Am I missing something?

I'll go ahead and agree with some of the sentiments here and say it's flawed, but I still enjoy it. "Classic" is so overused, and as someone else pointed out, it seems like that label just gets attached to any older movie. I mean, personally, I wouldn't go so far as to call Scrooged a classic.

I ate this up in the 80s, though, so I suppose I'll always have a soft spot for it. I was 13 when it was released in 1988 and I think it hit at the right time in my life to be remembered fondly. It had a little bite to it, some mild language and somewhat racy humor (things that would certainly appeal to a 13 year old), but still had heart.

Now that I'm older (ok, old), I think the part that works the least for me, which has been brought up a few times already in this thread, is how rushed Frank's transformation feels. It seems like he doesn't really get it, until all of a sudden, right at the end, he does. A gradual enlightenment would've felt a little more natural. Also, a couple of the Christmas Past scenes drag a bit.

Overall, I still enjoy Scrooged, but it's not like I get around to watching it every year. Maybe every few. Not every movie we watch is a cherished favorite, some (indeed, maybe most) are just ways to spend a little time with varying degrees of enjoyment. I'll admit that, for me, Scrooged, like many movies from the 80s, holds a nostalgic appeal and that allows me to get past its flaws.

It sounds like you just didn't enjoy the movie, so there's not much point in anyone trying to explain what you're missing. Every movie has its detractors, even the "Christmas classics." Heck, I just watched The Santa Clause for the first time last week and couldn't stand it. But maybe someone who was 13 in 1994 would have the same nostalgic fondness for that movie.

So maybe, if anything, the only thing you missed (so to speak) about Scrooged was being a kid in the 80s. Unless you were. In which case, there's really no hope for you ever liking this movie!

You didn't miss anything, the film simply isn't for you and that's ok.

Personally I love it but movies are subjective and if you don't connect with it then cool.

You are missing a taste in great movies.

Because this one is great.

Absolutely hated the Ghost of Christmas present, and the second half of the movie wasn't as funny as the first, where Frank is burning down everything around him.

Also didn't like how Frank forgave Eliot for trying to kill him without any kind of concern for himself. If it were me in that situation, he'd be dead or in critical condition.

I watched this for the first time yesterday and like you I was disappointed. It just didn't work for me. There were moments when it was funny, but they were too far between to make this a comedy, at least for me. I was perplexed because like you I had expected this to be a much better film due to its now classic status. I attribute it to both being from the 80's which is now 30 years in the past as well as probably my taste in comedy is different from those who really love this movie.

Doctor Who fan

It's not just you, this movie is hard to watch. It's one I also want to like but it is just too much. It is "almost good".

You just watched it for the first time? Are you 14?

Clearly the obvious answer would be that you are indeed missing something. Humanity is regressing if such obvious things now need confirmation.

Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived. -Isaac Asimov