Christmas With The Kranks (2004)

 

Christmas With The Kranks - 2004

2004's "Christmas With The Kranks" is our next film.  After their only child leaves them with an empty nest, Nora and Luther Krank decide to "skip" Christmas.  However, when their daughter announces her return on Christmas Eve, the Kranks have to pull off the impossible to give their daughter and her new fiancé a memorable Christmas.

The film's cast includes Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd, M. Emmet Walsh, Erik Per Sullivan, Cheech Marin, Jake Busey, Austin Pendleton, Tom Poston, Julie Gonzalo, Caroline Rhea, Felicity Huffman, and Elizabeth Franz.

Just after Thanksgiving, Luther and Nora Krank's daughter Blair is headed off to join the Peace Corps in Peru.  After bidding her a tearful farewell, the Kranks head home.

While looking over their past Christmas expenses, Luther finds out that he and Nora spend an astonishing average of about $6,000 a year on Christmas.  Now that Blair won't be there for Christmas, he sees no reason to spend on such an extravagant Christmas and has plans to put the money to a "better" use.

He books a 10-day Caribbean cruise.  At first, Nora is reluctant about the idea of skipping Christmas, but Luther convinces her that it's the right move.  She starts to become more and more enthusiastic about the idea.

The neighbors quickly take issue with the Kranks' apparent lack of holiday spirit.  Their house remains undecorated, and they refuse to do any of their traditional Christmas giving to local charities.

The neighborhood kids even launch a "Free Frosty" campaign.  Every house in the neighborhood has a Frosty that goes on the roof.  This year, the Kranks keep their's in the basement.

On Christmas Eve, Blair surprises her parents by calling them from an airport.  She announces that she'll be home in twelve hours, and she expects a Christmas with all the trimmings, as she's bringing home her new fiancé, who has never had a traditional Christmas.  Of course, Luther and Nora freak out.

When Luther goes to buy a Christmas tree, he finds that all the best trees have already been sold.  He basically ends up stuck with a stick with no pine needles on it.  By special arrangement with a neighbor who is going out of town, Luther borrows a Christmas tree to use in his house.

Things go awry when Nora tries to buy a hickory honey ham (Blair's favorite).  It gets run over by a huge truck.  She ends up having to buy smoked trout, which Luther is not thrilled about.

While she's out shopping, Nora runs into someone who seems to know everything about her, including where she lives, and all about Blair.  Thinking she's just forgot who he is, Nora asks him to come over later that night for the traditional Krank Christmas Eve party.  He's thrilled about the invitation, though by the end of the conversation Nora still hasn't a clue about who he is.

Luther struggles to decorate the outside of the house single-handedly.  While attempting to place Frosty on the roof, Luther falls off of it.

When the ambulance comes to make sure Luther is okay, the neighbors also gather around to see the commotion.  When the Kranks tell them that Blair is on her way home, the neighbors decided to join together to help Nora and Luther put on a Christmas party to remember.  Everyone brings something to help with the set-up.

As the evening progresses, the man whom Nora ran into at the store shows up.  He introduces himself to Luther as Marty, and he also brings them a hickory honey ham.  It later becomes clear to Nora and Luther that Marty seems to know everyone, but nobody seems to know him.

Eventually, Blair and her fiancé Enrique arrive, and the party goes off without a hitch.  Enrique feels so welcome that he even sings a song in Spanish with Marty.

Luther really starts to get into the Christmas spirit.  He slips away from the party to pay a visit to some neighbors who are having some personal struggles.  He gives them the cruise that he and Nora were going to take.  He even volunteers to watch their cat, who has been his arch-nemesis throughout the film.

Luther gets the surprise of his life when he finds out that Marty is actually Santa Claus, which explains how he knew everyone.

Nora joins Luther outside and they embrace.  They muse how skipping Christmas was not such a good idea after all.  With his reindeer and sleigh, Marty sweeps over the neighborhood and shouts, "Merry Christmas!"

Cast rundown:

   Tim Allen.................................Luther Krank

   Jamie Lee Curtis.......................Nora Krank

   Dan Aykroyd............................Vic Frohmeyer

   M. Emmet Walsh.......................Walt Scheel

   Erik Per Sullivan.......................Spike Frohmeyer

   Cheech Marin...........................Officer Salino

   Jake Busey...............................Officer Treen

   Austin Pendleton.......................Marty

   Tom Poston..............................Father Zabriskie

   Julie Gonzalo............................Blair Krank

   Caroline Rhea...........................Candi

   Felicity Huffman........................Merry

   Elizabeth Franz.........................Bev Scheel

And that's it for Christmas With The Kranks.  This film was based on John Grisham's book "Skipping Christmas".  During the filming, reports claimed that the cast and crew ingested over ten pounds of fake snow.  This was the first Christmas movie in which Tim Allen starred that was not associated with his "Santa Clause" trilogy.

