Happy Holidays from Cherry Lane (2024) Movie Script

1

Happy Holidays,
Happy Holidays
while the merry
bells keep ringing
Happy Holidays
To you
Happy Holidays
It's the holiday season
And Santa Claus
is coming round
Christmas snow
is right on the ground
When ol' Santa gets
into town
Conrad, I'm disappointed too.
But they're saying the storm
is just going to get worse.
No. It's best if you and
Winnie stay in Seattle.
And come tomorrow,
we'll have Christmas dinner.
[doorbell]
Conrad, look, I don't pull
the because I'm your mother
and I say so card very often,
but I'm pulling it now.
I will be fine.
Merry Christmas.
- Hi.
- Oh, hey.
Ivy, Hector come in, come in.
Wha... What are you guys doing?
Well, well, we're on
the way to the airport.
We almost certainly find out
that our flight
has been cancelled.
Hector, it hasn't been
canceled yet. Okay?
Anyways, we just figured
that since it was on the way,
we'd drop off Christmas presents
for you and
Conrad and Winnie and...
And then maybe we could
take the gifts you wanted us
to pick up for Mom and Dad.
That's very sweet.
It's also a little crazy,
considering this storm.
You know, I actually
told Winnie and Conrad
not to risk driving in this.
Where are they?
Well, Winnie had a showcase
in Seattle
singing Christmas songs,
and I really wanted to be there.
But unlike my kids,
I read the forecast,
and I didn't want to get stuck
on Christmas Eve.
Yeah.
Oh my gosh.
I almost forgot.
- Happy birthday.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
Wow. Twenty-five years ago.
Right here in this living room.
Right there.
All because of Uncle Greg?
Yeah.
[cuckoo chime]
I forgot about that clock.
I can't believe you
still have that.
And I really can't believe
you put it out in public.
Hey, your parents gave us that.
And Greg really loved it.
You guys have time for coffee?
Oh. How are your folks?
I haven't talked to them
in a few weeks.
Oh. They're good.
You know, dad's working
too much, as per usual.
And he's tired all the time.
Mom won't stop asking us when
we're giving them grandkids.
It's going to happen.
Be patient.
Remind me to tell
my mother that.
Well, I should put some
of this stuff away.
I'm really glad I didn't
put the turkey in the oven.
You know, I really don't like
that you're going to be here
all by yourself
on Christmas Eve.
No. I'm fine.
I'm gonna snuggle up
on the couch
and watch a Christmas movie.
It could be nice to do
that with someone else.
I'm perfectly content to watch
Christmas movies by myself.
Regina...
it's been almost 10 years
since Uncle Greg passed.
I found that time doesn't work
the same with things like that.
Right.
Now, who wants a coffee?
Okay.
Oh my gosh.
Whoa!
Oh! Oh my gosh!!
Coming!
Ahhhh!!!!
In all of time since man
first recorded
the history of humankind
using primitive drawings
on the walls of caves,
there has never been mentioned
of a man as maddening
as the one sitting
in our living room.
What did he do now?
It's not what he does, Penny.
It's who he is.
Nothing is ever good enough.
Not this house or my career.
Or the Christmas tree
or the lights.
Or the way I wrapped
the presents.
I wrapped the presents.
What difference does it make?
He gets along with me.
This has been the longest month
of my life.
Eli, your father does not
like to depend on people.
Breaking his hip and having
to recover here
has been a humbling experience
for him.
Humble?
Penny, words are
my stock in trade.
Of all the ones I would
use to describe my father...
humble is not one of them.
Sweetheart, I love you.
I know this has been hard,
and any other day
I'd let you use
as many colorful words
as you'd like.
But it's Christmas Eve,
and today you're gonna
smile and be merry.
And we are all going to share
a wonderful holiday
meal as a family.
And the only words
you're allowed to say are:
Fa la la la la. Okay?
- Okay.
- Mm.
Thank you for putting up
with me.
It was in the vows.
[crash sound]
Walter?!
Walter, are you all right?
I'm fine.
I just can't navigate around
all this clutter in here.
Dad, it's not clutter.
Penny needs all this
to do ladies' hair.
You do need all of it,
don't you?
Yes. Barbara Fleming is
coming over in a little while.
Mmhmm.
It's a lot of stuff for a hobby.
We wouldn't be able
to afford this house
if it weren't for Penny's salon.
Saint Barber has been cutting
my hair for the last 40 years,
and all he needs is
[in unison] a pair of scissors.
We know dad.
Yeah. Shirley only takes
30 seconds to do...
Women's hair takes
a little more work, Walter.
That's all.
Your wife shouldn't have to work
in order to afford a house.
Dad, I am the author
of a bestselling book.
I think I'm doing just fine,
thank you.
Zane Grey.
He knew how to tell a story.
Maybe you should write
a Western.
Okay.
[tense music]
[exhales]
So, Dad, you excited
for Christmas?
What am I, nine?
No offense, kiddo.
I'm ten.
- Can you believe...
- Dad...
when are we gonna work
on the time capsule?
It has to be done today.
We'll get to it.
Well, I better go see
if we've got enough cookies
and milk for Santa tonight.
I don't know about you,
but I'm gonna be up all night.
Mm.
Mmhmm.
[nervous chuckle]
Eli...
Hmm?
Fa, la, la, la, la, la,
la, la, la.
[sighs] Heavens.
Don't worry, darling,
there's still a good chance
you might not grow up
to be like either of them.
[small laugh]
Jessie, it's going
to snow later.
Yeah, so I've heard.
I'm getting married tonight.
I know. I got the invitation.
Jessie. What if...
No, no. Beth, don't
start with the what-ifs.
It'll start with what if they
don't plow the road
and nobody can get
to the wedding?
And before you know it,
it'll be:
What if the Abominable Snowman
abducts the maid of honor?
You're just mad because
I didn't ask you
to be the maid of honor.
Oh, no, no, no, I am perfectly
content being a bridesmaid.
I just get to stand there
for a bit, have some cake,
maybe dance a little
and then come home.
But you're my older sister.
Why do you always have
to throw in the older part?
Because I know you hate it.
[laughs]
Beth, you've been dreaming
of a Christmas Eve wedding
since we were kids.
You used to put a veil
on your stuffed reindeer
and have her marry Frosty
the Snowman.
And somehow, despite all odds,
you found a guy who loves
the holidays as much as you do.
