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If I rate you and you don't return the rate (even on older reviews), I won't rate your future reviews and will re-consider CoT membership - you know who you are
Member since:20.05.2003
Reviews:62
Members who trust:72
The theme of this movie is formulaic and centred around two neighbours who go to war over decorating their house with Christmas lights. The byline of the movie is "There glows the neighbourhood". This byline has two meanings. One about unwanted neighbours and the other about going up in flames/lights.
The movie is set in Massachusetts (New England) and stars Matthew Broderick as Dr Steve Finch and Danny De Vito plays Buddy Hall, a car salesman. Deck the Halls Hope you get the subtlety.
Buddy moves into the neighbourhood with his family and we discover that Buddy has never settled into any job and is moving his family regularly across America in search of a job.
Buddy puts christmas lights on his house and gets an idea into his head that he wants the house to be seen from space so goes to the extreme of putting up more and more lights and decorations. To the annoyance of his neighbour, Steve Finch. Different altercations ensue as Buddy puts more lights on and Steve tries to stop him.
Kristin Davis (Charlotte from Sex & the City) is plays Steve Finch's long suffering wife and Kristin Chenoweth (best known for the West Wing and RV) plays
Buddy's also long-suffering wife.
If you know anything about America, this films shows life for a typical middle class american family. All the usual hallmarks are everpresent, such as the big house with the short picket fence, the people vans and pickup trucks. As films like this typify, the movie finishes on a high note when the families discover that the true meaning of Christmas is about spending time with the family and showing a warm generous heart to others - altogether now "aaaaaah".
It is not a movie that will win any awards, but it is light-hearted enough to raise a chuckle or two and Danny De Vito is on fine form as the hapless neighbour who seeks to be recognised for something.
This is some good family entertainment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DVD Features ~~~~~~~~~~~~~The DVD itself does not have any special features. It does have a menu from which you can select:
Play Movie
Scene Selection
Subtitles
~~~~ Cast ~~~~
Danny DeVito - Buddy Hall Matthew Broderick - Steve Finch Kristin Davis - Kelly Finch Kristin Chenoweth - Tia Hall Alia Shawkat - Madison Finch Dylan Blue - Carter Finch
The film is 93 minutes long and PG Rated so definitely a movie for all of the family to enjoy.
Thanks for reading.
jupiter28 2008
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Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Mar 31st, 2008
(May 11th, 2008)
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