DECK THE HALLS

US, 2011, 90 minutes, Colour.
Scottie Thompson, Kathy Najimy, Eric Johnson, Larry Miller, Luciana Carro, Jane Alexander, David Selby, Patrick Gilmore.
Directed by Ron Underwood.

Deck the Halls is based on a novel by Carol Higgins Clark, daughter of Mary Higgins Clark. Carol Higgins Clark’s stories follow something of the same pattern as those of her mother. Carol Higgins Clark also appears in a supporting role in this film. It was directed by Ron Underwood who, in the 1990s, showed promise for film direction with Tremors, City Slickers, Heart and Souls. However, his career has been principally in television.

Scottie Thompson is the private detective who pursues the abduction of her father. Kathy Najimy plays a cleaning woman who has won forty million dollars in the lottery – but is an avid fan of the private detective’s mother (Jane Alexander as a detection novel writer). Her husband, played comically by Larry Miller, tags along with her. David Selby plays the abducted millionaire.

With the strong cast, the film is entertaining. With its Christmas setting, an abductor disguised as Santa Claus, it has the Christmas spirit.

Scottie Thompson and Kathy Najimy make an entertaining pair of sleuths, Kathy Najimy sometimes bringing disaster on the investigation. However, there are enough clues to bring the case to a satisfactory conclusion. Audiences may well have worked out who the villain is long before the detectives.

An undemanding mystery and detection thriller – for a night home at the television set.

1. The work of Mary Higgins Clark, Carol Higgins Clark, their novels, the range of television movies, popularity?

2. The title, the Christmas tone, Santa Claus and the plot?

3. The introduction to Regan, at the bar, her dress, flirting, the man following her, the knife, her arresting her assailant?

4. Regan going to visit her family, her father and his funeral parlour business, her mother and the novel-writing? Good relationships?

5. The introduction to Alvirah, her husband, winning the lottery, a fan of detection fiction, her own detection? Alvira and her husband and their personalities?

6. The visit to the dentist, Regan’s father not turning up, Regan going to meet him, the meeting with Alvirah, the phone call, the connection?

7. The Christmas party, Luke Reilly and his charities? The various Santas present? The staff? The interlude with the dead man, his nephew and his grief? Rosita as the chauffeur?

8. The abduction, Luke and Rosita being tied up, the way they were treated, hidden away? The significance of the bridge, the red lighthouse – and its providing a clue for the solution?

9. The disguised Santa, the rough treatment, his boss and not talking, the orders? Getting the food? The talk and the threats, the reading of the notes, the ransom?

10. The effect on Regan, on her mother? Yet her mother doing the radio broadcast? Alvirah and her husband, his continually eating, sleeping? The comic touch?

11. The issue of the money, the police contacts, the Santa Claus clues, the photos, Alvirah recording everything?

12. The delivery, Regan, the mall, the panic, running, the money thrown into the water?

13. The interrogation of the nephew, his answering all the questions? His story, packing up? The audience knowing that he was guilty?

14. Alvirah, the car, making a mess of the pursuit?

15. The time, preparing the money, the father giving the clue on the phone, the house, the lighthouse, the timing? The bomb? Defusing it just in time?

16. The arrests, the resolution? A nice enjoyable thriller?