Now that's what I call
a Christmas miracle.
It was meant to be.
And the wedding will be amazing.
[exhales]
Thank you.
Of course.
[phone rings]
Oh. It's Max.
Hi, honey.
I'm here with Jessie.
Are you at the venue?
Yes, but it's closed.
They said it open at 8:00.
No, Beth closed as
in out of business.
What?
Yeah. I went next door to
the little bistro Julian's.
They said the IRS showed up
late last night
and shut them down.
Something about unpaid
taxes or something.
We had everything
delivered yesterday.
The cake, the decorations,
the tuxes, my wedding dress.
I know. I'm sorry, Beth.
I'll see you soon.
[exhales]
Jessie...
What are we going to do?
I... I don't know
what you can do.
Even if you get all your stuff,
you don't have any place
to put it.
It's not like you can get
married in my backyard.
Beth. No.
We only have 30 guests.
We could easily fit
everybody back there.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
We have no flowers,
no cake, no nothing.
We can't put together an
entire wedding in my backyard
in 12 hours on Christmas Eve.
Jessie, please!
You know how important
this is to me.
To us.
Max and I met on Christmas Eve.
He proposed the following
Christmas Eve.
You said it yourself
meeting Max was a
Christmas miracle.
Well, we could use another
one right about now.
[sighs]
One Christmas miracle coming up.
[squeals]
Oh.
If you get this message,
please call me back.
Thank you.
What's happening with
all the faucets now? Any luck?
I've called every plumber
in the book
and they are either too busy
or not working on Christmas Eve,
or not willing to come out
in the snow,
or they're just not picking up
their phones.
Right.
I finally found the main water
shut off.
Oh.
Yeah. Pipes in the basement.
Totally fine.
It is either something in the
walls or something outside.
Thank you, Hector.
Yeah.
You two should really
go to the airport.
I can handle this on my own.
No. Our flight
is going to get canceled.
It hasn't been canceled yet.
Okay.
What a Christmas, this
is turning out to be. Huh?
[doorbell]
Well, we'll deal with this, okay?
- Okay.
- Here you go.
All right.
If you get over there.
Oh.
Oh ho ho ho!
Merry Christmas.
Uh, Santa told me you were
looking for a plumber.
Oh, my gosh.
Come on in, yes.
The reindeer better be wearing
their snowshoes tonight.
Hey, I'm Nelson King.
Regina Johnston.
Nice to meet you.
A plumber buddy of mine
got your message.
And he knew I was on a site
a couple blocks over,
so I figured I'd stop by
and see what I could do.
Oh, wait, you're not a plumber.
A contractor,
but I know what I'm doing well.
Well, the problem I'm having
is with my plumbing.
So I really feel like
I need a plumber.
Regina... can I call you Regina?
Regina, you need a plumber.
But all things considered,
I would say that foggy
Christmas Eve rules apply.
Foggy Christmas Eve rules?
From Rudolph.
The other reindeer wouldn't let
him play their reindeer games
until it got foggy
on Christmas Eve,
and Santa needed him
to guide his sleigh.
In this metaphor, I'm Rudolph.
Yeah, I got that.
Okay.
And I'm here to
guide your sleigh.
Kitchen's this way.
[radio] Tune in tonight
for the Tommy Saunders Variety
Hour Christmas Eve special.
Coming to you live from
a living room near you.
[theme music]
[doorbell]
Barbara. Come in.
- Hello.
- Hello.
Oh, it is so lovely to see you.
Penny, thank you so much
for saving me.
My hair is a mess.
Oh, Barbara, stop.
It is my pleasure.
We won't get you all fixed up
for your Christmas Eve
party tonight.
Are you sure you can't come?
We have eggnog.
No, it's a family night.
You remember my father in law.
Walter, this is Barbara
from down the block.
Hi, Walter.
It's nice to see you again.
Well, let's get you
all gussied up.
Okay.
How is that handsome
husband of yours?
Busier than ever.
I'm grateful the store
is finally doing well,
but I never see him.
And when he does come home
from work, he's so tired.
He's just ready for sleep
right after dinner.
Sometimes during it.
Oh, dear.
Eli is like that whenever
he's writing a new book,
it's like there's nothing else
in the world.
Well, how do
you get his attention?
I tell him something's on fire.
Falls for it every time.
[laughs]
Maybe it's me.
It's so easy to fall
into a routine.
Roasted chicken every Monday.
Meatloaf on Wednesdays.
We listen to Elvis' Christmas
album every Christmas Eve.
Don't get me wrong,
we have a great life.
But sometimes it feels,
I don't know... boring.
Do you ever feel that way?
Well, not at the moment, no,
but I do know what you mean.
There is nothing better
than settling into
a comfortable life.
But when it becomes
a little too settled
or a little too comfortable,
maybe it's time to try
something new.
Well, maybe it couldn't
hurt to mix it up a little.
What are you thinking?
Something stylish
like Jackie Kennedy.
Or maybe something
that makes me feel,
I don't know.
He won't know what hit him.
[both chuckles]
[Beth] We had roses
covering the altar.
And then we had white lights,
white tulle, Christmas angels,
Holly, poinsettias,
Christmas trees.
Trees? Plural.
What do you think?
Well, I think I've seen
Christmas shows
at Radio City Music Hall
that weren't this extravagant.
We might need to scale
back a little, huh?
Well, if by scaled back,
you mean change everything,
then yeah.
But it's our dream wedding.
No, sweetie, your dream wedding
was seized by federal agents.
We can't do all this by tonight.
Maybe Jessie's right.
We could do without
some of this.
We don't really need
the angels...
Max! They signify our
eternal love for one another
under the eyes of God.
They're sacred.
They're $10 plastic statues
we got from the Christmas store
at Cherry Lane Mall.
Which is open until 6 p.m...
Beth, why don't we talk
about this when he gets here?
Wait, wait, when who gets here?
We've been doing some
pre-wedding counseling
at the church.
We figured today would be
a stressful day,
so we asked Pastor Tim
to come early, just in case.
Wait, Pastor Tim
as in Tim Whitman?
Yes. Who else did you think
was going to do the ceremony?
I don't know.
You're getting married on
Christmas Eve... Santa Claus?
Well, you would have
known if you'd gone
to the rehearsal dinner.
I had to work.
Why are you freaking out?
Because it's Tim Whitman!
