50 Fun Facts About Christmas with the Kranks

Christmas with the Kranks is based on a novel by which author?

Skipping Christmas was a rare comic detour for the legal-thriller king and hit number one on the New York Times list in December 2001.

What is the title of the novel the film adapts?

Doubleday published it on November 6, 2001; Dennis Boutsikaris later narrated the audiobook.

Who directed the film?

Chris Columbus wrote the screenplay and, to Roth's surprise, told him he should direct it himself.

Who wrote the screenplay?

Columbus, of Home Alone fame, had bought the book rights and written a script before calling Roth.

Who plays Luther Krank?

Roth reportedly read the script on a Sunday, bought it Monday and had cast Allen and Curtis by Friday.

Who plays Nora Krank?

Costume designer Susie DeSanto said Curtis wanted to look like a real Midwestern woman obsessed with Christmas sweaters.

Who plays Vic Frohmeyer, the self-appointed boss of the street?

The costume designer gave him a general's-jacket cut in tweed to suggest a college professor with military flair.

Where is the Kranks' daughter Blair heading when the film opens?

She leaves on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and empty-nest syndrome sets in immediately.

How much does Luther calculate they spent on the previous Christmas?

The novel puts the figure at $6,100 with little to show for it.

What does Luther propose doing with the money instead of celebrating Christmas?

In the book the ship is the Island Princess, and Nora insists they still give $600 to charity.

What is the name of the Kranks' road?

The film is set in Riverside, a suburb of Chicago, over the four weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve.

Which decoration do the neighbourhood children demand the Kranks put up?

Every house on the street has one on the roof, and the block is competing for best-decorated.

How does Luther get rid of the carolers singing outside his house?

The frozen lawn sends the singers sliding.

From which airport does Blair call to say she is coming home?

She calls on Christmas Eve morning, while the Kranks are packing for the cruise.

What is the name of Blair's Peruvian fiancé?

Enrique Decardenal is played by Rene Lavan; he ends up thanking the neighbours for the warm welcome.

How many hours do the Kranks have to throw together their Christmas Eve party?

Nora panics and tells Blair the usual party is on.

Whose indoor tree does Luther try to borrow?

Trogdon is away for the week; the neighbours think Luther is stealing it and call the police, until Spike shows he has the keys.

What is the only food Nora manages to bring home for the party?

The famous ham chase was shot at Cordons Ranch Market in Glendale, California.

What happens when Luther finally tries to haul Frosty onto the roof?

The commotion draws the whole street, who then pitch in to help once they learn why he is decorating.

What does Luther do with the cruise tickets at the end of the film?

Bev's cancer has returned, and Luther realises it may be the couple's last holiday together.

Who plays the Kranks' grouchy neighbour Walt Scheel?

Walt's hostility is personal, but his wife Bev's illness may explain his mood.

Which two actors play the police officers Salino and Treen?

They are annoyed the Kranks won't buy the police calendar.

Who plays Spike Frohmeyer, Vic's son?

Sullivan was Dewey on Malcolm in the Middle at the time.

Austin Pendleton plays Marty, an umbrella salesman who is secretly whom?

He seems to know everyone on the street.

Which Desperate Housewives star plays Nora's friend Mary?

Caroline Rhea plays another friend, Candi.

Who plays the priest, Father Zabriskie?

The Newhart veteran was married to Suzanne Pleshette; the stationer Aubie is played by Patrick Breen.

Where was the enormous neighbourhood set built?

Sixteen houses went up in twelve weeks, billed as the largest exterior set ever built for a film; the studio was razed for a mall in 2012.

How many houses were built for the neighbourhood set?

Five 'core' houses had fully dressed ground floors: the Kranks, Frohmeyers, Scheels, Beckers and Trogdons.

Which E Street Band member produced the film's soundtrack?

He also sings 'Frosty the Snowman'; critics liked the garage-rock take on Christmas music.

What was the film's budget?

It grossed roughly $97 million worldwide, a moderate success despite terrible reviews.

How much did the film gross worldwide?

It opened third behind National Treasure and The Incredibles.

On which date did the film open in U.S. cinemas?

The day before Thanksgiving, mirroring the story's own timeline.

Which two films beat the Kranks on its opening weekend?

It took $21.6 million from 3,393 screens for third place.

What Metacritic score did the film receive?

It is the second-worst reviewed Christmas movie on Rotten Tomatoes, behind only The Nutcracker in 3D, though audiences gave it a B.

What grade did CinemaScore audiences give the film?

Some publications have since reappraised it as a holiday comfort watch.

In the novel, how much do the Kranks agree to still donate to the church and children's hospital?

It was Nora's one condition for agreeing to the cruise.

In the novel, what is the name of the cruise ship?

The book has the couple departing on Christmas Day itself.

In the book, which local groups are upset the Kranks won't buy from them?

No tree, no calendar, no fruitcake, no engraved cards.

In the novel, how does Luther end up after his snowman attempt on the roof?

Walt Scheel, of all people, calls 911.

Which two production companies made the film alongside Columbia?

Revolution was Joe Roth's own start-up; 1492 is Chris Columbus's company.

Where was the supermarket ham scene filmed?

Nora is hunting a Mel's Hickory Honey Ham.

How does Luther Krank dress for work, according to the costume designer?

It marks him as a punch-the-clock man for whom a tropical cruise is completely out of character.

On which day of the week do the Kranks see Blair off at the airport?

Watching the holiday travel frenzy at the airport is what starts Luther's antipathy toward the whole season in Grisham's novel.

In the novel, what does Luther forget at the packed grocery store, sending Nora back in?

He got soaked in the rain for nothing, one more grievance feeding his plan to skip Christmas altogether.

In the book, why do the neighbours care so much that the Kranks won't decorate?

Vic Frohmeyer, the unelected 'top man' of Hemlock Street, leads the taunting with carolers, phone calls and picket signs.

Where did Skipping Christmas reach on The New York Times Best-Seller List on December 9, 2001?

Doubleday published it a month earlier, and a four-CD audiobook read by Dennis Boutsikaris followed in 2006.

How did director Joe Roth first read Skipping Christmas?

Chris Columbus had also bought the rights and written a script, then phoned Roth and insisted he should be the one to direct.

The costume designer based Vic Frohmeyer's coat on what pattern to give him a military flair?

Vintage tweed mixed with corduroy made it 'professorial', since the neighbourhood's commander-in-chief is also a college professor.

As of 2026, what Rotten Tomatoes critic score did Christmas with the Kranks hold?

That makes it the site's second-worst reviewed Christmas movie, behind only The Nutcracker in 3D, though Screen Rant later called it underappreciated.

How many stars out of four did Roger Ebert give the film, calling it 'of stunning awfulness'?

He complained it got even worse when it turned gooey at the end; Variety was kinder, calling it an agreeable stocking stuffer.