MS. SCROOGE (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television film is a reinterpretation of the classic 1843 Christmas-themed novella by Charles Dickens. The program begins on Christmas Eve as Ms. Ebenita Scrooge heads to her job at a bank, telling her employee Sam Catherwood that she enjoys the holiday season because her clients tend to overspend and over-borrow, which benefits her business. At the bank, a woman desperately tries to sell an expensive lamp, needing cash to bail her son out of jail, but Scrooge gives her a mere $40. Another family, the Baldwins, begs Scrooge, their landlord, to allow them to rent their apartment by the day until at least January first, and she agrees at an exorbitant fee. She chastises her employee Bob Cratchit for his tardiness, though he expresses sympathy for the Baldwins, recalling that Scrooge gave him an important loan many years ago. He attempts to convince her to create an employee health plan, but she refuses, citing the high cost. Annie and Edna, the other bankers, discuss Scrooge's "secret vault," built by her long-dead boss-turned-business partner Maude Marley, and Scrooge's friendly nephew Reverend Luke stops by with some young carolers. Scrooge flatly turns down his dinner invitation, saying that she must work, though he reminds her that they have only each other as family.
Scrooge orders her employees to work overtime on Christmas Day, yet again, and then stashes her personal money in the secret vault before heading for home, where she finds a young boy, Chris, shoveling her front walk unasked. Home alone with her cat, Mortimer, Scrooge watches the stock market report and is then shocked by a visit from the spirit of Marley, who explains that she is unable to rest in peace because of her selfish ways in life. She instructs Scrooge to turn her life around or face the eternal consequences, warning her that she will soon be visited by several of her "fellow ghosts." Unnerved, Scrooge leaves the house and heads for her office, but she soon awakens to find the Ghost of Christmas Past emerging from the vault. He takes her back in time to her childhood, when her father gifted her with a puppy on her "best Christmas ever," reminding her of the joys of giving. He then prepares to open a grocery store business along with some Army buddies, but the plan falls through and the family is soon in desperate need of money, prompting young Scrooge to take an interest in finance. Later, Scrooge's father is killed in a fire, and the family is forced to sell their home to pay off their debts. Scrooge's mother eventually dies and her brother Perry heads off to Vietnam with the Army, and Scrooge heads north in search of a job.
Young Scrooge meets the no-nonsense Marley, who gives her a brusque interview and then awards her the bank job. Scrooge begins dating the kindly Steve, and Marley eventually gives her some strict advice about developing a businesslike persona and promotes her to head bookkeeper. Steve then declares that he wants to marry Scrooge and move back to the South, but Scrooge decides that she cannot "go backwards" and ends the relationship rather than give up her career, and Perry later dies overseas. Later, The Ghost of Christmas Present arrives and informs Scrooge that she does not truly appreciate life, and then reveals that Cratchit was late because he was an enjoying a fun morning with his sickly son, Tim. They visit the rundown Cratchit home and learn that they cannot afford Tim's badly-needed surgery, hence Bob's request for a health plan. The loving family sits down to lunch and Bob toasts to Scrooge, though his wife is not impressed with his boss' "generosity." The Ghost and Scrooge then visit the local high school gym, where a kindly principal has allowed the Baldwins to live over the holidays, though Scrooge seems unmoved by the good deed. They then head for Luke's church, where he relates the parable of the long spoons, explaining that those in Hell brought suffering upon themselves with their meanness in life.
