The Basics Title: Christmas With the Kranks Rating: PG
Overall rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Best for Ages: 7+
Ages 3 - 7: Yellow
Ages 8 - 12: Green
Ages 13 - 17: Green
Violence Amount: Green
Violence Portrayal:
Green
Fear: Green
Illegal / Harmful: Green
Language: Green
Nudity: Green
Sex: Green
Review:
Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Luther (Tim Allen)
Krank have always celebrated Christmas with
all their hearts. This year their daughter,
in the Peace Corps in South America, is not
coming home for the holidays. The Kranks are
depressed about this and Luther decides that
a cruise would be the perfect solution for
their holiday activities. Plans are made and
the tickets are purchased-- the Kranks will
not be home for Christmas. Their neighbors
get quite upset when they decide not to celebrate
at all: no tree, no lights and no Christmas
Eve party with all the traditional foods.
Their block is one of the most decorated blocks
in the city. The block captain, Vic Frohmeyer
(Dan Aykroyd ), gives Nora and Luther grief
every day for not decorating and putting their
“Frosty” on the roof. The Kranks
have become prisoners in their own home as
the neighbors protest their non-adherence
to Christmas. On Christmas Eve morning the
phone rings. It is their daughter calling
to say that she and her fiancé will
be home later that night and they are expecting
all the traditional festivities. Luther and
Nora want to be home with their daughter so
they tell her all will be as usual when she
arrives. The Kranks are desperately decorating,
baking, getting a tree and trying to organize
their Christmas Eve party. Everything is chaos
until their neighbors pitch in to help the
people that they have been harassing. The
movie is an abrasive satire on all that can
go wrong with a Christmas movie. Luther gets
a botox treatment to look better for the cruise.
He also drags Nora to a tanning salon where
they end up being seen in their swimsuits
by their pastor. Nora has trouble getting
her daughter’s favorite ham at the store
and races another woman to get the last ham.
While all this has been going on, their neighbor
across the street has a relapse with cancer
for the third time. They are an older couple
with no relatives to spend the Holidays with.
She is not feeling well enough to attend the
party, but Luther does find another way to
make their Christmas special in a last minute
attempt at sentimentality. There is some brief
language and suggestive content. The movie
deals with all the crassness of the holiday
and none of the true joy. There is no peace
on earth or good will to all men. What does
Luther learn about the true meaning of Christmas?
How important is his community to him before
and after the party? What are your favorite
family Christmas traditions?
Linda
Thomas is a native Minnesotan. She
graduated from the University of
Minnesota with a double major in
sociology and psychology. Married
with a family, she has remained
in the Minneapolis area.
Linda has been a lover of movies
since she was a small child. This
love of film eventually brought
her to the point in life where
she is now, a film critic. She
was featured on WCCO radio for
three years on the “Dark
in the Morning” show with
Dark Star.
In December of 2001, Linda became
the film critic for the syndicated
“Ruth Koscielak Show”.
Linda sees over 150 movies a
year and has had the opportunity
to interview a number of directors
and actors when they are in town.
She has also appeared on a public
access show called the "Cinema
Judge" and has ventured into
writing for "Cinestar"
magazine in September 2002. The
Twin Cities movie magazine is
available, for free, at most local
Blockbuster's and local movie
cheaters.
As one of the few female reviewers
in the Twin Cities area, she brings
a unique point of view to her
reviews. Linda has raised two
children, a boy and a girl, and
knows what they like in movies
and what is appropriate. Hopefully,
her reviews will help your family
in choosing where to next spend
your movie-going dollar.
Linda
Thomas is a native Minnesotan. She
graduated from the University of
Minnesota with a double major in
sociology and psychology. Married
with a family, she has remained
in the Minneapolis area.