The guy who...
who broke my heart.
Jessie, it has been
over 15 years.
Whatever he may have been
like in high school,
he is a total sweetheart now.
I'm sure if you just spent
five minutes with him,
it'll be just like old times.
[doorbell]
Oh. Perfect timing.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
- Hey.
- Hi.
How are you?
Oh. I'm good.
Wow. It's Tim Whitman.
Hi, Jessie.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Hi, Max.
- Good to see you.
- Good to see you, too.
Do you think it's big enough?
Well, I guess it depends
on what's going inside.
It's supposed to be things
our family loves
most about Christmas.
Mm.
Well, I don't think
it's going to fit a turkey.
[chuckles] Dad?
What's this?
It's for the time capsule.
How long is this supposed
to stay buried?
We dig it up Christmas Eve,
our senior year so seven years,
Seven years?
[laughs] That's not going
to last seven years.
It's wood.
It's going to be a pile of mush.
- Dad, I think it's going to...
- Shh!
Alex, listen to me.
I was an engineer for 42 years.
I worked on trains.
I worked on airplanes.
Now, if you want your time
capsule to still be there
when you dig it up in seven
years, then I'm your man.
Father, are you implying
that you would like to help?
Well, if you're going
to do something,
then you take the time
to do it right.
Let's go see what we can
find in the basement.
Neato! Thanks, Grandpa.
Well, you might have
a cracked pipe
that's making your water
pressure go crazy,
but the only way to find
out is to dig up your yard.
We can't do that in
the middle of a blizzard.
No, I guess not.
So maybe I'll come back
when the snow stops
and see what I dig up.
See what I did there?
[laughs]
Saw from a mile away.
Now my kids are coming for
Christmas dinner tomorrow.
What am I supposed to do
with no water?
I wish I could help, but maybe
see when the snow stops.
- Um, it's nice to meet you.
- Yeah.
And have a merry Christmas.
Same.
I'm so sorry, Regina.
Do you want
to just use our house?
It's just gonna be sitting
empty while we're in Michigan.
Really? You don't mind?
No, of course not.
Oh.
We are not going to
the airport just yet
because our flight
has been delayed.
But not canceled. Right?
Should we just maybe
go home for now?
You know, my house is a
lot closer to the airport.
You could just keep me company
till you're ready to go.
Unless you need anything
requiring water.
Is there water in eggnog?
No. Okay.
[loud knocking]
Whew. Boy, it's cold
out there.
I thought you were...
Leaving? Uh, yeah,
my truck won't start.
I may or may not have remembered
to put in antifreeze.
Uh, isn't that sort of
like your car's plumbing?
Ironic, right?
Mm.
I called Triple-A. They'll
be here in an hour or two.
An hour or two.
Oh. Oh, it's okay.
I can wait in the truck.
I've got my coat and gloves.
And if it gets too chilly,
I can just burn
whatever's in the glove box.
No, look, I may not have
water, but I've got heat, so.
Oh, no, no, no.
I don't I don't want to.
No. Come on in.
[cheerful music]
What can I do to help?
I'm pretty handy in the kitchen.
I make a mean instant
mashed potatoes.
Well...
That would require water.
Fair point.
Well, let me do something.
One thing you'll learn
about me, Regina,
is I sing for my supper.
Well, not literally.
I'm a terrible singer.
Unless you're talking
Christmas carols
and I rock "Joy to The World".
Good to know.
So, um, how do you know
Ivy and Hector?
They seem great.
Yeah. Well, Ivy and I
work together.
Yeah. Where?
Pinewood High School.
She's a teacher.
And I'm the principal.
- Really?
- Mmhmm.
Wow.
If my principal looked like
you, I wouldn't have minded
getting sent there
all the time as a kid.
Well, um... anyway, Ivy
is more than a co-worker.
My husband is her-
was her father's best friend.
He passed away.
I do that all the time too,
refer to my late wife
in the present tense,
as I always will.
Anyway, um, Ivy's family,
you know, she actually was born
in this house on Christmas Eve.
- Oh, really?
- Yeah.
Wait. Today's her birthday?
Yeah.
Well, we have to do something.
Do you have any candles?
I don't know.
- Happy birthday!
- Aww!
Sorry for the donut.
It was the best I could do
on short notice.
It's perfect.
Thank you.
Make a wish.
[claps]
[all laughing]
What's it like having a
birthday on Christmas Eve?
Did you have to fight
Santa Claus for attention?
No, no, no, no.
My parents were pretty good
about keeping things separate.
So daytime was birthday.
And when the sun went down,
it was Christmas Eve.
Do you remember the time,
it was probably a couple
of years
before your mom
and dad moved to Michigan.
So you and Conrad would have
been, like, six years old.
And he came in and he said,
Merry Christmas
before happy birthday.
Do I remember?
That temper tantrum
went down in history?
Conrad's your son?
Yeah. They were born
a few months apart.
So they were friends
before they could even walk.
Mmhmm.
Yeah.
This is the first Christmas
Eve I've spent without them.
Well, there's something about
being with your kids at
Christmas that's important.
Do you have kids?
Uh. Just one. Melanie.
She's down in Florida
and she's eight months pregnant,
so she couldn't make
the trip home.
Oh, congratulations, you're
going to be a grandfather.
Thank you, thank you. I'm
going to spoil that kid rotten.
How about you?
You have any little ones?
Um. Not yet.
Well, I'm telling you,
it's the greatest thing that
ever happened to me in my life.
Uh, Nelson, would you help me
with something in the kitchen?
Uh, sure.
Hey.
Why do I feel like
I'm getting called
to the principal's office?
It's about Ivy and Hector.
Yeah.
It's the whole subject
of children.
It's just kind of a
sore subject for them.
Oh. I'm sorry.
Sometimes my mouth just gets
going faster than my brain.
I feel terrible.
I should go apologize.
No, no, no, no.
Look, while you're here,
let's just agree to keep things
merry and bright, okay?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
How are we feeling?
- Good.
- Good.
- Yeah.
- I'm excited.
Oh. Do you need any
help with that, Jessie?
No, I've got it.
Thank you.
Well, I was just telling Beth
and Max here
how lucky they are to have
someone like you
willing to come to their rescue.
I've got the best older
sister in the entire world.
I just came to help them
navigate these
tricky waters today.
There's a lot of emotion
going on today, I'm sure.
You can say that again.
