Brown Christmas Special? I do give you props for going out on a ledge and all but really what type of childhood did you have? You just have to be downright mean to hate Charlie Brown’s Christmas.
I 100% agree…..My favorite xmas movie…Carol Cane beating the tar out of Bill Murray makes me laugh every time.