Synopsis

Small-town Christmas enthusiast Steve Finch sees his holiday traditions challenged when new neighbor Buddy Hall arrives with an ambition to make his house visible from space. Their friendly rivalry escalates into an extravagant decorating war, drawing in their families and threatening the season's peace. As competition replaces goodwill, both men must rediscover what Christmas means beyond winning the neighborhood's admiration.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, from May through July 2006, meaning the cast had to perform in winter clothing during one of the city's hottest summers on record.

• Production designer Bill Brzeski said the project had only six weeks of preparation before filming began, making the rapid creation of the Finch and Hall homes especially demanding.

• At its peak, Buddy Hall's display used approximately 100,000 lights. The production also employed about 800 dimmer packs to control the elaborate illumination sequences.

• Matthew Broderick trained with a real speed skater for several months before filming the speed-skating sequence.

• The runaway sleigh sequence involving two horses was supervised by American Humane safety representatives. Stunt performers were positioned near the cameras as an additional precaution.

• The closing credits continue the film's visual theme by incorporating Christmas lights throughout the credit roll.

• The movie was released in the United States on November 22, 2006, by 20th Century Fox.