Christmas with the Kranks

Christmas with the Kranks is a 2004 American Christmas comedy film based on the 2001 novel Skipping

Christmas by John Grisham. It was directed by Joe Roth and written and produced by Chris Columbus.

It stars Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis as a couple who decide to skip Christmas one year since their daughter is away, much to the chagrin of their neighbors.

Plot Edit
Luther (Tim Allen) and Nora Krank (Jamie Lee Curtis) see their daughter, Blair (Julie Gonzalo), depart for a Peace Corps assignment in Peru on the Sunday following Thanksgiving, empty nest syndrome sets in. Luther calculates the couple spent $6,132 during the previous year's holiday season and, not looking forward to celebrating Christmas without their daughter, he suggests they invest the money usually spent on decorations, gifts, and entertainment and treat themselves to a ten-day Caribbean cruise instead. Skeptical at first, Nora finally agrees under the condition that they still give a donation to the church and Children's Hospital. Luther tries to refuse but finally agrees and they begin planning the trip.

The Kranks are amazed to discover they are considered pariahs as a result of their decision. Luther's co-workers think he has become Ebenezer Scrooge when he gives all his employees letters that state about his Christmas boycott, local stationer Aubie is distressed to lose the couple's order for their engraved greeting cards and Christmas Eve party invitations, the Boy Scout troop is upset and angered when the Kranks refuse to purchase one of their Christmas trees to help the scouts make enough money for a camporee, and the police are stunned to discover they won't be buying this year's calendar from them. Most vocal in their objections are neighbors Vic Frohmeyer (Dan Aykroyd) and Walt Scheel (M. Emmet Walsh). Vic, who's the unelected leader of the street, organizes a campaign to force the Kranks to decorate their home so Hemlock Street won't lose the coveted award for best decorations. Vic has political and bureaucratic connections in Chicago. Walt doesn't seem to like Luther, so his efforts are primarily personal. However, it is revealed that Walt's wife Bev is suffering from cancer, perhaps dampening his holiday spirits. Children picket, led by Vic's son Spike (Erik Per Sullivan), neighbors constantly call, and Christmas carolers try to revive the Kranks' holiday spirit by singing on their lawn, which Luther stops by freezing his front lawn. Even the newspaper gets into the act by publishing a front page story complete with a photograph of the unlit Krank house and states that the Kranks' street has lost the prize and won sixth place because of how Luther and Nora refused to decorate their house. Still, Luther and Nora continue to stand their ground.

As they are packing on Christmas Eve morning, they receive a call from Blair, who announces she's at Miami International Airport, en route home for Christmas with her Peruvian fiancé as a surprise for her parents. She's anxious to introduce Enrique to her family's holiday traditions, and when she asks if they're having their usual party that night, a panicked Nora says yes. Comic chaos ensues as the couple finds themselves trying to decorate the house and coordinate a party with only twelve hours to spare before their daughter and future son-in-law arrive.

While Nora scrambles to find food, especially Blair's favorite honey glazed ham, Luther goes to buy a tree from the Boy Scouts but they only have one worthless non-green tree left since their sales went big and rapid. Luther decides to give a donation by giving them money but taking the tree in the process; he then rejects it by throwing it in his backyard. While Spike leads a picket at the Kranks', Luther arranges to borrow the tree of neighbor Wes Trogdon (who is going away for a week with his kids and wife to close relatives) being given the warning that he is not to break one ornament or damage it. Luther and Spike try to transport it across the street on Spike's Radio Flyer wagon. However, the neighbors think Luther is stealing the family's Christmas tree and end up calling for the police to arrest him for theft. Spike clears up the misunderstanding by showing them the key, proving that Luther was given permission to borrow the tree. Nora comes home enraged at Luther for making the borrowed Christmas tree a "Disaster" and how she had to buy "Smoked Trout" to replace the honey ham (which was crushed by a truck). Once everyone realizes why Luther and Nora are frantically decorating their home, they all pull together to help them get the house ready for Blair's arrival. Vic asks the police to give Blair and Enrique a ride home. Along the way, they pause to capture a robber. Upon arriving at the house, the robber tricks Spike into letting him out.

