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Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (2023 film) is an animated film based on the sixth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Cabin Fever. It was released on December 8, 2023. This is the 3rd animated movie, and the 7th overall Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, including the previous live-action films.

An animated adaption of Cabin Fever originally began production in December 2012, being intended to serve as an animated Cabin Fever holiday special for Fox.[2] In August 2013, Kinney disclosed it would be a half-hour television special, and would air on Fox sometime in 2014. The special was never released and was in development hell for the rest of the 2010s and overtime it eventually morphed into the original Diary of a Wimpy Kid animated film. This began a series of films, with the third film of said franchise adapting Cabin Fever.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Synopsis

"With only two weeks until Christmas, Greg Heffley is doing everything he can to be good as the gift giving—and receiving—season approaches. And though he wants to stay in the good graces of his parents, Frank and Susan, in order to get a prized video game system, he can’t help but get into trouble with best friend Rowley, accidentally triggering a giant snowball that rolls down his neighborhood hill and damages Gabby’s snowplow. Though he and Rowley escape without being identified as the culprits, Greg soon realizes that evidence tying him to the crime might be discovered in the town’s nearby toy donation bin. But when a giant blizzard descends on the town, Greg ends up trapped in his house with no power, dwindling supplies, a frantic Frank, a suspicious Rodrick, and a mother desperate to try to find any way to get her family together to enjoy the holidays. And that’s not to mention the antics of toddler brother Manny or the creepy Santa’s Scout elf that seems to be watching his every move. Confined to his home, Greg must find a way to cover up his blunder without anyone finding out, or he can kiss that new gaming system goodbye. Even worse, with no plow to rescue them, the Heffleys must do the unthinkable, spend time together as a family.” [3]

Plot

It's Christmas time, and Greg is trying to remain good so that he can get the new video game console, the Mega Station 9000. He has two weeks left as his mother, Susan, attempts to put the family in the holiday spirit. She introduces them to Elfrendo, a creepy stuffed elf doll that her grandmother made when she was a kid, and who supposedly watches their every move for Santa and becomes a source of annoyance for Greg.

To remain good, Greg gets Rowley to build a snowman with him, but create a snowball that is so large that it rips up the lawn. Down the street, a snowplow woman is accosted by children. Greg and Rowley accidentally knock their large snowball down the street that damages the snowplow's blade. The two of them run from the woman and lose her. Knowing they will be identified by their clothing items; they drop them off in a dumpster. When they return home, Susan forces the family into a Christmas drive through town where Greg learns that the dumpster was actually a toy donation bin. The next day wanted posters of the "assailants" are posted everywhere and Greg and Rowley plan to get their things back.

The next day, a snowstorm has snowed everyone in, just as Greg's dad Frank was worrying about it. The family is forced to remain indoors until the storm passes which could take days; this is made all the more difficult when the power goes out. Greg feels better when he finds that his family did get him his game console but starts to succumb to family tension. Susan tries to invigorate everyone's holiday spirit, Frank attempts to keep inventory, though he notices things are suddenly missing, and Rodrick tries to power the doorbell camera in an attempt to find the snowball culprits, after falsely assuming that two high schoolers stole Greg and Rowley's things and caused the snowplow damage. The family begins to suffer from cabin fever and start arguing with one another, made worse when their water pipes burst. When Manny goes missing, the family search for him and find that he has been hoarding much of their supplies.

The Heffleys finally calm down and seeing as how it is Christmas Eve decide to open one present early, making everyone feel better. Greg expects his early present to be the video game console, though finds it to be clothing items from his grandmother instead. They notice that it has stopped snowing and Greg sneaks out to enact his plan. He recruits Rowley and they make their way to the toy donation bin, though they have to dig furiously for it due to the snow. Greg finds their things, but Rowley abandons him when the snowplow lady from earlier arrives. She is impressed with Greg having shoveled all the snow and offers him a ride back to his house. Greg learns that she is a single mother who only does snow plowing as a side job to support her and her son, Tyler. She wanted to get him a Mega Station but cannot afford it. Greg leaves on good terms with her, even though she spots the clothing items he retrieved, she calls him a "good kid" and they part.

