By
Adam Bentz
Published 1 hour ago
Adam Bentz is a senior news writer at ScreenRant, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and lists. He studied creative writing and English with a concentration in screenwriting at Southern New Hampshire University and interned as a writer/journalist for The Borgen Project, an influential organization that fights global poverty.
However, one of his proudest achievements is editing a Leonardo DiCaprio freakout compilation that has over 150K views on YouTube. Adam also fancies himself an amateur film reviewer on his website.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Summary
Generate a summary of this story
follow
Follow
followed
Followed
Like
Like
Thread
Log in
Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
Try something different:
Show me the facts
Explain it like I’m 5
Give me a lighthearted recap
Christmas with the Kranks is now dominating streaming charts. The 2004 Christmas comedy stars Tim Allen and is based on the 2001 novel Skipping Christmas by John Grisham, representing a notable departure from the author's typical legal thrillers, such as A Time to Kill (1989), The Firm (1991), The Pelican Brief (1992), and The Rainmaker (1995).
Now, 21 years after its release, Christmas with the Kranks ranks second on HBO Max's Top 10 movies in the United States for today, December 17, per FlixPatrol. It ranks below It (2017) in first and above several other Christmas movies – including Elf, A Christmas Story Christmas, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and The Polar Express.
It Chapter Two, Rob Reiner's This Is Spinal Tap, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, and The Conjuring: Last Rites also appear in the Top 10 movies.
Christmas with the Kranks also ranks seventh on HBO Max's Top 10 overall chart in the United States, ranking below TV shows like IT: Welcome to Derry, Heated Rivalry, I Love LA, and above the movies A Christmas Story, Four Christmases, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Directed by Joe Roth, with a script written by Chris Columbus (Home Alone) based on the John Grisham novel, Christmas with the Kranks stars Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis as a middle-aged couple who, much to their neighbors' dismay, decide to abandon their usual holiday festivities after their daughter departs for the Peace Corps, until she suddenly announces she's coming home for Christmas.
In addition to Emmy nominee Tim Allen (Home Improvement) and Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once), the cast also includes Oscar and Emmy nominee Dan Aykroyd (Driving Miss Daisy, Saturday Night Live), Erik Per Sullivan, Cheech Marin, Jake Busey, M. Emmet Walsh, Kevin Chamberlin, Elizabeth Franz, Austin Pendleton, Caroline Rhea, Patrick Breen, and Felicity Huffman.
Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis as Luther and Nora Krank standing in the snow in Christmas with the Kranks
With an abysmal 5% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Christmas with the Kranks was panned by critics as a joyless and loud comedy that ultimately celebrates conformity rather than creativity or cheer. It wasn't received much better by general audiences, resulting in a 40% score from that group, though it was a moderate box-office success that grossed $96.6 million worldwide against its $60 million budget.
However, in recent years, Christmas with the Kranks has been reappraised more positively by critics, including ScreenRant's Kayla Turner who, in 2023, named it one of the most underrated Christmas movies, calling it an "underappreciated modern Christmas classic" and a "hilarious satire on the madness of societal Christmas expectations," noting that it delivers an "artful blend of timely humor and a heartwarming messaging about the importance of connection over commercialism."
9.3/10
Christmas With the Kranks
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG Comedy Family Release Date November 24, 2004 Runtime 99 minutes Director Joe Roth Writers Chris Columbus Producers Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan, Allegra CleggCast
See All-
Jamie Lee Curtis
Nora Krank
-
Tim Allen
Luther Krank
Expand
Collapse
-
Movies
-
Christmas With the Kranks
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.
Be the first to post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.Your comment has not been saved
Send confirmation emailThis thread is open for discussion.
Be the first to post your thoughts.
- Terms
- Privacy
- Feedback
Daisy Ridley Joins Johnny Depp's Upcoming Fantasy Movie Adaptation Eyeing 2026 Release
Screen Awards 2025: Best Supporting Actress in TV Nominees
New Silent Hill Movie That You Forgot Is Releasing Next Month Continues The Franchise's 19-Year Tradition
Xbox Game Pass Added A Staggering Number Of Games This Year, Here's Every One
Shorts
By
SR Staff
0:49
The Boys Season 5 Finale Might Be the Darkest Ending Yet for Homelander and Butcher
By
Michael Keene
0:50
DCU vs Snyderverse: How Netflix Could Help Both Sides Without Breaking DC Rules
By
Michael Keene
0:44
Henry Cavill’s Shock Superman Cancelation Explained… DC’s Real Reason Comes Out
By
SR Staff
0:47
Is Millie Bobby Brown Bound for the MCU?
By
Mallory Flory
0:44
Wake Up Dead Man’s smartest clues finally explained — the details everyone overlooked
More from our brands
The 10 Best Christmas Movies on Hulu Right Now (December 2024)
The 8 Best Christmas Movies on Prime Video Right Now (December 2024)
37 Shows on Netflix That Couples Can Binge-Watch Together
17 Best Christmas Movies to Put On After the Kids Go to Bed
20 Best Christmas Movies the 2000s Had To Offer
How to Watch Every John Grisham Movie in Order
The 12 Best Christmas Movies on Max Right Now (December 2024)
Trending Now
The 60 Best Movies Of All Time
Upcoming Vampire TV Show Will Be The Next Twilight
It: Welcome To Derry Season 2 - Everything We Know
