History Film / Scrooged

* AbusiveAdvertising: Frank's ad for ''Scrooge'' is a barrage of modern-day horrors leading to "watch the special - your life may depend on it!", or as Loudermilk calls it "The Manson Family Holiday Special!". It’s mentioned later in the film that it actually scared an old lady so bad she died of a heart attack and the network is getting sued.

* AbusiveAdvertisement: Frank's ad for ''Scrooge'' is a barrage of modern-day horrors leading to "watch the special - your life may depend on it!", or as Loudermilk calls it "The Manson Family Holiday Special!". It’s mentioned later in the film that it actually scared an old lady so bad she died of a heart attack and the network is getting sued.

* MistakenForInsane: Frank walks into the homeless shelter while ranting and raving about being lonely and getting himself a wife, all to himself. He is immediatley wrapped in a blanket by a volunteer who thinks he is a mentally ill hobo.

* WTHCastingAgency: In-universe, Frank's production of Dickens's classic features Buddy Hackett as Ebenezer Scrooge and Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton as Tiny Tim. The latter is justified as Tiny Tim would cast off his crutches and perform a whole ''routine'' at the end of the story.

-->'''Grace:''' ''But, Mr. Cross, I booked that appointment two months ago!''
-->'''Frank:''' ''I '''CARE!!'''''

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* UnnecessaryTimePrecision: When Frank leaves a message for Claire.
--> '''Frank Cross''': "I know it's been... *checks watch* ...15 years since we've talked but..."

* ToiletSeatDivorce: What we see of Frank's and Claire's original split comes off like this. While presumably there were problems before that, we go right from seeing them both quite happy to her dumping him because the President of the network invited them both to dinner (something that could massively advance his career) and it would have meant canceling dinner with friends.
** Except even there, Frank is shown to be really rather selfish and egocentric. Granted, it's a big opportunity for him, but the way he talks down to her over something they've had planned for months, apparently, is rather blatant foreshadowing that he no longer really sees the point of Christmas and is more interested in what television can do for him.
*** It's also debatable whether Claire really intended to end the relationship. She proposes "taking a break", which ''could'' be an attempt to let him down gently, or she could have been sincere. The latter option is plausible because she just about drops everything to come see Frank after he calls her despite it being well over a decade since they spoke. Even when Frank comes to her shelter, demands her to go with him, and insults her fellow volunteers for no real reason, Claire doesn't tell him to take a hike; she implores him to give her just a little time to finish working. Frank leaves in a huff. Maybe the reason they spent so long separated was that Frank just never bothered reaching out to her again after the Frisbee fiasco.

* RunningGag: [[SlapstickKnowsNoGender The lady from the FCC]] accumulates several AmusingInjuries, each time screaming "[[OhCrap OH SHIT!]]" before it hits her

* TurnOutLikeHisFather: After seeing the callous way Frank's father treats him, it's very understandable why he turned out the way he did. Fortunately, he gets better [[JerkToNiceGuyPlot over the course of the film]].

* JerkToNiceGuyPlot: Frank is a selfish, sleazy, and greedy [[CorruptCorporateExecutive television executive]]. He's put through a series of ghostly encounters that teach him the error of his ways and becomes [[TookALevelInKindness generous, honest and loving]].

** When Frank hijacks the live show to spread a Christmas message, he admonishes the viewer, asking them what they're doing spending Christmas Eve watching a live-show. An irate Reinlander, watching said hijacking while phoning the studio, remarks that they're paying his salary.

** Played literally with a cat; after being falsely informed by Elliot that Brice Cummings called him a "flatulating butthead" and has homosexual feelings for him, Reinlander kicks one of his cats in a fit of rage.

* PointyHairedBoss: Frank's boss Preston Reinlander is apparently this. Trapping Frank into an inane conversation about why there should be more animals on TV to attract household pets as viewers.

* RoadsideWave: Elliot Loudermilk gets an impromptu bath, which simultaneously ruins the liquor he was hoping to drown his sorrows in.

* ThereAreNoGoodExecutives: Natch. Frank is a greedy bastard who fired an employee for standing up to him based on the depravity over a proposed ''Scrooge'' promo and bases his gifts to colleagues based on how ratings for programs were. His superiors Heyward and Reinlanders are even worse (and basically helped to groom him into the CorruptCorporateExecutive he is today) and Bryce Cummings is set to be Frank's replacement and is just as much of a bastard that he is. [[spoiler: Although Heyward, in death, [[TheAtoner learned the error of his ways and tried to warn Frank]] and the others are either seen or implied to have changed for the better by the end of the film.]]

** When Frank hijacks the live show to spread a Christmas message, he admonishes the viewer, asking them what they're doing spending Christmas Eve watching a live-show. An irate Rhinelander, watching said hijacking while phoning the studio, remarks that they're payijg bus salary.

** Played literally with a cat; after being falsely informed by Elliot that Brice Cummings called him a "flatulating butthead" and has homosexual feelings for him, Rhinelander kicks one of his cats in a fit of rage.

* KickTheDog: Pretty much the entire beginning of the movie as we follow Frank Cross through a typical day of wanton cruelty. Plus Christmas promo spots featuring atomic bombs.

* PokeThePoodle: Most of what Frank does outside of [[KickTheDog canning Elliot]], but especially:
-->'''Stagehand:''' I can't get the antlers glued on to this little guy. We've tried Crazy Glue, but it doesn't work.
-->'''Frank:''' Have you tried ''staples''?
-->'''Stagehand:''' Staples!?
** For some reason, Claire starts bitching out the stagehand even though he's just as horrified by the idea.
** There's also a moment when his boss [[KickTheDog kicks his own cat]].

** ''Film/KingKong'' gets two; Frank distracts someone by pointing at a random building and claiming there's a giant gorilla on it and later, during the Ghost of Christmas Future's first attempt to nab Frank, it takes up multiple TV screens before it's giant skeletal hand reaches out of the screens behind Frank who has not noticed... only to be interupted by Elliot storming into the office with a shotgun.

* TooDumbToLive: Herman, the homeless man who confuses Frank for Creator/RichardBurton at the homeless shelter, is later found by Frank in a utility space underneath a sidewalk, having frozen to death. Frank rightfully reams his dead body a new one for not staying with Claire at her homeless shelter. Even if he had to eventually be shown the door due to the amount of homeless people who were showing up for food and shelter, there was still no reason he couldn't have found shelter and warmth

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Younger audiences may be confused at the appearance of a cellphone in 1988. Notice how the phone is on a cord that goes to a larger part in Grace's purse. That's a real 1988 cellphone, top of the line.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Despite telling her other children to stop dressing up Calvin like a Christmas tree, Joyce is having a hard time stopping smiling at the scene.

* {{Improv}}: Half of Frank's lines; the entire closing sequence.

** A common one for Creator/BillMurray as he's known to ad-lib and improvise a great deal in most of his movies.