Barnes & Noble

Having struck box-office gold some years ago as the director of Home Alone, screenwriter Chris Columbus returns to the affluent Chicago suburbs -- and their Christmas-crazy residents -- for this adaptation of John Grisham's novel Skipping Christmas. The Kranks, Luther (Tim Allen) and Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis), are renowned for their lavish Christmas Eve parties and ostentatious decorations. But since their only child, Blair (Julie Gonzalo), is spending the holiday in Peru with the Peace Corps, the Kranks decide to skip Christmas for a year and go on a Caribbean cruise instead -- a decision that horrifies the neighbors, who resent this affront to their cherished tradition. Vic Frohmeyer (Dan Aykroyd) assumes responsibility for shaming the Kranks into staying home and throwing the party as expected -- and that's where things begin to get testy. Director Joe Roth turns a silly neighborhood squabble into inspired lunacy, with Allen's Luther gleefully turning the tables on his tormentors and eliciting most of the movie's laughs with his outrageous antics. Roth and Columbus don't miss a single opportunity; every conceivable gag applicable to the Christmas season is trotted out and flailed mercilessly. Whenever you see a patch of ice, rest assured that someone will slip on it. Whenever somebody clambers atop a snowy roof, rest assured that said person will slide down the side and plummet to the ground. At times the slapstick seems excessive, but the film moves so fast that there's no time to reflect on what really works or doesn't work. For those who get queasy at the thought of eggnog and carolers, Christmas with the Kranks is a highly enjoyable lump of coal. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Based on John Grisham's novel Skipping Christmas, Christmas With the Kranks revolves around Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Luther Krank's (Tim Allen) decision to put their normally fanatical enthusiasm for the holidays aside for a tropical cruise. With their daughter in Peru with the Peace Corps, the Kranks believe it just isn't worth it; thus, no presents, Christmas trees, or decorations of any kind will adorn their house to the great consternation of their neighbor Vic (Dan Aykroyd). Just as it looks like Christmas will be successfully skipped, Blair (Julie Gonzalo) throws a major kink into her plans when she suddenly has a change of heart and announces she'll be coming home for Christmas after all. The film ran into troubles early on in production when Ben Affleck's similar sounding bomb Surviving Christmas won the race to the theaters, forcing the filmmakers to depart from the book title in favor of the catchy Kranks one. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Product Details

• UPC: 043396048614
• Source: SONY PICTURES
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Pan & Scan, Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Language: English, Français, Français
• Subtitles: English
• Time: 1:39:00
• Sales Rank: 8,290

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