Movie Review: Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd, Cheech Marin, M. Emmet Walsh and Austin Pendleton star in this movie

My wife and I first saw this movie a few years ago and instantly fell in love with it. We quickly added it to our holiday movie collection as a result and it is now one of the first Christmas movies we watch every year, usually right after Thanksgiving.

The thing I personally like about this movie is the way everyone takes everything to extremes. Luther (Allen) and his wife (Curtis) could easily find a middle ground that allows them to take their trip and still have Christmas by simple budgeting. Instead, they take an all-or-nothing approach that alienates everyone (it’s not like decorating the house is going to cost them all that much considering they already have the majority of their decorations). And, their neighbors really weren’t much better with their obsession and somewhat selfish attitude (especially the way they were getting angry at the fact they weren’t having a Christmas party).

As far as comedies go, this is a very funny movie with some great jokes. One of our personal favorites is the mystery surrounding Marty (Pendleton), who he is and how he seems to know everyone in town despite the fact nobody seems to have any idea who he is. Considering my wife and I have found ourselves in very similar situations, it was very easy to relate.

Oh, and that twist involving their daughter (Julie Gonzalo) throwing a major wrench into everything with a last-second announcement was also a nice touch. Granted, it was a little predictable. But, it led to some very entertaining and funny situations as a direct result.

This movie may never be considered a holiday classic but it has become a must-watch film for us. It is a brilliant comedy that is fun to watch and even has a nice holiday message about community and what it means to be a good neighbor. I do recommend taking the time to watch this movie if you haven’t seen it before.

My Grade: A