Why 'Christmas With the Kranks' Reflects Cultural Shifts

Every December, I find myself inexplicably drawn to movies and music with a Christmas theme, despite their questionable quality. I end up indulging in Michael Bublé's tunes and those silly Christmas movies where attractive people fall in love in charming little towns.

This same mentality led me to revisit the 2004 comedy 'Christmas With the Kranks,' available on Hulu, featuring Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, and a young Malcolm in the Middle star. Even after watching it previously, I was mystified by the plot about a college-aged woman's peculiar obsession with ham. Regardless, the film performed its function well, transforming my mind into a festive whirlwind for its 94-minute duration.

However, my fiancé, who takes film critique seriously, checked its Rotten Tomatoes rating and discovered a shocking 5 percent approval. Out of 100 reviews, only a handful were positive! I found this surprisingly low for a film I perceived as at least somewhat entertaining. The critics weren't kind: Robert Ebert deemed it 'stunningly awful,' while the Washington Post described it as heavy with whimsy, threatening to topple the theater floor.

The Shift in Film Criticism

Although I wasn’t immediately upset with critics from two decades ago for tearing apart a film I had just watched, I pondered if 'Christmas With the Kranks' would fare better with today's reviewers.

Intrigued, I investigated how other mid-2000s Christmas films, still popular on streaming services, were received. Surprisingly, many of these holiday movies faced similar critical disdain. For instance, 'Four Christmases' from 2008, featuring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, was labeled a 'miscast mess' with only a 25 percent rating.

A Changing Viewing Landscape

Movies like Ron Howard’s adaptation of 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas' also faced incongruent criticism, described as 'dark and eerie.' Even 'The Holiday,' a beloved Nancy Meyers film, received lackluster reviews, criticized for being 'syrupy' by the BBC.

Modern-day Christmas rom-coms seldom face complaints for lack of substance, signifying a shift in what audiences and critics now expect from such films, which does not bode well for the broader cultural landscape.

The Checklist for Streaming Success

In examining current holiday flicks made for streaming platforms, A-listers in lighthearted family comedies receive positive nods, while even modest romantic stories get a pass for simply being tolerable. Some reviews suggest that even poorly made films serve as suitable background entertainment during holiday activities.

This prompts the question: what purpose do film reviews serve if they endorse mediocrity under the guise of ambient entertainment? Our engagement with media—film, television, and music—has evolved to accept multitasking while consuming content.

The Consequences of 'Ambient TV'

An article in The New Yorker highlights this trend, dubbing it 'ambient TV,' a concept where shows maintain viewership through predictability rather than creativity, shaped by modern technology and societal behaviors.

As the bar lowers, viewers naturally adjust their expectations for content quality. The rise of social media further shifts content creation to amateurs and algorithms prioritizing mediocrity.

This situation is exacerbated by poptimism, where critics hesitate to denounce popular culture lest they seem out of touch, creating an echo chamber of uncritical acclaim.

Embracing Diverse Opinions

While poptimism encourages inclusivity, it's also problematic when critics conform to public opinion, fearing marginalization.

The democratization of cultural criticism and the decline in traditional journalism leave us with fewer dedicated critics. Nonetheless, critical voices still arise, as evidenced by harsh reviews of high-budget films like 'Red One.'

Such critiques are nostalgic reminders of a time when content participated meaningfully in culture, unaffected by commercial metrics.

I've come to realize my complicity in treating 'Christmas With the Kranks' as mere background noise, relying too heavily on aggregated scores instead of seeking nuanced understanding. This experience underlines the importance of appreciating even forgettable holiday comedies for their contribution to culture, striving for more than just-mediocre narratives.