Bill Murray: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

5 Awesome Performances

5. Frank Cross - Scrooged (1988)

Not universally loved, or indeed critically acclaimed, Murray's take on A Christmas Carol is one of the greatest modern Christmas films without a shadow of a doubt. Quite what that means in real terms is somewhat up for debate: "modern Christmas films" after all isn't exactly a bountiful genre. But all semantics aside, Murray's snarky, snake-like Frank Cross is the perfect modern day Scrooge; a soulless yuppy with distinct sociopathic tendencies and a keen eye for money. Perhaps because Murray wasn't really interested in being serious, Cross is manic as he unravels, striding gleefully into pantomime villains - a reimagining of American Psycho's Patrick Bateman without the killing, but with the same obvious lack of self-awareness. There is of course the suggestion that Murray turned up full of contempt for the material and basically showed his disdain by disrespecting it with a petulant, irritated performance, but the prickliness (and prickishness) were well suited to the character. Cross isn't even likeable when he's "redeemed", and you get the sense that he probably hasn't genuinely learned anything, but at least it was watching him dragged through some nastiness for a while.