Allen skips Kringle to be a Krank

PEGGY J. ROGERS

Tim Allen trades in the Santa suit to play a suburban Scrooge-type

character in his latest holiday film, “Christmas With the Kranks.”

Luther Krank thinks of the holidays as a negative cash flow. Not

this year. To avoid the drain on his pocket book, Luther is bypassing

Christmas. All of it.

For his wife, Nora, the season is a time for sharing and giving to

others. Not this year. This year there will be no shopping, gift

giving or cooking ham because the Kranks are skipping Christmas.

“Christmas with the Kranks” is based on a story by John Grisham,

“Skipping Christmas.” Known for his courtroom dramas (“The Pelican

Brief,” “The Firm”), Grisham has skipped his usual lawyer stories to

write a light-hearted black comedy about the pressures social groups

exert upon others, especially during the holidays.

The majority of the film is faithful to the book, but comparing

the film to the book is akin to comparing a round peg to a square

hole. They are two different mediums. Novels focus on what characters

are thinking and feeling. Movies are concerned with what characters

are doing and the activities they engage in.

The book delves into the inner thoughts of what Luther and Nora

are feeling and how they are emotionally handling the peer pressure

about their decision to leave town. The film, however, focuses more

on how Luther and Nora react and how they avoid giving into the

pressure, usually by trying to avoid their friends and neighbors,

without great success.

Luther and Nora’s strong community ties become the main reason for

the backlash they experience at the hands of their friends, neighbors

and co-workers. Every year, the Kranks throw the best Christmas Eve

party, they give generously to local charities and participate in the

annual neighborhood Christmas decorating contest. Of course, no one

wants them to stop. But the Kranks are not looking at what they are

missing out on; instead, they are imagining the great new adventure

they are going to take starting Dec. 25. That is where the comedy

earns its best laughs.

Co-star Jamie Lee Curtis has taken to lampooning her image

recently. Her ability to poke fun at her body is at its best in the

scene when she and Luther go to a tanning salon. Curtis has made the

surprising and rare transition from being the sexy actress in scary

films (“Halloween”) to comedian, starting with “True Lies” and going

through “Freaky Friday.” Her comedy stems from the character she

plays. Nora is afraid of her own shadow, greatly concerned with what

others think about her and wants to please everyone. Pleasing Luther,

for example, gets her into a most embarrassing situation at the mall.

Allen is funny, but his routines in the movie are a break from

character, lessening the effectiveness of the comedy. Luther is so

oblivious to other people’s feelings, and so prides himself on his

intelligence that he wouldn’t allow himself to get into the

embarrassing situations he does. But Tim Allen the comedian would,

and it becomes impossible to keep from laughing.

Allen does have a golden touch, being able to make audiences feel

good and get in the spirit by the end of the story with his Christmas

movies. If you need to jump start getting into the holiday mood or

just enjoy Christmas movies in general, “Christmas With the Kranks”

deserves your attention.

* PEGGY J. ROGERS, 40, produces commercial videos and

documentaries.