I'm sorry.
Oh, no, no, nothing.
Please go on. Sorry.
Well, I know we have
a ton to do today,
so I figured I'd roll
my sleeves up and help.
Figured I could start
with the painting duties.
Painting? Uh, what
are we painting?
Oh, well, Max and I were talking
and we thought if we set
up all the Christmas trees
by the house...
Again with the plural trees,
how many are there?
Well, we wanted to have six,
but I don't think
we're gonna be able to fit
more than four back there.
It'll still make a great
backdrop for wedding photos,
but the color of your house
is going to clash
with our palette.
I'm sorry. You... you
want to paint my house?
Not the whole house.
We're not painting anything!
Hey, can I... can I talk
to you for just one second?
Yeah, sure.
Be right back.
No need to thank me.
I wasn't going to.
I brought up painting the house
because I know they're trying
to slip a few little things
into the plan without
you noticing.
Little things?
They're having
a Christmas wedding.
But the first Christmas, didn't
even have this much stuff.
A few wise men and some myrrh
and a donkey.
There's not going to be
a donkey in my backyard,
is there?
No, no, it's in the dining room.
Look, they seem
to listen to you.
Can you just talk
them out of this?
It is a little over the top.
You keep using the word
little completely wrong.
This is important
to them, right?
This is their wedding.
We need to get them
to scale it back.
Way back.
Santa's reindeer elf.
Huh?
Oh! Come on.
You remember Santa's
reindeer elf?
When we were kids we didn't know
what movie we wanted to watch.
We played Santa's reindeer elf.
It's like rock, paper scissors.
Santa's reindeer elf.
Like Santa's beats the elves
because, well, he's their boss.
And the elves are in charge
of the reindeer, so they win.
And then the reindeer
beat Santa.
Well, you know, he needs
them to pull the sleigh.
I'd forgotten all about that.
Yeah, because I always won.
No. You cheated.
How do you cheat in
Santa reindeer elf?
I don't know, but you did.
Anyway, we're not
kids anymore, okay?
We don't need silly kids
games to make decisions.
Okay?
Okay, let's take it to a vote.
One, two.
Yeah. Three to one.
Let's plan a wedding, shall we?
- Wait.
- Come on.
Reindeer Santa's elf,
whatever it was, it was great.
Lovely. All right, let's
get you under the dryer.
Here we are.
Then we will have
the grand unveiling.
I can't wait.
Now I'm going to go
check on those boys.
If you need anything,
you just yell.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Now, this is galvanized steel.
Always remember, you can't go
wrong with galvanized steel.
Don't we have that crocheted
on a pillow somewhere?
Alex, sweetheart, what are
you going to put in it?
Mm. I don't know.
What's important to our family
for Christmas.
Galvanized steel.
I think the most important thing
is the time we spend
with each other.
Maybe family photos.
Yeah, that would be neat.
Dad, do you have
a different opinion?
This is a sturdy box here.
You don't want to waste
it on pictures.
That's why you have
photo albums.
[clears throat]
Okay, Dad.
Well, what do you suggest
we put in the time capsule?
Money.
Money?
Yeah, money.
Good old-fashioned
American currency.
That way, when you dig it
up, it'll be worth something.
It's supposed to be about
the spirit of Christmas.
Warmth and happiness and
family and good tidings
towards your fellow man.
You know what my
fellow man really wants?
Money.
Sweetheart, I just
wanted to talk to you
about my yam casserole.
Do you think that I need
to add... what are you doing?
Oh.
- Oh!
- Those are for later.
This is an emergency.
You'll survive.
He is impossible, Penny!
He is who he is
and you are who you are.
You need to find a way that
you can both be who you are
in the same room
without killing each other.
And if you can't, at least
do it in the backyard.
Because I have to serve
Christmas Eve dinner
in that room.
The problem is that we
are just so different.
No, the problem is
you are so much alike.
Get back in there!
[pleasant music]
Yes. Okay.
Thank you so much.
All right, bye.
Okay, so one of our
choir members said
we can use the heat lamps
from his backyard.
That's great.
Okay. Good news,
bad news.
Our customer found tuxes
for Max and his best man.
I run a theater
company downtown.
I've seen your shows.
You have?
Anyway, but no luck
on the dress.
At least not one that's
appropriate for a wedding.
I had the most perfect dress,
but it's in the venue
and we can't get to it.
Why did you have everything
deliver yesterday?
I mean, that's not how
weddings usually work.
We didn't want to have to worry
about doing stuff last minute.
No, that would be terrible.
Okay, so why are there
Christmas trees
in my living room?
Because it's cold outside
and we didn't want them
to freeze.
They're trees, they're
supposed to be outside.
And why are there four?
I thought we agreed on two.
Right. Two on each side
of the altar.
There's a bakery by the mall
that has a
Christmas-themed cake.
It's like a little
snow-covered village,
complete with a Christmas
tree in the town square.
So five trees.
Somebody was supposed
to pick it up today,
but they cancelled.
We can have it.
But we gotta go right now.
Perfect. We'll get
the Christmas Angels
and all the other decorations
at the mall
and then swing by the theater.
Great. Pastor Tim, Jessie,
why don't you get started
on decorating the trees?
Beth, let's go.
Oh. [clears throat]
Looks like it's just
the two of us.
Almost finished here, Barbara.
Thank you for fitting me in
on Christmas Eve.
I'm sure you'd prefer to be
with your family this morning.
It's much more festive in here,
believe me.
What is the story between
Eli and his father?
Did they ever get along?
Like oil and water those two.
Except they are both
very stubborn.
Walter is an engineer,
and he understands things
that he can build,
and Eli has always
been very creative.
Sensitive like his mother, Judy.
Now those two, oh,
they were thick as thieves,
especially at the holidays.
She would start singing carols
around Thanksgiving,
and she wouldn't stop
until after New Year.
[both chuckle]
She even had a clock that
played Christmas songs
every hour on the hour,
24 hours a day.
That's very merry.
Eli's mother was the glue
that held that family together.
And when she passed
a few years ago,
Walter and Eli
just drifted further apart.
It sounds like they need
someone new to be the glue.
Yes.
I think they do.
[sighs] Well, I am done.
It looks so... different.
[sighs]
Is that a good thing?
It's a wonderful thing.
So much for meatloaf Wednesdays.
Something other than Elvis'
Christmas album tonight.
