Rent Christmas with the Kranks on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: John Grisham (novel "Skipping Christmas"), Chris Columbus (screenplay)
Directed by: Joe Roth
Starring: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd, Cheech Marin, Jake Busey, Julie Gonzalo
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer
Plot
With their daughter Blair away in Peru, Luther and Nora Krank decide to skip Christmas altogether until she decides to come home, causing an uproar when they must celebrate it at the last minute.
Verdict
While I like the premise of skipping Christmas, this is never as funny as it should be. The family only manages to irritate everyone around them as Luther is obnoxious about it.. The conclusion devolves into several tired cliches, where the community comes together to help the town scrooges. It's also clear this was adding filler to reach the ninety minute run time and the last twenty minutes really drags.
Skip it.
Review
Luther (Tim Allen) and Nora Krank's (Jamie Lee Curtis) daughter leaves for the Peace Corp right at Christmas. With the couple missing her during the holidays and feeling down, Luther plans a cruise to skip the holiday altogether. The cruise is less than what they typically spend on Christmas. His only condition is that the boycott it completely. It's a rule that only serves to be a hindrance as Luther refuses to donate money to various groups that rely on him. He's labeled a scrooge and rightly so. Nora is hesitant but soon on board.
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| Jamie Lee Curtis, Tim Allen play Nora, Luther Krank |
Social pressure makes their decision more difficult, no one seems to understand why they would skip the holiday. Pressure from the neighbors and seemingly everyone creates tension. The Kranks even get a front page feature in the newspaper with an embarrassing photo. It's a social construct and contract they can't escape. I'm not sure my neighbors would care so much, but this makes a point through exaggeration. Eventually even Nora thinks Luther is going too far.
The funniest scene is Luther trying to eat after getting Botox, which he did to look 'good' for the trip. His face is scary looking, and he has no sensation in his face, which leads to difficulty eating.
Their daughter Blair (Julie Gonzalo) surprises them by flying home for the holidays. They can't possibly admit they were skipping Christmas because they missed her, so they now have to skip the trip and catch the spirit before she arrives. This is when the silliness begins. The Kranks must undo the damage they've done as they've annoyed and irritated everyone, scrambling to buy decorations and supplies at the last minute after everyone is sold out for their annual party. Luther didn't buy a police calendar, and now the police delight in arresting him when it looks like he's stealing Christmas decorations.
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| Jamie Lee Curtis, Julie Gonzalo, Tim Allen play Nora, Blair, Luther Krank |
Just as everything goes wrong, the neighbors pitch in to save the day. A community sticks together, and the Kranks never told them why the refused to celebrate. When the neighborhood realizes why they skipped, they're happy to help them put Christmas back on. The neighbors pull it off without Blair ever knowing Christmas almost didn't happen. Nora is overjoyed, full of holiday cheer. Luther mourns his missed vacation. This movie should have ended with the Kranks' big holiday party, where Luther could share his thoughts with his neighbor Vic (Dan Aykroyd) and offer the cruise to mend fences. Instead the movie keeps going, stretching to extend the run time. Luther makes a big gesture for a different neighbor, and we're introduced to a thief. It's not detrimental as the movie wasn't great before this point, but it does add insult to injury.
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