Deck the Halls (2006)
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An optometrist's status as the neighborhood's Christmas expert is threatened by a new neighbor's extravagant light display.
The story
In the fictional town of Cloverdale, Massachusetts, optometrist and self-proclaimed Christmas expert Steve Finch wants his family to have a perfect Christmas filled with specific traditions. However, his status is challenged when new neighbors, Buddy Hall and his wife Tia, move in across the street. Buddy, a car salesman seeking to achieve something greater, begins decorating his house with an increasingly massive and elaborate display of Christmas lights. As Buddy's display grows to include live animals and synchronized music, it gains local fame, sparking a bitter rivalry with Steve, who feels his position as the neighborhood's primary Christmas authority is being usurped.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In Cloverdale, Massachusetts, Steve Finch, a self-proclaimed Christmas expert, faces off against new neighbor Buddy Hall, who begins installing a massive, synchronized light display to make his house visible from space. Steve's envy leads to various incidents where Buddy's display ruins Steve's Christmas card photos and burns down his tree lot. The rivalry escalates when Buddy retaliates by stealing the town's Christmas tree and putting it in Steve's house. The two enter a bet involving a WinterFest speedskating race; Buddy wins, and Steve is forced to pay for a car. However, Buddy's obsession leads to him losing his job and his wife leaving him. Steve eventually tries to destroy the Hall house with a military-grade rocket, but it misfires and sets the town tree on fire. After a confrontation with his family, Steve realizes Buddy has been stealing his power. The two reconcile, combine their lights to create a winter wonderland, and host a dinner for their families. The town gathers to help Buddy put his lights back up, and after a brief power failure, the lights shine brightly, confirming the house is indeed visible from space.
- Original title
- All Lit Up
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 93
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Whitesell
- Writers
- Matt Corman · writer; Chris Ord · writer; Don Rhymer · writer
- Cast and characters
- Danny DeVito · Buddy Hall; Matthew Broderick · Dr. Steve Finch; Kristin Davis · Kelly Finch; Kristin Chenoweth · Tia Hall; Alia Shawkat · Madison Finch; Dylan Blue · Carter Finch; Jorge Garcia · Wallace; Fred Armisen · Gustave
- Genres
- comedy
- Themes
- rivalry; reconciliation; tradition
- Tone and mood
- comedic; festive
- Setting
- Cloverdale, Massachusetts during the Christmas season
- Premise and plot tags
- Christmas; Neighbor Rivalry; Comedy
- Reception
- The film was a critical and commercial failure, receiving generally unfavorable reviews and failing to recoup its budget.
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled All Lit Up.; Matthew Broderick trained with a real Olympic speed skater trainer for a few weeks to prepare for the speedskating race scene.; The film was shot in various locations throughout Metro Vancouver, including Cloverdale, Surrey, and Ocean Park.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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