The silent Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come then visits Scrooge, and they return to the Cratchit home, where Luke visits a bedridden Tim and learns that Bob has been fired by Scrooge for repeated absences. Luke angrily confronts his aunt about her heartlessness, but she refuses to change her mind and orders him to leave. While in her beloved vault, Scrooge is hit by falling boxes and seems to suffer a heart attack, and Annie, having been ordered never to enter, leaves Scrooge to her fate. Later, the police callously joke about Scrooge's lonely death amid her money, noting that the IRS is taking everything because she did not have a will, and no one apart from Luke and Bob attends Scrooge's funeral. Tim then seemingly dies from his illness, and Scrooge begs the Ghost to allow her to help. Scrooge then wakes up in her own bed and realizes that it is Christmas morning and, truly happy for the first time in decades, she gives a startled Chris $50 to buy a turkey, which she sends anonymously to the Cratchits. She writes out large bonuses for Annie and Edna, returns the woman's lamp at no cost and assists Sam as he spends the holiday feeding the homeless. She then visits the Cratchits' home and promotes Bob to Vice President, and Tim wisely figures out that it was she who sent the turkey. Scrooge then surprises the children with presents, including a puppy for Tim, and tells his parents to send his medical bills to her until the employee health plan is established. Finally, she heads to Reverend Luke's church, and he is pleased to see his aunt finally joining in the Christmas spirit. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: USA
- DATE: December 9, 1997 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:58:40
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 108069
- GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, fantasy/science fiction; Christmas; Classics; African-American Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: USA - TV, 1997
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Advil Cold & Sinus medication
- TV - Commercials - Blessings clothing store
- TV - Commercials - Borders bookstores
- TV - Commercials - Braun Oral-B Interclean toothbrushes
- TV - Commercials - Cadillac DeVille automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Campbell's soups
- TV - Commercials - Chevrolet automobiles
- TV - Commercials - DieHard automobile batteries
- TV - Commercials - Domino's Pizza restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Fixodent Fresh denture adhesive
- TV - Commercials - Fortunoff stores
- TV - Commercials - GMC automobiles
- TV - Commercials - GM Goodwrench Service Plus auto services
- TV - Commercials - Hook n' Needle crafts shop
- TV - Commercials - Johnson's Soothing Vapor Bath
- TV - Commercials - Madison Jewelers
- TV - Commercials - Micron computers
- TV - Commercials - Oldsmobile automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Pace salsa
- TV - Commercials - Pam cooking spray
- TV - Commercials - Pampers diapers
- TV - Commercials - Pentax cameras
- TV - Commercials - Pepcid AC heartburn medication
- TV - Commercials - Pontiac automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Preparation H hemorrhoidal ointment
- TV - Commercials - Puffs Plus tissues
- TV - Commercials - Robitussin cold medication
- TV - Commercials - Ruben's Decorative Fabrics store
- TV - Commercials - Sam Sloat Coins shop
- TV - Commercials - Sears stores
- TV - Commercials - Shell gasoline
- TV - Commercials - ShopRite grocery stores
- TV - Commercials - Stayfree sanitary pads
- TV - Commercials - Subaru automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Tylenol painkillers
- TV - Commercials - U.S. Satellite Broadcasting services
- TV - Promos - "Beethoven"
- TV - Promos - "La Femme Nikita"
- TV - Promos - "Moby Dick"
- TV - Promos - "Pacific Blue"
- TV - Promos - "Silk Stalkings"
- TV - Promos - "Skating Romance III: Love is in the Air"
- TV - Promos - "The Babe"
- TV - Promos - "Titanic" motion picture
- TV - Promos - "Walker, Texas Ranger"
- TV - Promos - The USA Pictures Originals Megamarathon lineup
- TV - Promos - USA's Blizzard of Blockbusters lineup
CREDITS
- Julian Marks … Producer
- Artûrs Rûsis … Associate Producer
- Mark Winemaker … Line Producer
- John Korty … Director
- John McGreevey … Writer
- Charles Dickens … Based on the short story by
- David Shire … Music by
- Cicely Tyson … Cast, Ms. Ebenita Scrooge
- Michael Beach … Cast, Reverend Luke
- John Bourgeois … Cast, Bob Cratchit
- Raéven Larrymore-Kelly … Cast, Young Ebenita
- Karen Glave … Cast, Teenage Ebenita
- Ken James … Cast, Sam Catherwood
- Arsinée Khanjian … Cast, Libba Cratchit
- Katherine Helmond … Cast, Maude Marley
- William Greenblatt … Cast, Tim Cratchit
- Michael J. Reynolds … Cast, Spirit Past
- Shaun Austin-Olsen … Cast, Spirit Present
- Julian Richings … Cast, Spirit Future
- Ashley Brown … Cast, Chris
- Natasha Greenblatt … Cast, Sis Cratchit
- Allegra Felton … Cast, Annie
- Sandi Ross … Cast, Edna
- Derwin Jordan … Cast, Steve
- Philip Akin … Cast, George
- Michelle Moffatt … Cast, Clara
- Alison Sealy-Smith … Cast, Lettie
- Jon Codrington … Cast, Ward Baldwin
- Michelle Lonsdale-Smith … Cast, Sally Baldwin
- Monique Mojica … Cast, Lucy
- Bernard Browne … Cast, Hawkins
- David Felton … Cast, Marty Cratchit
- Michelyn Emelle … Cast, Penny
- Marium Carvell … Cast, Homeless Woman
- Troy Seivwright-Adams … Cast, Perry Scrooge
- Don Tripe … Cast, TV Host
- Jeff Clarke … Cast, Fireman