Christmas with the Kranks, based on the novel Skipping Christmas by John Grisham, is a Christmas comedy movie that came out on November 24, 2004. Joe Roth directed the movie with a screenplay by Chris Columbus.
The movie did fairly well in revenue at the box office. However, most people did not enjoy the holiday movie. Rotten Tomatoes gave this movie an average rating of 2.8 out 10. IMDb rated this movie a 5.2 out of 10.
In the movie, Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis play the husband and wife, Luther and Nora Krank whose ultimate plan is to skip Christmas altogether; meaning no decorating, gift giving, and other Christmas festivities. They are known to be the most festive family in the neighborhood, however, after their daughter Blair (Julie Gonzalo) left for a Peace Corps assignment in Peru, the couple made other plans for Christmas. Upset that they won’t be celebrating Christmas with their daughter, Luther convinces Nora that the two should skip Christmas and go on a ten-day Caribbean cruise.
News got out about the Kranks’ Christmas plan. The community held a campaign, organized by the “unelected leader” of the street Vic Frohmeyer (Dan Aykroyd), to force the Kranks to decorate their home and participate in the town’s Christmas activities. However, Luther refused to cancel his plans to fulfill the plan of the community. As the day of the couple’s departure arrived, Blair announces her plan of coming home for Christmas with her new fiance. Frantic and unprepared, the couple struggled to put together a Christmas homecoming for their daughter. Ultimately, despite disappointing and angering their neighbors, the couple gained support and help from the community to make sure their daughter had a festive and heartwarming homecoming.
Personally, I didn’t really like this movie. I rate this a movie a 3 out 5 candy canes, making it an Ugly Sweater. Christmas movies are meant to spread holiday cheer and lift up the spirits of viewers watching. The story line of Christmas with the Kranks doesn’t really do that. When the main character’s plan for the holidays is to not participate at all and ignore the community’s help, it’s difficult for viewers to get into the holiday spirit. Although everything in the end turns out okay, the majority of the movie displays an almost “Bah! Humbug!” vibe as it shows the Kranks’ genuine pursuit to ditch the holidays.
Despite not being a big fan of the movie, I would still recommend people to watch Christmas with the Kranks. Rated PG, parents and children can enjoy this family comedy. However, there are also other holiday movie options that tops this such as Elf, A Christmas Story, and any of the Home Alone movies.
Three out of five candy canes = an Ugly Sweater
