History Film / DeckTheHalls

''Deck the Halls'' is a 2006 Christmas comedy film directed by John Whitesell and starring Matthew Broderick and Danny Devito

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: If any of the characters had filed proper charges against the other, the plot would have ended much easily at multiple points in the film:
** Steve does go to file a proper complaint about the lights to the police, but leaves right as Sheriff Dave is grabbing the paperwork because he got uncomfortable looking at the Sheriff's thong. Alternatively, he could have reported the possible theft of power from his house.
** Buddy could have charged Steve with willful destruction of property for short-circuiting his fusebox with snow. He doesn't due to wanting to get back at Steve personally.
** Steve could have had Buddy arrested for Forging his name on a document and stealing the town's Christmas tree, but doesn't due to his pride blinding him as Buddy convinces him to make a wager on a race.

* WeCouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: If any of the characters had filed proper charges against the other, the plot would have ended much easily at multiple points in the film:

Creator/MatthewBroderick stars as Dr. Steve Finch, an eye doctor with a wife, Kelly (Creator/KristinDavis) and two children, a teenaged daughter named Madison (Alia Shawcat), and a preteen son named Carter (Dylan Blue). Steve is adamant about his Christmas traditions, even to the point of it doing more harm than good for his family and everybody else involved. His Christmas tradition plans start spiraling down the tubes when his new neighbor, Buddy Hall (Creator/DannyDeVito) along with his wife, Tia (Film/KristinChenoweth) and two twin daughters Emily (Kelly Aldridge) and Ashley (Sabrina Aldridge) move in to the only home just across the street. Buddy's daughters have discovered and show him that you can view houses from space with a place called "My Earth" which is very much like "Google Earth." He is upset, though, that for some reason, their house doesn't appear, even though the Finches house does. It could be that their house has not been there very long and there never was a new satellite picture update taken of that place since. So, contrary to ones who would prefer privacy and that their homes remain unable to be captured by satellite, Buddy gets this obsession about wanting to get their house visible from space. So, Buddy gets this crazy idea that to get their house visible from space, he would have to garnish their home with Christmas lights. From that point on, because of how the bright lights and his whole showy Christmas display he goes as far as gets to Steve and even worse disrupt his intended Christmas traditions, things go for the worse between Buddy and Steve even to the point of practically wrecking their relationship as new neighbors. And much to their annoyed wives the only question is will they ever be able to patch that up?

* BerserkButton: When Steve putting up with Buddy's lights and music just across the street during sleep hours gets to the point where he finally goes downtown in the middle of the night to purchase illegal fireworks so he could set them off at Buddy's house hoping to scare him witless. [[spoiler: Later on, as he manages to end up destroying his own home with the last of the fireworks after managing to set some off at Buddy's house as planned, we discovers that it turns out that Buddy was not even home when all of that happened, because Tia had walked out on him that night over being aggravated at him primarily for pawning a valuable heirloom of hers to pay off his lights and show, and Buddy spent all night at where she went trying to get her attention.]]

* FridgeHorror: A very literal example, as Buddy claims he dropped a fridge upon a cat while moving in; on the upside '''most of it''' got away.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: When Tia needs help putting up a vase, she asks for a boost from Kelly who does so with her hands on Tia's butt. Tia seems to enjoy it a little too much.

* MsFanservice: Buddy's twin daughters definitely count as such; lampshaded by Steve's son.

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'''''Deck the Halls''''' is a 2006 Christmas comedy film directed by John Whitesell and starring Matthew Broderick and Danny Devito

'''''Deck the Halls''''' is a 2006 Christmas comedy film.

'''''Deck the Halls''''' is a 2006 Christmas comedy film. Matthew Broderick stars as Dr. Steve Finch, an eye doctor with a wife, Kelly (Kristen Davis) and two children, a teenaged daughter named Madison (Alia Shawcat), and a preteen son named Carter (Dylan Blue). Steve is adamant about his Christmas traditions, even to the point of it doing more harm than good for his family and everybody else involved. His Christmas tradition plans start spiraling down the tubes when his new neighbor, Buddy Hall (Danny Devito) along with his wife, Tia (Kristin Chenoweth) and two twin daughters Emily (Kelly Aldridge) and Ashley (Sabrina Aldridge) move in to the only home just across the street. Buddy's daughters have discovered and show him that you can view houses from space with a place called "My Earth" which is very much like "Google Earth." He is upset, though, that for some reason, their house doesn't appear, even though the Finches house does. It could be that their house has not been there very long and there never was a new satellite picture update taken of that place since. So, contrary to ones who would prefer privacy and that their homes remain unable to be captured by satellite, Buddy gets this obsession about wanting to get their house visible from space. So, Buddy gets this crazy idea that to get their house visible from space, he would have to garnish their home with Christmas lights. From that point on, because of how the bright lights and his whole showy Christmas display he goes as far as gets to Steve and even worse disrupt his intended Christmas traditions, things go for the worse between Buddy and Steve even to the point of practically wrecking their relationship as new neighbors. And much to their annoyed wives the only question is will they ever be able to patch that up?

