Christmas with the Kranks

Christmas with the Kranks (2004) starring Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Ackroyd

Christmas with the Kranks is the story of a middle-aged couple that decides to go on a Caribbean cruise instead of their normal Christmas activities. And how their friends and community try to “influence” them otherwise!

Review of Christmas with the Kranks

I have to say, Christmas with the Kranks is absolutely hilarious! Frankly, the commercial misled me about what the movie was about. And, I really wasn’t that interested in watching it. But — watch it! It’s very hilarious. It’s the story of a middle-aged couple that decides to go on a Caribbean cruise instead of their normal Christmas activities. And how their friends and community try to “influence” them otherwise! And then their daughter, who’s left to join the Peace Corps, is unexpectedly coming home for Christmas! With her new fiancé?

And then, there’s a twist. The community comes to help them in their crisis. Despite how they’ve treated their friends and neighbors. It’s very sweet, as well as funny.

Cast of characters

• Tim Allen (Toy Story, The Santa Clause) … Luther Krank. The head of the family, who after decades of sacrificing for his daughter, wife, and community, wants to experience Christmas differently. After all, his daughter’s off to college. Why not?
• Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween, True Lies) … Nora Krank. Luther’s wife, who needs only a little persuasion.
• Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters, The Blues Brothers) … Vic Frohmeyer. The unelected district ward of the street, who really wants the Kranks to celebrate Christmas. His way. But, he’s not all bad …
• M. Emmet Walsh (Blade Runner, The Jerk) … Walt Scheel. The grumpy next door neighbor. Luther’s relationship with him is strained, to say the least. And Luther blows his mind when, at the end of the film, he gives him their Caribbean vacation. To have one final great memory with his wife.
• Elizabeth Franz (Sabrina 1985, The Secret of My Success) … Bev Scheel. Walt’s very sweet wife. For most of the film, the audience doesn’t realize she’s facing a health crisis.
• Erik Per Sullivan … Spike Frohmeyer
• Cheech Marin (Born in East L.A.) … Officer Salino
• Jake Busey … Officer Treen
• Austin Pendleton (The Muppet Movie) … Umbrella Santa / Marty
• Tom Poston (Newhart, The Old Dark House 1963) … Father Zabriskie. The very funny, non-judgmental priest. Who judges Luther & Nora for “forsaking” Christmas. The scene at the mall, where the couple’s gone to get a tan before their vacation, is hilarious.
• Julie Gonzalo (A Cinderella Story) … Blair Krank
• René Lavan … Enrique Decardenal
• Caroline Rhea (Sabrina the Teenage Witch) … Candi
• Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) … Merry
• Patrick Breen (Galaxy Quest, Men in Black) … Aubie
• John Short … Ned Becker
• Bonita Friedericy … Jude Becker
• David Hornsby … Randy Becker
• Kevin Chamberlin … Mr. Scanlon
• Lyndon Smith … Randy Scanlon
• Ryan Pfening … Gus Scanlon
• Mark Christopher Lawrence … Wes Trogden
• Rachel L. Smith … Trish Trodgen

Product Description 

When their only daughter Blair leaves the family nest, Luther and Nora Krank (Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) decide to book an island cruise to beat the yuletide blues and just skip the holidays. But their decision to boycott tradition has the whole neighborhood in an uproar, and when Blair calls on Christmas Eve to announce a surprise visit with her new fiancée, the Kranks have just twelve hours to perform a miracle and pull themselves and their neighbors together to throw the best celebration ever! With fast-paced energy and support from Dan Aykroyd, Cheech Marin, Jake Busey and M. Emmet Walsh, this hilarious adaptation of John Grisham’s best-selling novel, “Skipping Christmas” has become “an instant family classic!” (Gorman Woodfin, CBN)