After seeing "Christmas with the Kranks" and being slightly disappointed with it, I decided to read the book that served as its inspiration - "Skipping Christmas" by John Grisham.
I discovered that the two work well in combination, like a thick Russian classic and its accompanying reading guide. Of course, the classic can stand alone. The guide is merely an addendum - a suggested reading, although not required.
The same can be said for "Christmas with the Kranks." It's not necessary, but it's nice as an enhancement.
Grisham's novel is a quaint story about Luther and Nora Krank, a middle-aged couple who decide to "skip" Christmas since their only daughter won't be home to celebrate. In lieu of shopping, decorating and donating, they plan to ship out for a Caribbean cruise on Dec. 25. They become the ridicule of their neighborhood for the decision.
When their daughter calls on Christmas Eve to say she's coming home, the Kranks scrap their vacation plans and scramble to prepare a holiday homecoming.
The film is the book's visual equivalent, nearly an exact plot replica of the holiday story, at least until the end, where a minor tangent does little to detract and can easily be ignored. Practically all of the book's best lines, and even the insignificant ones, are transferred directly to the screen.
It was a smart move from screenwriter Chris Columbus. Who can blame him for borrowing directly from the best-selling Grisham? Certainly his sweet-hearted holiday novel sold several million copies for a reason.
Readers of "Skipping Christmas" will surely enjoy "Christmas with the Kranks." It nails the details and brings the page to life. As a fun bonus, it has some of the most dead-on costume designs you'll see all season. (Whose mom doesn't own that red hooded car coat?)
But if you don't know what details to look for, non-readers might find the story a little unmotivated and the characters slightly shallow. This is largely due to the film's leading performers, Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Both Allen and Curtis take a goofy approach to their characters. It seems unlikely that both mom and pop would act as childishly as Mr. and Mrs. Krank behave when they fight the crowds and their nosy neighbors.
The leads have their best moments when they stop instigating shenanigans and let the jokes happen to them. Curtis' mortifying bikini experience at a tanning salon and Allen's Botox fiasco are added gags not found in the book that enhance the story.
A major problem is the look of the film. Supposedly set in suburban Chicago, the filmmakers shot "Kranks" on a manufactured set 15 miles outside of Los Angeles to avoid any seasonal holdups to the shooting schedule. Instead of the tree-lined streets á la "Home Alone," we get a set straight out of "The 'burbs."
"Kranks" certainly won't find a spot on any top ten holiday film list, but considering the current menu of Christmas fodder at the cinema, it's really not bad. Just make sure you've got the novel on hand for dessert.