* ButtMonkey: Steve Finch.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Steve, who's increasingly brazen attempts to exact revenge on Buddy make him no better than the new neighbor who has caused him so much angst with his light show. Also, this after the ice-skating competition:
** Steve: ''(To Buddy)'' "Fine! But the last time I looked at the satellite pictures, still couldn't see your house. Not a flicker! Not a blip! How's that feel, huh? How's it feel to be invisible?! Huh? Huh?!" ''(Cut to Buddy walking away forlorn)''

A 2006 Christmas comedy film. Matthew Broderick stars as Dr. Steve Finch, an eye doctor with a wife, Kelly (Kristen Davis) and two children, a teenaged daughter named Madison (Alia Shawcat), and a preteen son named Carter (Dylan Blue). Steve is adamant about his Christmas traditions, even to the point of it doing more harm than good for his family and everybody else involved. His Christmas tradition plans start spiraling down the tubes when his new neighbor, Buddy Hall (Danny Devito) along with his wife, Tia (Kristin Chenoweth) and two twin daughters Emily (Kelly Aldridge) and Ashley (Sabrina Aldridge) move in to the only home just across the street. Buddy's daughters have discovered and show him that you can view houses from space with a place called "My Earth" which is very much like "Google Earth." He is upset, though, that for some reason, their house doesn't appear, even though the Finches house does. It could be that their house has not been there very long and there never was a new satellite picture update taken of that place since. So, contrary to ones who would prefer privacy and that their homes remain unable to be captured by satellite, Buddy gets this obsession about wanting to get their house visible from space. So, Buddy gets this crazy idea that to get their house visible from space, he would have to garnish their home with Christmas lights. From that point on, because of how the bright lights and his whole showy Christmas display he goes as far as gets to Steve and even worse disrupt his intended Christmas traditions, things go for the worse between Buddy and Steve even to the point of practically wrecking their relationship as new neighbors. And much to their annoyed wives the only question is will they ever be able to patch that up?

!!'''This movie series has examples of the following tropes:'''

BerserkButton: When Steve putting up with Buddy's lights and music just across the street during sleep hours gets to the point where he finally goes downtown in the middle of the night to purchase illegal fireworks so he could set them off at Buddy's house hoping to scare him witless. [[spoiler: Later on, as he manages to end up destroying his own home with the last of the fireworks after managing to set some off at Buddy's house as planned, we discovers that it turns out that Buddy was not even home when all of that happened, because Tia had walked out on him that night over being aggravated at him primarily for pawning a valuable heirloom of hers to pay off his lights and show, and Buddy spent all night at where she went trying to get her attention.]]

A 2006 Christmas comedy film. Matthew Broderick stars as Dr. Steve Finch, an eye doctor with a wife, Kelly (Kristen Davis) and two children, a teenaged daughter named Madison (Alia Shawcat), and a preteen son named Carter (Dylan Blue). Steve is adamant about his Christmas traditions, even to the point of it doing more harm than good for his family and everybody else involved. His Christmas tradition plans start spiraling down the tubes when his new neighbor, Buddy Hall (Danny Devito) along with his wife, Tia (Kristin Chenowith) and two twin daughters Emily (Kelly Aldridge) and Ashley (Sabrina Aldridge) move in to the only home just across the street. Buddy's daughters have discovered and show him that you can view houses from space with a place called "My Earth" which is very much like "Google Earth." He is upset, though, that for some reason, their house doesn't appear, even though the Finches house does. It could be that their house has not been there very long and there never was a new satellite picture update taken of that place since. So, contrary to ones who would prefer privacy and that their homes remain unable to be captured by satellite, Buddy gets this obsession about wanting to get their house visible from space. So, Buddy gets this crazy idea that to get their house visible from space, he would have to garnish their home with Christmas lights. From that point on, because of how the bright lights and his whole showy Christmas display he goes as far as gets to Steve and even worse disrupt his intended Christmas traditions, things go for the worse between Buddy and Steve even to the point of practically wrecking their relationship as new neighbors. And much to their annoyed wives the only question is will they ever be able to patch that up?

* HeyItsThatGuy: Both of the main characters are known for many roles including voices in Disney movies.
** The wives of Steve and Buddy are completely recognizable from other big hit comedies released that same year starring well known comedians. Steve's wife is the wife of Dave Douglas from The Shaggy Dog. Buddy's wife is Travis Gornicke's wife from RV.
** Mrs. Ryor who is a cameo in a few scenes is Hetty King from the Avonlea series.

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!!This movie features the following tropes:

A 2006 Christmas film. Matthew Broderick stars as Dr. Steve Finch, an eye doctor with a wife and two children. Steve is adamant about his Christmas traditions, even to the point of it doing more harm than good for his family and everybody else involved. His Christmas tradition plans start spiraling down the tubes when his new neighbor, Buddy Hall (Danny [=DeVito=]) along with his wife, Tia and two twin daughters move in to the only home just across the street. Buddy's daughters have discovered and show him that you can view houses from space with a place called "My Earth" which is very much like "Google Earth." He is upset, though, that for some reason, their house doesn't appear. So, Buddy gets this crazy idea that to get their house visible from space, he would have to garnish their home with Christmas lights. From that point on, because of how the bright lights and his whole showy Christmas display gets to Steve and even worse disrupt his intended Christmas traditions, things go for the worse between Buddy and Steve even to the point of practically wrecking their relationship as new neighbors. And the only question is will they ever be able to patch that up?

* ButtMonkey: Steve Finch.
* CanadaDoesNotExist: Filmed in Canada, set in the U.S.