After subtly giving everybody, including Blair and Enrique, a half-hearted toast, a guilt-ridden Luther tries to convince Nora to accept the cruise when she confronts him for the toast, but she refuses, disgusted that he isn't happy Blair is home. Having a change of heart, Luther sadly slips out of the house and goes across the street to the Scheel home. Bev's cancer, once in remission, has returned and, knowing this may be their last holiday together, Luther insists they take the cruise in place of him and Nora, going so far as to offer to take care of their hated cat, Muffles, so they can go. At first, Walt and Bev decline, but ultimately decide to accept his generosity. Meanwhile, Spike catches the robber stealing some jewelry from Luther and Nora's bedroom and alerts the police. As the robber attempts to escape, he is subdued by Marty, an umbrella salesman who Martin met earlier, and apprehended by Spike and Officer Salino. Marty reveals that he is actually Santa Claus before leaving. Nora comes outside and reconciles with Luther, who has regained his holiday spirit, and realizes skipping Christmas wasn't such a good idea after all.

Cast Edit

 * Tim Allen as Luther Krank
 * Jamie Lee Curtis as Nora Krank, Luther's wife
 * Dan Aykroyd as Vic Frohmeyer, the Kranks' domineering neighbor
 * Dava Hulsey as Amanda Frohmeyer, the doting wife of Vic and loving mother of Spike.
 * Julie Gonzalo as Blair Krank, the Kranks' daughter
 * M. Emmet Walsh as Walt Scheel, the Kranks' obnoxious neighbor
 * Elizabeth Franz as Bev Scheel, Walt's ailing wife
 * Erik Per Sullivan as Spike Frohmeyer, Vic's kid
 * Cheech Marin as Officer Salino
 * Jake Busey as Officer Treen, Salino's partner
 * Austin Pendleton as Marty, an umbrella salesman who is actually Santa Claus
 * Tom Poston as Father Zabriskie, a priest
 * Kim Rhodes as Julie, Luther's employee
 * Arden Myrin as Daisy
 * René Lavan as Enrique Decardenal, Blair's fiance
 * Patrick Breen as Aubie, a stationier
 * Caroline Rhea as Candi, a friend of Nora's
 * Felicity Huffman as Merry, a friend of Nora's
 * Kevin Chamberlin as Duke Scanlon, a Boy Scout leader

Other Languages

 * Krishtlindje me Kranks (Albanian)
 * Սուրբ ծնունդն անհաջողակների հետ (Armenian)
 * Un Nadal de bojos (Catalan)
 * Kako preskočiti Božić (Croatian)
 * Vánoce Naruby (Czech)
 * Jul med Kranks (Danish)
 * Christmas with the Kranks (Dutch)
 * Kako preskočiti Božić (Finnish)
 * Un Noël de folie ! (French)
 * Verrückte Weihnachten (German)
 * Kelekótya Karácsony (Hungarian)
 * Fuga dal Natale (Italian)
 * 크리스마스 건너뛰기 (Korean)
 * Божиќ со Кранкови (Macedonian)
 * Jul med krankene (Norwegian)
 * کریسمس در کنار خانواده کرنک (Persian)
 * Święta Last Minute (Polish)
 * Natal Radical (Portuguese) (Brazil)
 * Natal Radical (Portuguese) (Portugal)
 * Crăciunul cu familia Krank (Romanian)
 * Рождество с неудачниками (Russian)
 * Una Navidad de locos (Spanish) (Latin America)
 * Una Navidad de locos (Spanish) (Latin America) (subtitled)
 * Julfritt (Swedish)
 * Kranks ile Noel (Turkish)

Trivia

 * The screaming is left undubbed in the Albanian, French, and Hungarian dubs.
 * The Brazilian and Portugal Portuguese dubs oddly use the same translation title.