DECK THE HEART
A gentle Christmas family story that struggles to find its spark.
Should You Watch It?
Deck the Heart offers a kind-hearted message about making time for family, valuing each family member, and rediscovering Christmas spirit. Those themes give the movie a strong pro-family foundation, and its TV-G rating makes it a relatively gentle choice for a home audience.
But the film is also slow and underdeveloped. Several scenes consist mainly of phone conversations without much action. The romance between Chris and Merry lacks chemistry, and the story depends on a lie told by the main characters to solve its central problem. The movie also promotes Christmas spirit without pointing to Jesus or the Nativity.
Watch at home if your family wants a mild Christmas drama and you can discuss its message about truth and family priorities.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESBusy executive Chris Ackerman is grieving his grandfather and has lost his Christmas spirit. When he inherits his grandfather’s manor in Maine, he must keep the family tradition of hosting Christmas there.
To manage the gathering alongside his demanding career, Chris hires Merry Block, a party planner committed to bringing spirit to every holiday. As Merry prepares the manor and the family arrives, Chris must decide what matters most—and whether his old life still has room for Christmas, family, and love.
Is It Any Good?
Two stars means this is a watchable but lackluster film with a worthwhile message. The family-centered premise is clear, and the movie makes an earnest effort to celebrate Christmas spirit and relationships.
The execution is much weaker. Several scenes are simply phone conversations with little action. Merry is presented as an expert party planner and the town’s best decorator, but the decorations look like a mismatched collage of garland and poinsettias. The romantic leads also have little chemistry. The film is gentle, but it misses the mark as entertainment.
The Worldview
The film strongly promotes family. It urges people to make an effort for one another, value each family member, and recover the Christmas spirit. Grief, work, and family priorities all meet in Chris’s struggle to honor his grandfather’s tradition.
The movie’s moral weakness is its treatment of truth. A major lie told by the main characters helps overcome the plot problem, creating moral relativism even as the film celebrates family values. The Christmas message is also incomplete from a Christian perspective: there is no mention of Jesus and no reference to the Nativity.
The film’s longing is for family closeness and a restored Christmas spirit. Scripture calls believers to put others before themselves: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong moral pro-family worldview stresses the importance of family and on trying to value each member of a family, plus references to having Christmas spirit, but some moral relativism occurs when a major lie is told by the main characters to overcome the plot problem
Foul Language
No foul language
Violence
No violence
Sex
No sex scenes or sexual immorality (there is an affectionate hug and a kiss between a romantic couple)
Nudity
No nudity
Alcohol Use
No alcohol use
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Nothing else objectionable.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Chris has allowed work and grief to push family aside. What would it look like to make a faithful effort to value the people God has placed around you?
Philippians 2:3–4 · 1 Timothy 5:8The main characters tell a lie to overcome a difficult situation. Why can a lie feel useful in the moment, and what does Scripture say about truthfulness?
Ephesians 4:25 · Proverbs 12:22The film talks about Christmas spirit but never mentions Jesus or the Nativity. What makes Christmas Christian rather than merely festive?
Luke 2:10–14 · Matthew 1:21Chris grieves his grandfather while trying to carry on his tradition. How can family traditions honor those who came before us without replacing our hope in God?
Psalm 90:12 · Colossians 3:17The Final Word
Deck the Heart has a gentle, pro-family message, but its slow storytelling, weak romance, and reliance on a lie keep it from standing out. It is best suited to a quiet home viewing, with parents ready to discuss truth and the meaning of Christmas. Our answer is WAIT FOR HOME.
