Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

Director and Revolution Studios’ head Joe Roth first discovered Skipping Christmas before it was even published. “John Grisham’s agent called me three years ago and, knowing that I’m a big fan of John’s writing, asked me if I wanted to read his new book in galley form,” says Roth. “And then he said, ‘I think you’re going to want to direct it.’ It turns out he was right. Even while I was reading it, all I could think was that this would make a great Christmas movie. It had humor, it had wonderful characters and it had heart.”

Skipping Christmas told the story of the Krank family, who after countless yuletide celebrations decide to take a year off and instead go off and bask in the Caribbean sun. It was a change of pace for Grisham, best known for such legal thrillers as The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, The Chamber and The Runaway Jury — all of which have been made into movies. Although different in tone and style, Roth says Skipping Christmas contained all the storytelling strengths for which Grisham is celebrated.

There was one only drawback to Roth acquiring and directing a film version of Grisham’s novel. He had just inaugurated his new company, Revolution Studios, and “as a start-up company, there was a great deal of work to do in order to get up and running,” he says.

Three years later, however, Revolution was firmly established in Hollywood, with two-dozen releases under its belt, including such major hits as Anger Management, XXX, Black Hawk Down, Daddy Day Care and the Roth-directed America’s Sweethearts.

One day, Roth received a call from writer/director/producer Chris Columbus, with whom he had worked on numerous projects, including the blockbusters Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire (when Roth was running the film division of 20th Century Fox). “Chris asked me if I knew Grisham’s book and I said, ‘Do I know it? I love it. I wish I could have bought it.’”

Roth learned that Columbus had acquired the rights and written the screenplay. “Naturally, I thought he was going to direct it,” he says, with a wistful tinge to his voice. “But he said, ‘No …you should direct it.’ It turns out I was getting ready to direct another project. But when I read Chris’ script, I knew I had to at least try to direct it. I promised myself that if I could get the right cast in place, I would do it. At the top of my list to play the Kranks were Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. I sent them the script and they immediately committed. It seemed like fate.” Roth also had a history with Allen and Curtis. During the time Roth ran Disney, Allen starred for him in three major hits, The Santa Clause and two Toy Story movies. He had known Curtis since she first became a star at the age of 19.

“Joe and Skipping Christmas were the perfect fit. You could tell by how quickly it all came together,” says producer Michael Barnathan, Columbus’ partner in 1492 Pictures. “Joe read the script on a Sunday, bought it on Monday, decided he wanted to direct it on Tuesday and by Friday had cast Tim and Jamie Lee. The following Monday morning we started pre-production.”

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