No way.
We're still listening to that.
But this time
we'll dance together.
And then we'll talk,
really talk.
That's what every great
relationship needs.
Communication, no matter what.
Oh, Penny...
you always make me look great
and feel even better.
That's the best part of my job.
Now let's get you to your party.
There must be something
I can whip up
that doesn't involve water.
Regina, you really, really don't
need to feed us.
We're just gonna
go to the airport.
You know, the storm
seems to be... slowing down.
Your optimism is the thing
I love most about you.
Reminds me of your Uncle Greg.
[Nelson sings]
Joy to the world.
The Lord is come.
[laughs]
Let earth receive
her King.
Yeah.
Nelson, he's a character,
isn't he?
That's one way of putting it.
[laughs]
Well, I think he's charming.
- And heaven and nature.
- And heaven and nature
And heaven and nature.
I guess maybe a little.
- And nature sing
- [phone rings]
Hello. Yes, this is
Principal Johnston.
Who?
How did that happen?
Uh, no. I think
the custodian's
the only other one
that has the key.
Okay. Yeah.
Keep me posted.
Uh, that was the coach.
He said that some of the
students broke into the school
and got stuck in the gym.
How?
I don't know, but if
this snow keeps up,
they might be stuck there
for a while.
Mm.
I have a Christmas
Eve brainstorm.
- Come with me.
- What?
Okay.
So, do you know
what you're doing?
I'll figure it out.
You know me.
No, I don't.
All right. Now might be a good
time for a Christmas wish.
Hand me the...
You may not know
what you're doing,
but either way, you're
gonna need a wrench to do it.
You surprise me, Regina.
Because I know what a wrench is.
No, because you're not afraid
to tell a plumber to use one.
Well, you're not a plumber.
Ah. Well, you strike me
as somebody who can
take care of themselves.
Somebody I wouldn't want
to mess with.
I'm a high school principal.
You can't show weakness or you
know they will eat you alive.
That's true, but there's
more to it than that.
I guess I got used
to taking care of myself.
Mm.
May I ask about your husband?
Greg.
He passed away 10 years ago.
Yeah.
Conrad and Winnie
were still kids.
So as hard as it was, I had
to take care of everybody.
Who takes care of you?
Um. I don't need anyone
to take care of me.
Everybody needs
somebody sometimes.
Oh, and, hey, I am sorry
for overstepping earlier.
Hector gave me some context,
and I realized why I should
have kept my big mouth shut.
It's just not my strong suit.
I got that.
But I've been there, you know,
when my wife and I found out
that we couldn't have kids
of our own,
you know, it took
a while to adjust.
And then we were at a party.
And this loudmouth goes on
about how we should
consider adopting.
And that's how we ended up
with Melanie.
That's wonderful.
I just wish we'd gotten
there sooner.
You know, had more kids
and more Christmas mornings
with them.
Or with my wife before she...
We always want more time,
don't we?
Yeah.
Anyway, when kids come up now.
I become the loudmouth
at the party.
Oh, something tells me
that's not a rare occurrence.
[chuckles] See you do know me.
[laughs]
- Hey!
- Nice job, Nelson.
Hey.
Full disclosure, it's only
here in the kitchen,
and I don't know for how long.
Well, let's go get some pitchers
to fill up, then.
I told you I knew
what I was doing.
Still not a plumber.
[cheerful music]
Dad, what are you doing?
Careful on those stairs.
I'm fine.
I'm not made of glass.
Says the man
with the broken hip.
It didn't happen on the stairs.
It happened on that icy
front porch of yours,
and you really need to do
something about it.
I will be sure to give it
a stern talking to.
Huh.
What are you doing down here?
We're sitting up there
with an empty box.
What's it made of again?
Oh. It's galvanized...
[small chuckle]
You and your jokes
and your words and your...
I'll never understand you.
What's all this stuff?
Ornaments and keepsakes.
Thought I'd find
something interesting
to put into Alex's time capsule.
A lot of this was your mother's.
She loved Christmas.
Dad, do you remember this?
Oh, I have nightmares
about that.
Your mother knew
how much I hated it.
So she would only put it up
when she was mad at me
about something.
Well, it was up a lot.
Oh, Dad.
Wow, look at this.
Mom's singing Christmas clock.
What are you doing with this?
I've been looking
for this for years.
I didn't even know it was here.
You have no business
taking things that don't
belong to you.
Dad...
Okay. And you're sure you don't
need to stay at our house?
Yeah. The water's back on.
I'll be fine.
Okay. And what about, um...
Triple A's on the way?
You two need to get going.
You're gonna miss your flight.
If it doesn't get cancelled.
It's not gonna get cancelled.
All right, well, if
it gets cancelled,
you've got the key
so come in anytime.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas, honey.
Bye.
Um. Bye, Nelson.
Merry Christmas
Yeah, you too.
Nice meeting you.
Okay, here we go.
Bye guys.
You know, I'm sure the tow
truck will be here any minute.
Why don't I just wait
on the truck?
Oh, don't be silly.
You've got the water
working again.
I owe you.
I'm still going to send
you a bill.
Are you sure?
Yeah.
I'll make us some coffee.
Okay.
You know,
I just realized something.
Hm.
Today is the anniversary
of our first date.
That was not a date.
Christmas Eve,
17... 17 years ago.
That was absolutely not a date.
There was candlelight.
There was food.
I call it a date.
Okay. Can we just concentrate
on what we're doing?
Yeah.
Look, I was sorry
to hear about your divorce.
How did you...
Oh. Beth.
No, no, she didn't say anything.
It's just, uh...
it's not a big city and with,
you know, social media.
It's hard to not
keep up with someone.
You kept up with me?
Sure.
Didn't you keep up with me?
No.
What I...
No comment.
How are you, though?
You know, the end of a marriage
is never easy.
No, it wasn't at first,
but, you know, we, uh.
We figured it out,
and now we're just...
Friends?
Well, I don't invite him
over for coffee and pinnacle,
but something like that.
That's good.
Yeah. I, uh, never got married.
I know.
I mean, I... I don't know
because I didn't keep up
with you.
Yeah, I think we're
going to need more ornaments.
There's some in the basement.
- Okay, I'll give you a hand.
- Okay.
Oh! Found some.
These are nice.
Why don't you have these
on your own tree?
Those ornaments I got
when I was married.
Oh.
