Christmas with the Kranks

Yes, it's that time of year again! Here's the first of my Christmas movie posts:



In Christmas with the Kranks, Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis play Luther and Nora Kranks, a well-to-do couple who find themselves spending their first Christmas without their daughter Blair who has joined the Peace Corps.

With the two of them feeling down, Luther offers up this suggestion to his wife,
"Why don't we skip Christmas, save the money, and spend it on ourselves for a change."
Luther's number crunching comes up with them having spent $6100 for Christmas last year, where an island cruise for the two of them would cost only $3000. Nora buys into the idea!

Luther begins his boycott of Christmas by sending out a memo to his office co-workers that he is not celebrating Christmas this year: no christmas cards, no gifts, will not attend office party.

While Nora abruptly lets her gal pals know that she and Luther won't be having their annual Christmas Eve party.

When confronted by the Cub Scouts to purchase their usual Christmas tree, Luther declines, simply stating "We're not doing Christmas this year!"

The Cub Scout leader informs the neighborhood of the Kranks dastardly selfish deed,
"Luther Kranks just stiffed the scouts on a christmas tree!"

When Dan Ankroyd, who plays the neighborhood watchdog, gets wind of this and Luther's refusal to put up the traditional Frosty the Snowman upon his rooftop, the Christmas guilt trip onslaught by the neighbors begins.
Luther and Nora become the talk of the village, even finding their picture on the front page of the town newspaper with the title "Skipping Christmas".


When Christmas Carollers are suggested to confront the Kranks home to bring them some Christmas Spirit, Luther and Nora go hide in the basement.



Luther and Nora even receive threatening phone calls from a kid named Spike, who wants them to: "Free Frosty! Free Frosty!




Suddenly things take a turn when they receive a phone call on Christmas Eve from Blair who surprises them with her returning home for Christmas with her fiance from Peru, Enrique.

Luther and Nora are now in panic mode as Blair is coming home in a few hours expecting a Christmas tree, house decorated, Frosty on the rooftop, and a Christmas Eve party with friends and neighbors who the Kranks originally made enemies with.

As Luther has trouble finding a Christmas tree, he asks his neighbor across the street if he could borrow theirs since they are leaving out of town. With the help of Spike, Luther tries moving the decorated tree across the street in a little red wagon, something I would not suggest you do for two reasons: one, might attract the neighbors, and two, will attract the police.



When the neighborhood finds out that the Kranks Christmas is back on, they pitch in to help out, but make known they are only doing this for Blair's sake. One of my favorite lines in the movie comes from Dan Ackroyd,

"Don't blame the daughter for the sins of the father!"



Many mishaps happen during the frantic pace of putting their traditional Christmas back together. But it all comes together. Blair comes home to a festive home and party as if nothing happened.

Later Nora becomes upset with Luther who's hiding in a corner of the kitchen wallowing in self pity and trying to figure out how they can still make their flight out which is tomorrow. She reminds him of what great lengths the neighborhood went to make Blair's homecoming a success and that,



"The true meaning of community is putting others before yourself."



Luther decides to give the cruise tickets away to the old man and woman who live across the street who are spending possibly their last Christmas together as the woman is dying of cancer.



Luther Kranks finally realizes one of the things Christmas is all about:
friends, family, and community.