Film Snail

6.9

Spirited

PG-13·2022·127m

Comedy

Summary

Each Christmas Eve, the Ghost of Christmas Present selects one dark soul to be reformed by a visit from three spirits. But this season, he picked the wrong Scrooge. Clint Briggs turns the tables on his ghostly host until Present finds himself reexamining his own past, present and future.

Cast

Will Ferrell

Present

Ryan Reynolds

Clint Briggs

Octavia Spencer

Kimberly

Patrick Page

Marley

Sunita Mani

Past

Loren G. Woods

Yet-To-Come

Tracy Morgan

Yet-To-Come (voice)

Joe Tippett

Owen

Marlow Barkley

Wren / Young Carrie

Aimee Carrero

Nora

Andrea Anders

Carrie

Jen Tullock

Wendy

Adam Grupper

Mr. Bryan

Rose Byrne

Ms. Blansky

Matt Cardenes

Neighbor Dad

Ava Bernstine-Mitchell

Neighbor Mom / Costume Ghost #1

Charlene Anders

Neighbor Girl

Naheem Garcia

Harlan

Jayme Rae Dailey

Security Ghost

Nico Tirozzi

Eight-Year-Old Clint

Chloe Arnold

Senator

Ian Dolley

1800s London Boy

Alison Weller

1800s Street Vendor

Candi Marie

Zoe

Darrion Gallegos

Gabe

Woody Fu

Charlie

Maximilian Lee Piazza

Josh Hubbins

Martin Lee

Josh's Father

Greg Swartz

Support Ghost

Maven Morgan

Present's Daughter

Giovanni Daniel Pollina

Present's Son

P.J. Byrne

Mr. Alteli

Jonathan Kobs

Cab Driver

Ai Shimatsu

Communications Ghost

Kameron Saunders

Headset Ghost

Sophia Algilani

Eight-Year-Old Wren

Jeremy Hudson

1800s Bobby Cop

Jason Holley

1800s Carriage Driver

Sky Vaux Fuller

1800s Ragamuffin Girl

Donyelle Denise Jones

1800s Woman in Line

Daniel Silverberg

1800s Priest

Pamela Yasutake

1800s Bride

Will Thomas

1800s Groom / Elf Partygoer

Courtney Allen

1800s Scullery Maid

Scott Myrick

1800s Pauper

Khadijah Wilson

1800s Proper Lady #1

Martha Nichols

1800s Proper Lady #2

Gavin Maddox Bergman

Oliver Twist

Amanda Cleghorn

1800s Woman in Line

Christina Glur

1800s Pub Woman

Kim Niemi

1800s Pub Waitress

Addison Sharp

Briggs Media Receptionist

Gaby Diaz

Spanish Ghost

Jeremy Landon Hays

1800s Showman

Marcos Valles

Nora's Husband

Kevin Craig West

Steve (Tree Grower)

Steve Gagliastro

Walter the Janitor

Kaitlynn Edgar

Reporter #1

Randi Freitas

Reporter #2

Jabu Graybeal

Randy

Judi Dench

Dame Judi Dench

Elijah Carvalho

Nora's Son

Emelia Camille Harewood

Nora's Daughter

Amos Lee Hamrick III

Present's Fantasy Son #1

Josiah Amos Lee Hamrick

Present's Fantasy Son #2

Mauro DePasquale

Jazz Trio #1

Edward Conley

Jazz Trio #2

Philip Madison

Jazz Trio #3

Thomas P. Gillis

Old Clint

Bianca Brewton

Ghost Research Assistant

Heather Sullivan

1800s Mother with Pram

Alexander M. Akerblom

1800s Aristocrat

James Grillo

1800s Pianist

Billy Concha

1800s Fish and Chips Guy

Maraide Green

Coffee Ghost

Valerie Martin

NY Bystander

Cynthia Meng

Owen's Keyboardist

Alexandra Eckhardt

Owen's Bassist

Maud Arnold

Ghost Executive

Jimmy Fallon

Samuel Michael Oak Williams

Michael Ryan Palmer

Clint Double

Mike Devine

Clint Double

Alise Morales

Recruit Woman

Cheyenne Perez

Recruit Woman

Cody Brotter

Recruit Guy

Nate Jackson

Recruit Guy

Chau Long

Support Ghost

Greg Swartz

Support Ghost

Lily Sullivan

HR Ghost (Margo)

Bhanu Gopal

Father (uncredited)

Brian Bradbury

Mourner

Crew

Director, Writer

Sean Anders

Novel

Charles Dickens

Writer

John Morris

Reviews

Geronimo1967

November 23, 2022

Wow, but this is all over the place. Based very loosely on the Dickens' character from his "A Christmas Carol" story, Will Ferrell is the Ghost of Christmas Present who now works for "Jacob Marley" (Patrick Page) trying to save irredeemable souls from purgatory. This is where Ryan Reynolds comes in. He is "Clint" - a successful influencer who is about as ruthless for his clients as it possible to be. "Present" concludes that if he can save him, then he can make a real difference to the future (despite the fact that he appears, already, to have rescued Dolly Parton!). Anyway, this is where the story gets a little more interesting. Rather than cowering in fear at his apparitions, "Clint" decides to turn the tables a bit and before we know it, he is challenging his protagonist to justify what he is doing and why. Unfortunately, though - and despite the presence of the usually reliable Octavia Spencer - the whole thing just peters out all too quickly with some predictably slapstick humour and a few rather dull piano/guitar ballads from an out-of-sorts Messrs. Pasek and Paul that have some potent lyrics now and again, but those are largely overwhelmed by the fact that Reynolds cannot sing and Ferrell fares only slightly better on that front too. It also has no idea how to end, so it has three or four goes by which time I was a bit bored by it all. It's been quite a while since I noticed people leaving a cinema screening, but quite a few abandoned this. Nothing beats the Albert Finney/Leslie Bricusse "Scrooge" (1970) for me, and though this iteration of the timeless story might work better on stage - much of it is very theatrically stylised in nature (especially the dance numbers) - I am just going to stick with that.