Synopsis: Frank Cross runs a US TV station, which is planning a live adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. But with Cross being a mirror image of Ebenezer Scrooge, and a man who couldn’t care less about Christmas or other people, he is in for the shock of his life when he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.
Ah, Christmas; the most wonderful time of the year! And a time to wheel out the ‘Best Christmas films of all time’ lists. The best, of course is… Die Hard. But unless you fancy angry phone calls from parents and a hurried meeting with the minister, it’s probably best to save that film for the 18-30s group. Instead, why not use Christmas to introduce your youth group to other festive classics? What better time could there be to watch Scrooged, a late 80’s retelling of the Dickens classic?
With Bill Murray as the aptly named Frank Cross, Scrooged is the timeless story of a man heading towards redemption at Christmas time. Expect freaky ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, as well as a supporting cast of 80s icons. Scrooged manages to be a dark, twisted and enjoyable update of A Christmas Carol. Despite its ageing years, the story remains relevant and the characters good enough to appeal to a modern audience.
This clip focuses on the end of the film. Returning a very different person from earlier that night, Frank decides to interrupt his company’s live broadcast of A Christmas Carol. Now live to the whole country, Frank’s character is completely transformed as he shares how much Christmas means to him, and how we should all embrace one another and choose happiness at this time of year. It’s a heart-warming and humorous clip that is sure to cheer everyone, while sending an intriguing message about the meaning of Christmas.
If played to the end, this clip does contain a few swear words apparently you could get away with more in the 80s - so be aware of this. After showing the clip as a stimulus, break into small groups and discuss the following questions:
What does it mean to have the ‘Christmas Spirit’?
- Is Christmas really the best time of the year? Why / why not?
- Can someone really change completely like Frank in this clip?
- Is Frank’s message about Christmas one that Christians should agree or disagree with?
After discussing these questions, read through Luke 2:1-21 together and discuss further:
- What are the key points of this story?
- What information from the Christmas story is missing here?
- What parts of the modern Christmas celebration reflect moments in this story?
- Should only Christians celebrate Christmas? Scrooged is a modern
