Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Joe Roth

Writers (WGA):

John Grisham (novel)
Chris Columbus (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 November 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Tagline:

Their Christmas will turn the town upside down!

Plot:

With their daughter away, her parents decide to skip Christmas altogether until she decides to come home, causing an uproar when they have to celebrate the holidays at the last minute.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Vacation | Neighbor | Christmas Eve | Chicago Illinois

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

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

Also Known As:

John Grisham's Skipping Christmas (USA) (working title)
Skipping the Holidays (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for brief language and suggestive content.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:All | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Germany:o.Al. | Italy:T | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:0 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:8 (canton of Zurich) | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Revolution Studios

Trivia:

M. Emmet Walsh who plays the neighbor across the street who doesn't get along with Luther also plays the role of Tim Allen's "Home Improvement" (1991) character Tim Taylor's father-in-law (they, too, do not get along).

Goofs:

Continuity: The snowflakes in Enrique's hair change between shots after meets the Kranks.

Quotes:

Luther Krank: Smoked trout?
Nora Krank: It's better than frozen pizza.
Luther Krank: What happened to the hickory honey ham?
Nora Krank: Don't EVER say hickory honey ham again.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Robot Chicken: The Black Cherry (#1.20)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

A Feel-Good Holiday Movie!

I have no idea why people complain about this movie. I hear more complaints about this than the current President in office. I thought that this is a good film. The story is about a family whose daughter is leaving for the holidays apparently. The family played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Tim Allen decides to go on a cruise on Christmas Day. As the day nears, the daughter calls back saying that she'll be home for Christmas. Now the family have to celebrate Christmas or else. This movie is not very funny, but it's funny enough that I'll chuckle here or there. Mostly, I was interested in the plot line. The acting is a bit cheesy but nothing totally bad. The soundtrack is average but I like to listen to Christmas songs. The screenplay by Harry Potter director Chris Columbus could have been written better. Overall, this is a good film designed to make you feel good. I rate this film a 8/10.