I just... I wanted my own.
So for everything
there's a season.
Time to seek, time to lose.
A time to keep and a time
to throw away.
Did you just quote Footloose?
Ecclesiastes. Same
chapter, different verse.
Ah.
Mm.
Okay. I have to ask,
what made you become a pastor?
Hey, when we were kids,
you got...
Into a lot of trouble.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Are you trying to make
up for past transgressions?
No.
No, it's nothing like that.
And it wasn't some
higher calling.
It was, uh...
It was actually Christmas.
Santa Claus told you to.
You know, you're still funny.
That was my freshman year.
My roommate took me to
Christmas Eve service and...
It moved me.
You know, I felt something.
And the more I thought about it,
the more I thought that
I wanted to help people
feel that way.
Hm.
You know, I'm glad
you're still doing theater.
You loved it when we were kids.
Yeah. There's nothing better
than being in a room full
of people,
hearing them laugh or applaud
for something you had
your hand in creating.
You should come to the church.
You know, we do theater
from time to time.
I'm guessing with fewer
sparkly costumes.
Apparently, you've never
been to Pinewood Episcopal.
Uh, I'm not exactly what
you might call religious.
It's okay.
A lot of our congregation
comes from the community.
The fellowship with the food.
We have a great potluck.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Well, I'll keep that in mind.
You do that.
[car horn]
Jessie? Pastor Tim?
Hey, Beth.
Where'd you get all this?
The mall.
Because it's Christmas Eve
everything was on sale.
Wow. Is there anything left?
Yeah, the car's still full.
No, I meant at the mall.
Did you get
the cake and the tuxes?
Yes, but no dress.
I'm never gonna find one
as perfect as the one I had.
Well, maybe I'll go down there
and see if anyone's around.
Play the pastor card.
Does that work?
Well, you'd be amazed.
I hardly ever pay
for appetizers.
Really?
No.
Oh, that's too bad.
I love appetizers.
If I can't talk my way in,
I've got a few other tricks
up my sleeve.
Right, Jessie?
No.
Appreciate it.
Okay, so here's the deal.
Wait, you still drink
Shirley Temples?
I do.
When I have a last-minute
wedding extravaganza
to put together at my house
on Christmas Eve.
It's fair enough.
So I talked to Carl, the owner.
Wait, isn't this Julian's?
Yeah.
But it's owned
by a guy named Carl.
Yes.
So why isn't it just Carl's?
I don't know,
what does it matter?
Because it's going to bug me.
Julian is the original
owner from the 1950s.
Carl is nice,
but a little cheap.
Didn't want to change the sign.
Oh. Thank you.
You're welcome.
Okay, so Carl said.
So Carl said that
he caters a lot of events
in the hall next door.
Sometimes he needs to get in
and the owners aren't around.
Oh, I don't like
where this is going.
[cheerful music]
- Hey, Grandpa.
- Hey.
What's best Christmas
present you ever got?
Why?
It's for the time capsule.
We have to answer all these
Christmas questions
and put it inside
so we can remember
them when we open it.
One of them is, what's
the best present you ever got?
How many times do
I have to answer this?
Money?
No. A real present.
Didn't you ever get a new toy?
Like a train or a pogo stick?
No. My father believed
that you should get things
you needed at Christmas.
Useful things like shoes.
You got shoes for Christmas?
If I was lucky.
You ever got anything
just for fun.
There was one year
when my mother took
some of her mad money.
And she bought me and
my sister a zoetrope.
What's that?
Ah...
A zoetrope, it's a thing.
It's shaped like a like a bowl.
And it's got pictures inside.
And when you spun it,
the pictures moved.
Like watching a movie.
Yeah. Sort of.
This one had the Santa
and his reindeer.
And when you got it going,
it just looked like
they were flying.
[laughs] That does sound neato.
Oh. It was.
I didn't understand
how it worked at first,
but when I figured it out,
I put one together myself.
That might have been the
first thing I ever built.
So it was the best Christmas
present you ever got?
I'd say so.
No. What about you?
Mm. It's hard to pick,
but I do like getting
those cards
from you every year
with a $5 bill inside.
That's my boy.
Okay. He'll be there
in an hour.
Just stay warm
and we'll talk about it
after the Christmas break.
Okay. Merry Christmas.
So Triple A is on the way,
but there are a lot of cars
stuck in the snow,
so it could be another
couple of hours.
Well, that's all right.
That gives us a chance to eat.
Here. Stir that.
Yep.
Oh, Did you talk
to the kids at school?
I did, the power went out,
but they seem fine.
Why did they break in?
You know, I don't have
the whole story yet,
but something about a Christmas
present and a wooden reindeer.
Is the reindeer
the Christmas present,
or is that a different deal?
Unclear.
At least I'll have
a disastrous Christmas story
to tell their grandkids.
I know I do.
Oh, can't wait to hear this.
So, do you remember
the Tommy Saunders Variety
Hour back in the '60s?
Sure. He was amazing.
Well, every year they were
broadcast live on Christmas Eve
from somebody's living room.
But it was a big secret
so they wouldn't have
a million people out
on the lawn, right?
Makes sense.
Well, I just started
dating my wife.
She loved the show,
so I thought I would
find out where they were
and then take her there as
a big Christmas surprise.
Smooth.
So I was doing apprentice work
at the electric company,
so I thought I could
figure it out
by just looking for unusually
high consumption
in a residential neighborhood.
Well, to make a long
story short,
I ended up blacking out
half the city.
No, you caused the power outage?
My friend Daisy
told me about that.
Yep. Well, you remember
what it was like
to be young and in love?
I do.
Almost there.
Just like old times, huh?
We shouldn't be doing this.
Carl said it's fine.
Oh, well, if Carl said...
It's breaking and entering.
Oh, the window's open.
It's not breaking.
It's just entering.
You're a pastor.
Isn't there a commandment
about this?
Yeah, there's one about
stealing, which we're not.
We're retrieving a wedding dress
that happens
to belong to your sister.
When did you become such
a stickler for the rules?
I am not a stickler.
I break rules all the time.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Really. Okay, um,
give me an example.
Okay.
I, uh...
Well, last week, I was baking
Christmas cookies,
and the recipe called
for one teaspoon of vanilla,
but I put in two.
Wow.
Yeah. You're a...
you're a rebel.
Can we do this?
It's freezing out.
Okay, but wait, wait.