Greg returns just as the power returns to the neighborhood and the family celebrate. They see a police officer vehicle pull up and realize that Greg is the snowball culprit. The Heffleys instead decide to hide the evidence, but Greg decides to turn himself in. It turns out that the police were simply looking for donations and Greg decides to give up his Mega Station to the snowplow woman and Tyler. Greg now appreciates his family even more but promises himself that he will get the video game console that comes out next year instead. He throws Elfrendo away in the bin, though he returns, continuously watching over Greg.

Changes from the Book

  • The book's events take place within the end of November and all of December up until Christmas Day, but in the film, it takes place within the two weeks prior to Christmas Day.
  • The main synopsis where Greg and Rowley get into trouble is changed. In the books, they put signs for their Holiday Bazaar which then bleed onto the Middle School walls after it starts raining. In the film, they accidentally damage a snowplow with a giant snowball.
    • On the topic of the Holiday Bazaar, this subplot doesn't appear in the movie.
  • Frank Heffley stays in a hotel when the rest of the Heffleys are snowed in their house in the book as the snow prevented him from coming home from work, but in the film, he is snowed in with the rest of the family.
  • Greg eventually doesn't ask for anything specific for Christmas, but in the film, he is after a new video game console.
  • Santa's Scout is called "Elfrendo" in the film, a merge of it and Alfrendo.
    • At the end of the movie, Greg dumps Santa's Scout in the Toy Drive Bin, but in the book, Santa's Scout is still with the Heffleys.
  • The scene where Fregley asks Greg to "finish building me" is adapted right from The Meltdown.
  • The way the Heffleys discover the flood has been changed. In the book, Greg discovers the flood when he goes into the basement when he goes to wake up Rodrick. In the film, the flood begins showing to the Heffleys within their very eye. It also plays a very minor role when compared to the book, as is when Rodrick moves into Greg's room.
  • The snowstorm lasts five days in the book, but a whole week in the film.
  • The scenes revolving the school are not seen in the film, in fact, the school doesn't appear at all.
  • Manny gets "scared" after hearing about the fact they will need to keep the refrigerator door closed in the book, while in the film, he gets "scared" when Frank and Susan argue.
  • When Manny is discovered hiding away supplies, the end result is different. In the book, Manny is throwing a tea party with Santa's Scout (Elfrendo) and Alfrendo (the doll) and Greg discovers him first prior to Susan, and bursts into tears when he is caught because nobody taught him how to tie his shoes. In the movie, all the Heffleys discover Manny, except he is acting "cool". His "punishment" in the film is that he gets duck taped to his seat, although he remains smug like he is in the rest of the film.
  • On the topic of the power going out, in the movie the entire neighborhood gets hit, but in the book, it is only Greg's house that is hit after Manny turned off all the switches on the fuse box except for his room.
  • Manny doesn't break Susan's glasses in the movie, nor are they broken at any point.
  • When Greg discovers that the Toy Drive is run by the police, it is after he delivers the Heffley's contribution in the book, while in the film, Susan tells him that it's run by the police.
  • Rowley mentions about owning "Footie" Pajamas in the film, while in the book, they were owned by Greg when he was a young boy (mentioned in The Ugly Truth).
  • Rowley helps Greg finding the Toy Drive bin in the film version, but he does it himself in the book. However, what ends up happening in the film is that Greg ends up falling in and Rowley takes off after thinking he would get busted.
  • The reason for Greg going to the Donation Bin is different. In the book, he attempts to find some money he requested, while in the movie, it is to retrieve his hat and scarf.
  • Greg admits to his family that he was the one who damaged the snow plough in the movie, but he never admitted to his accident about the green splodges in the book.

Trivia

Diary of a Wimpy Kid- Cabin Fever - Special Cover Edition

The special Disney+ cover

  • This is the first animated Wimpy Kid film to adapt a book that hasn't been adapted before, that being Cabin Fever.
  • When Rowley calls Greg and Greg tells Rowley about the you-know-who, Rowley asks if it is Voldemort, who is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Harry Potter series.
  • This movie has been criticised by many parents claiming it ruined Santa for their children.
  • An animated Cabin Fever film had been an idea as a TV movie since 2013 and was supposed to air in November 2014. However this idea was scratched, becoming said film.

Goofs & Errors

  • You can see that Greg stops moving after running down the stairs before Santa's Scout head moved at 37:31.
  • Plainview is mistakenly called "Plainville" on the snowplow lady's truck.

Gallery

See Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (2023 film)/Gallery

Video

References

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