Didn't watch many Christmas movies this year, just wasn't in the mood. But I hadn't seen this is a long time and was wondering if it was as good as I remembered.
It is, the parts I remembered anyway. The parts everyone remembers: David Johansen and Carol Kane as the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, respectively. I completely forgot the Ghost of Christmas Future segment which looks like deleted scenes from Terry Gilliam's Brazil. And, consequently, I forgot how it doesn't exactly work.
Let me first say that the movie as a whole and Bill Murray in particular are a lot of fun. However, his ultimate redemption comes up short because he's so good as the humbugging prick. After seeing years' worth of pain and misery, his own and what he's caused in others, the scene that makes him a changed man is seeing his own cremation. For some reason, he is shocked to discover that he one day dies. Perhaps it is this glimpse at his own mortality that finally awakens his dormant humanity and forces him to reassess his priorities. I mean, that's it, right? But they don't really sell it that way. It's too rushed.
The other thing I noticed is how fast Bobcat Goldtwait's character--fired by Murray the day before Christmas Eve--spirals into complete desperate lunacy. One day later, his wife and daughter left him and he has become a homicidal drunk. Then again, he is Bobcat Goldtwait.
I'm glad I watched it and I'm glad I got to share it with you. Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas. If you don't celebrate Christmas, it's still Christmas, so Merry Christmas.
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