What if somebody sees us
and calls the cops?
I'd never do anything to
put you in jeopardy, Jessie.
Ever.
Fine. But if we get caught,
I'm gonna say it was all your
idea, and you made me do it.
- So, just like our first date.
- That wasn't a date.
[grunts]
Got it.
All right, it's freezing.
Okay, so this must be the place.
Why don't you check over there
and I'll check over here?
Okay.
Let's go check it out.
[exhales]
Hey, um, may I ask
you a question?
Yeah. Of course.
Why did you break up with me?
Uh, I didn't.
Yeah. You did.
No. You broke up with me.
I absolutely did not.
I remember it like it
was yesterday.
It was our high school
graduation.
We were out in
the football field.
Lisa Turner was wearing
those glasses
that said class of 2000.
Which totally isn't important,
but it just popped in my head.
Anyway, you came up to me right
before we got our diplomas
and you said, Jessie,
we're through.
And then you just
you walked away
and you never spoke to me again.
Yes. That all happened.
I mean, the whole Lisa Turner
glasses thing,
I don't remember, but
I'll take your word for it.
Okay, then. So, ergo, ipso
facto, you broke up with me.
No. You broke up
with me the day before.
What?
No, I didn't.
Yes, you did.
Jeremy Tate's graduation party.
Him and David Chin
were throwing people
into his father's pool
and you were annoyed.
There was a sign right
there saying no horseplay.
There's the stickler.
Anyway, you came up to me
and you said,
Tim, I've decided to take
the offer to do theater at NYU.
You know, we both agreed
that we were going to go
to Oregon State together.
And you took that to mean that
I was breaking up with you.
You were going to college
across the country
how am I supposed to take that?
I was willing to try
the long distance.
I told you that.
And I told you that
it doesn't work.
Ergo, ipso facto,
you going to NYU
was breaking up with me.
No, I never said that.
I said that we should...
we should think about it,
and then we could figure it out.
But then the next day
at graduation,
you said that we were through.
Jessie, I was hurt,
and I was being a little petty.
But I thought once
you thought about it
that you would realize
that it wasn't going to work.
And I didn't want you to...
I didn't want you to say
it first.
Why didn't you just talk to me?
You broke my heart, Jessie.
You broke mine, too.
Oh, I found the dress.
Oh, that was delicious.
Well, it's not my usual
Christmas Eve spread,
but it turned out all right.
Compared to most holiday meals
I've had, this was a feast.
I remember one year Melanie
was on a ski trip
with some college friends,
and it was just my wife and me.
So we decided to go small.
You know, keep it simple.
Oh, that's never a good idea.
Well, I know that now.
We both thought the other
was going to go food shopping.
We got up Christmas morning
with absolutely nothing to eat.
I mean, the cupboards were bare.
Oh, what'd you do?
Well, you know, all the stores
were closed
and all the good restaurants
that were open were booked.
So we drove around
for about an hour
and found a little diner
that had a Santa Claus cutout
in the window and
a lot of empty tables.
Let me guess, there's a reason
there were so many empty tables.
Worst meal I ever had
in my life.
But at least we got
a good story to tell.
I love a good story,
especially when it has
to do with Christmas.
Yeah, so do I.
I think this might
make another one.
Yeah. Yeah, I wish I had some
dessert to offer you,
but I was going to make a pie
for the kids tomorrow.
Well, I'm not taking
your kids Christmas pie.
I saw you had some marshmallows.
You want to roast them?
Uh, sure.
Fireplace is right there.
You can't roast marshmallows
in a fireplace.
You got to be outside
with a big roaring fire.
Well, there is a fire
pit outside.
It's freezing and snowing, but.
That's what the fire's for.
[both laugh]
Come on, don't you think
this Christmas story
needs one more chapter?
So you've now heard two of my
disastrous Christmas stories.
I think it's your turn.
Uh, I don't think I have one.
Oh, come on,
you have to have one.
Some Christmas gone
horribly wrong.
You've never even burnt
the Christmas cookies.
Oh. When Winnie was six,
she tried to make them
and she burnt them
beyond recognition.
[chuckles] What'd you do?
I ate them all.
[laughs]
And I told them that
I loved my cookies burnt.
Ever since then, she...
She's only made
you burn cookies.
Yeah.
To this day.
Well, disaster averted.
What about gifts?
Did you ever forget
to buy for somebody?
Uh... Oh.
When Conrad was nine,
all he wanted for Christmas
was a new baseball glove.
So Greg bought it for him,
and then he forgot it at work.
And we didn't figure it out
until Christmas morning
when we were opening presents.
Conrad must have
been devastated.
Oh, that was definitely
a tantrum brewing.
So I came up with a wild
scavenger hunt
and told them that
there was one more gift.
He solved all of the clues,
and then him and his dad
drove to the station
and found the glove.
Ah.
Sorry, I don't really have
any disastrous
Christmas stories.
I guess I've just been lucky.
Sounds like it's your
family that's been lucky.
Thank you.
I hope so.
Christmas means the world
to them.
And your kids mean
the world to you?
Exactly.
I wish they were here.
It's not the same without burnt
Christmas cookies.
Oh.
I hope you like your
marshmallows burnt, too.
Is that the wedding dress?
- Yeah.
- Oh!
Thank you so much.
Holly, Christmas.
Isn't it amazing?
Beth, where in the world
did you get a tent?
Harvey's Tent Party supplies.
Why? Where'd you get yours?
I'm sorry.
Um, I think I need to, uh.
I need to go inside.
Um... excuse me.
[humming]
Need any help?
He asked after all the
hard work is already done.
Well, you married me,
you knew what you were getting.
How is it going in there?
Quietly.
He hasn't said much since
the incident in the basement.
You have no idea
why he's so upset
about your mother's clock.
He hated that clock.
He used to try
to hide it every year.
But my father not talking
for an extended period of time
is something I'm choosing
to view
as a Christmas miracle.
Eli, you can't let this go on.
Sure I can.
Okay, then I can't
let this go on.
It's Christmas.
Don't you want to have a
nice time with your father?
Well, of course I do.
But I don't know how to do that.
Do you?
Not yet, but I'm working on it.
That's not your job.
It has to be someone's.
[Alex] Dad, will you
take pictures
of what we're putting
in the capsule?
Yes. I'm coming right now.
Stay right there.
You're beautiful.
