Prior to signing on to play Matthew Broderick’s wife in the holiday comedy Deck the Halls, Kristin Davis made sure it was okay with Broderick’s real wife, Sarah Jessica Parker. Davis emailed her former Sex and the City co-star and friend just to make sure Parker would be fine with the choice.
Davis recalls the conversation with Parker went something like this: “How would you feel if I did this? Would you think it would be a good idea? Are you supportive? Would it be at all strange? Please talk to me honestly about it.” Fortunately for Davis, Parker thought the idea was terrific and fully supported Davis signing on to the holiday film. “She e-mailed back immediately,” said Davis. "I think it's the best idea ever, please do it. It would be so much fun, and I want to come see you in Vancouver."
Kristin Davis on Deck the Halls and Comparisons to Other Holiday Movies: “There are different elements. Certainly, It’s a Wonderful Life is at the top of my list of Christmas movies and our movie is very, very different. I don’t think anyone could probably live up to A Wonderful Life in terms of kind of a drama. But our movie is really funny, I thought. I like that. I think laughter is great and especially laughter during the holidays, after you’ve gone through getting it all [ready]. You know, you’re getting it all ready and buying and all the hectic craziness, it’s nice [to laugh].
I also feel like everyone can go to this movie. The kids can, the parents can go, everyone can go and kind of relate to different elements of it. I think it’s nice to have things that you can do together.”
On the Christmas Holiday Season: “I like Christmas a lot. It was always my favorite holiday. And I like that when I go home, my house—you know my parents live in South Carolina, so I usually go home and it’s very artsy-craftsy. We make our own stuff. We go to the nursery and get all like fresh greens. The South is, I think, a little more traditional in terms of the style of decoration. You don’t see so many houses lit up, as you do like here in LA. And certainly, well, I’ve never seen a house lit up like Danny [DeVito] does in the movie. I have to say it kind of made me appreciate it more because it was so amazing, so bright, so pretty. They did such a good job. But we’re more traditional, you know, my mom and I. There’s a list when I get home. There’s a lot of stuff to bake and there’s a lot of stuff to make. We wire the garlands together, you know—it’s fun! I like that.”
The Set of Deck the Halls: The holiday comedy was actually shot in Canada during the very hot summer months. Davis describes the set: “They built both of our houses on a cul-de-sac. We were outside Vancouver, in kind of a little suburb of Vancouver. We had three different versions. We had the soundstage version for like the interior - some of the interiors, not the kitchen. And then we had a bubble built over the two houses so that we could shoot day for night. Then we took the bubble off so we could shoot those really big scenes, like at the end where all the people come, because we had huge cranes. We made those poor neighbors… You could see our set, the Danny house, if you were three miles away driving you could see like glowing lights. It was unbelievable. They worked so hard, they did a great job!”
Kristin Davis on ‘Wife’ Roles: Davis said it’s nothing she planned. “You kind of roll with what they send you. I laughed out loud at this script and then I knew Matthew [Broderick] was involved and I love Matthew. I’ve been a fan of Mathew’s since Ferris. And, of course, I know him, obviously, so there was an ease in that. I also knew John Whitesell [the director] and I was a big fan of his. I think it’s just like you respond…you just respond…it’s a kind of mysterious thing. I don’t know why I keep playing these wives.”
Similarities Between This Character and Sex and the City’s Charlotte: Did Davis see anything similar about the two characters? “You know it’s like a funny thing. I mean, on the one hand it’s hard for me to be objective. Like you know, people always ask me, ‘How are you different from Charlotte?’ Like I’ve lost all [perspective]. I can’t tell anymore. Do you know what I mean? And when I look at a character, I don’t really think of it that way so much. Every once in a while someone will send me something that is about as anti-Charlotte as anyone could ever be, and then it’s really obvious. Do you know what I’m saying? But then the rest, well, I don’t know. She’s kind of like Charlotte, but then she’s kind of not…”
And speaking of Sex and the City, rumors have it that the movie is back on. Asked about the rumors and the prospect of revisiting her character, Davis said, “I have heard those rumors, yes, and if the movie were to happen, it would be wonderful. I would be there and I would be so, so, so excited.”
Davis added, “The only thing I will say is that you know I would love to do the movie. I would have liked to do it then and I would like to do it now. I would just like to do it. It would make me very, very happy!”
