Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

With their daughter, Blair, away, Luther and Nora Krank decide to skip Christmas all together until she decides to come home, causing an uproar when they have to celebrate it at the last minute.

Director:

Joe Roth

Writers:

John Grisham (novel), Chris Columbus (screenplay)

Stars:

Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tim Allen	...	Luther Krank
Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Nora Krank
Dan Aykroyd	...	Vic Frohmeyer
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Walt Scheel
Elizabeth Franz	...	Bev Scheel
Erik Per Sullivan	...	Spike Frohmeyer
Cheech Marin	...	Officer Salino
Jake Busey	...	Officer Treen
Austin Pendleton	...	Umbrella Santa / Marty
Tom Poston	...	Father Zabriskie
Julie Gonzalo	...	Blair Krank
René Lavan	...	Enrique Decardenal
Caroline Rhea	...	Candi
Felicity Huffman	...	Merry
Patrick Breen	...	Aubie

Storyline

Strange as it may sound, Luther and Nora Krank, the neighbourhood's award-winning couple for their cheerful Christmas spirit, have decided to skip this year's annual festivities when their daughter, Blair, departs for Peru after joining the Peace Corps. Now, instead of spending the staggering amount of $6,000 on the holiday season, just like the previous year, they are determined to invest the money on a sun-drenched, ten-day Caribbean cruise, much to the chagrin of their friends and neighbours. However, this is easier said than done, and before long, Luther and Nora, who have turned their backs on Christmas, will face the consequences. And then, as if that weren't enough, Blair and her new fiancé announce that they are coming home, utterly unaware that the empty family nest is far from ready for the event. Can the Kranks "generate" Christmas out of nothing in less than a few hours?

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Plot Keywords:

bikini | christmas | cat | singing | arrest | 

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Taglines:

No! Ho! Ho!

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for brief language and suggestive content

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is based on John Grisham's book "Skipping Christmas." (The original title is seen in the newspaper article after the tanning salon incident.) The title was changed to avoid confusion with Surviving Christmas (2004). Both movies were holiday comedies released in the same year and both were poorly received by critics.

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Goofs

Luther Krank states that he has spent six weeks planning the cruise when in fact he got the idea the day after Thanksgiving, the day he took Blair to the airport. Though we all may wish for more time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there has never been "six weeks" between them.

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Quotes

Blair Krank: I'm bringing home Enriqué!
Luther Krank: What's a reeké?

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Crazy Credits

There are holiday cards with pictures of the characters at the beginning of the end credits

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Connections

Referenced in Cinematic Excrement: Last Ounce of Courage (2018)

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Soundtracks

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Traditional

User Reviews

Get exactly what you expect.

This is one of those films that you can't ignore the obvious manipulation. Each scene is telegraphed a mile a way, with no real attempt to mark new ground. No, this film is exactly what it is intended to be; holiday good cheer and nothing more. In that respect, the film is successful and in the end, a harmless holiday movie that tries to help us forget all the real world darkness going on.

Tim Allen seems to be carving out a career with these Christmas movies. Though his performance is not even close to his Santa character, he still manages to put in a performance that has some memorable moments (the scene after his fat injection is a hoot). Jamie Lee is over the top and at times can be a little too much, but still, she fits right in with the rest of the decorations that are wrapped around this Christmas tree of a movie. I give it a 6 because let's be honest, it is totally predictable and corny. But as I mentioned, it is a welcome to all the negative things going on right now.

Details

Official Sites:

Columbia / Tri Star [France] Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

24 November 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

John Grisham's Skipping Christmas

Filming Locations:

Suburban Street, Backlot, Downey Studios - 12214 Lakewood Boulevard, Downey, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$21,570,867, 28 November 2004

Gross USA:

$73,780,539

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$96,593,018

Company Credits

Production Co:

Revolution Studios, 1492 Pictures, Skipping Christmas

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1