As always, if you wish to leave a comment, please remember our posting rules.

My Fellow Americans (1996)

 

My Fellow Americans - 1996

Today is Election Day in the good old USA.  So, I thought that 1996's "My Fellow Americans" would be an appropriate choice for today's blog entry.  The story follows opposing side ex-presidents as they must work together to clear their name from a scandal.

The film's cast includes Jack Lemmon, James Garner, Dan Aykroyd, John Heard, Wilford Brimley, Lauren Bacall, Sela Ward, Bradley Whitford, James Rebhorn, Esther Rolle, Conchata Ferrell, Connie Ray, Michael Pena, Ann Cusack, and Marg Helgenberger.

Former US President Russell Kramer is a Republican.  After his term in office ends, he spends his time writing books and making personal appearances.  He gets fed up with this particular appearance, taking issue of the fact that he has to dance with a panda.  "The point is I was president of the United States.  I don’t dance with animals," he says angrily.

After Democratic President Matt Douglas leaves office, he spends his time writing his memoirs and getting divorced.  He also finds himself romancing as many of Washington's ladies as he can.

The two men can't stand each other.  On a joint appearance, they can barely keep it together in public, trading pointed verbal barbs at each other at every opportunity.

Eventually, both ex-presidents are made aware of a scandal with particularly damaging repercussions for President Kramer.  Kramer is anxious to make the story go away, and Douglas is anxious to capitalize on the information.  What they both don't know is that all of this scandal leads back to the highest office in the land and its current occupant.

When Kramer tells his wife what's going on, she can't believe it.  And Kramer wants to know exactly who would benefit for seeing him go down for something.

Eventually, both men get into trouble when they meet with an informant and he is shot dead before their very eyes.  They have to get out of there quickly!

While trying to figure out what to do at Kramer's house, Secret Service agents arrive and tell them that they've got to be moved to Camp David for a meeting.

Unfortunately, the chopper carrying them blows up.  Thankfully, neither of the men were hurt, but they both realize that someone wants them dead.

Kramer and Douglas are now on their own in search of information that will clear their names.  Along the way, they encounter adventure as they've never known it before.  They hop a train and end up having to jump off of it when they discover they've been followed.  Unknowingly, they hitch a ride with a group of illegal immigrants.  And they spend time with a regular American family who is struggling in the wake of some of the decisions the former presidents made when they were in office.

The two men also rent a car for the first time.  They get into a pretty hilarious car chase with the feds.

Things heat up when they catch up with one of the men trying to frame them.  Kramer doesn't hold back during interrogations.

And before our story ends, we see the two men infiltrating the White House itself.  They host a tour for tourists and end up galloping across the lawn on horseback as they attempt to clear their names.

When all is said and done, the two men decide they are better together than apart.  They decide to run for office as a team.  The trouble is they can't decide on who will be president and who will be vice-president.  I'll let you find out for yourself.

Cast rundown:

   Jack Lemmon..........................President Russell Kramer

   James Garner...........................President Matt Douglas

   Dan Aykroyd............................President William Haney

   John Heard..............................Vice President Ted Matthews

   Wilford Brimley.........................Joe Hollis

   Lauren Bacall............................Margaret Kramer

   Sela Ward................................Kaye Griffin

   Bradley Whitford.......................Carl Witnaur

   James Rebhorn.........................Charlie Reynolds

   Esther Rolle..............................Rita

   Conchata Ferrell........................Woman Truck Driver

   Connie Ray...............................Genny

   Michael Pena............................Ernesto

   Ann Cusack..............................Erica

   Marg Helgenberger....................Joanna

And that's it for My Fellow Americans.  This movie was originally written with the roles of Russell Kramer and Matt Douglas intended to be younger.  Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman were in consideration for the parts.  However, the decision was made to cast older actors, and Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were slated to be the stars.  However, due to illness, Matthau had to withdraw from the film and he was replaced by James Garner.

One of my favorite moments in the film comes when Russell Kramer is telling about a spread of food he was served at a party.  The look on Kramer's face is priceless as he's describing the dip for the broccoli.

As always, if you wish to leave a comment, please remember our posting rules.