Here I come.
Okay, let's see what we got.
[exhales]
- Good job.
- Thanks, Grandpa.
Okay. Let's see what future
generations will learn
was important to the Kramer
family at Christmas, shall we?
Let's see what we have here.
Family photo.
Check.
In it goes.
It's the Christmas ornament
I made when I was a kid.
Do you remember this, Dad?
I do.
Okay. What else do we have?
Oh, your mother's recipe for
her yummy gingerbread cookies.
[chuckles]
Let's see what else
we have here.
The comic book you got
for Christmas last year.
Are you sure you want
to part with that, Alex?
It's important to me.
Okay. In it goes.
And finally, we have
your grandfather's tie.
Not sure what that has
to do with Christmas but.
That was your mother's gift
to me one year.
That's very nice, Dad.
Thank you.
You know, we don't really have
anything of mom's in here.
Do you want to go see
if there's anything else of
hers in the basement?
Seal it up and be done with it.
Okay.
Grandma would have liked this.
I wish she was here
to help us with it.
Me too, Alex.
All right.
Let's get a photo of this,
shall we?
[camera shutter snaps]
Well, you've been saying
an hour or two all day.
Oh, no, I know it's snowing.
No, no, don't put me on hold.
They put you on hold anyway.
And disconnected.
Here's a question for you.
How would you feel
about my truck
being parked in your
driveway until spring?
You haven't seen
my son's car yet, have you?
Trust me, your truck
is an improvement.
Look, I don't want to
inconvenience you anymore.
Why don't I just call a cab
and I'll go home and come back
when I know the tow
truck's on the way.
No, it's not an inconvenience.
I'm just about to put
on Miracle on 34th Street.
You're welcome to join.
Well...
Are you sure?
Well, I've got to warn you,
it's my favorite
Christmas movie.
And I cry like a baby
every time.
Well, this is
a no-judgment zone.
[movie theme music]
Oh. Thanks.

Regina. We're back.
Hi.
Oh. Hi, Ivy.
Um. What happened?
Uh, well, our flight
was canceled.
Not a word from you.
I wasn't going to.
You told us to just come on in.
We didn't want you to be
alone for Christmas.
[sentimental music]
Hey, Jessie. Sorry.
No, that's okay.
What's up, Max?
I just got to go down the street
and walk my grandma over here.
Oh, I love your grandma.
Is she excited
about the wedding?
Very. Except I'm worried
that there might not be one.
Why? Why not?
Beth is freaking out.
We couldn't figure out
a way to hang the angels
from the tent without
cutting holes in it.
She put up a tent in an hour.
And she's freaking out
about that?
Yeah, that's what she says.
But, um, I'm worried it
might be something more.
Will you talk to her,
maybe with Pastor Tim?
Yes. Of course.
- Thanks, Jessie.
- Yeah.
[sentimental music]
We need to talk.
Yeah, I agree.
Um. You and I...
No, no, no, we need
to talk to Beth.
I think she might be
getting cold feet.
Oh, yeah.
Beth, are you okay?
No.
Something's not right.
Beth, honey, we can find
a place for the angels.
It's not about the angels.
It's...
I mean, have
you seen the backyard?
How could I not?
I know it's beautiful,
but do you think it's too much?
It's just once I saw it all,
it just got really real,
you know.
It's like suddenly
I realized I'm getting married.
Beth, you've
been planning this wedding
since you were six years old.
Now, back then, you wanted
Santa to perform the ceremony.
You're not wearing a Santa
suit, are you?
That's at the cleaners.
My point is,
the things that were important
to you when you were a kid
don't have to be the same things
that are important to you now.
She's right.
You know, we are who we are
because of what we've
experienced in our past.
Love we had the life
we thought we wanted.
But sometimes you have
to let go of the past
and look to the future.
Yeah, what's done is done.
Does that mean you don't
appreciate where you've been?
It's just you need to look
forward to where you're going.
Even if it's without
the ones you once loved.
Are we still talking about me?
- Yes. Of course.
- Yes.
Yes, yes.
Look, I don't think
you're freaking out
about the wedding being too much
or not what you
thought it would be.
Because none of that matters.
What matters is that at the
end, you'll be marrying Max.
And you love him,
and he loves you.
And that's what's important.
You're right.
Okay.
Let's get me married.
All right.
[laughter] Yes.
Walter, we'll be eating soon.
I'm not really hungry.
I've made your favorites,
scalloped potatoes,
the stuffing with the chestnuts.
And the turkey.
Well, maybe I could take my
plate in the living room
so I can watch TV while I eat
and I fix the reception.
Well, thank you,
but it's Christmas Eve
and you should eat dinner
with your family.
Um... The three of you
are family.
I'm just some burden staying in
the guest room for a few weeks.
What would make you say that?
My son saying it first.
I know I'm not the father
he wishes he had.
Walter... do you think maybe
it's because he feels
like he's not the son
you wish you had?
You are not just a house guest,
and you will never be a burden.
It's Christmas, so you need
to march up those stairs
and have dinner with your
family and talk, really talk.
That's what great
relationships are about.
You sound just like
Eli's mother.
[teary] That is the nicest thing
you have ever said to me.
[sighs]
Now, are you going
up those stairs?
Are you sure that's
what Eli wants?
It's what I want.
[radio] Coming up, find out
which lucky family is getting
a surprise visit from the
Tommy Saunders Variety Hour
Christmas Eve Special.
Sweetheart, you need
to tell your father
to come up for dinner.
I thought you just did that.
He needs to hear it from you.
Well, I need to hear that
he wants to come up for dinner.
Eli, what is it going to take
to get the two of you
to bury the hatchet?
An act of God.
You were saying?
[peaceful music]
You look beautiful.
Well, you look pretty
good yourself.
Ah.
How's, uh... how's Beth doing?
Oh, I think our talk
with her helped.
- Good.
- Yeah.
I'm glad that was
an important message.
Letting go of the past.
Yeah.
It's tough, though,
when it meant so much...
to Beth, I mean.
- And Max.
- Yes.
To want the perfect
wedding as much as she did.
He did.
But they're not the same
people as they used to be.
Yeah. Time will do that
to you.
I just hope they're
both grateful
for the time they had
those dreams.
Yeah, I think they are.
Friends.
Friends?
Friends.
Grandpa?
Alex.
What are you doing
in mom's salon?
Oh, it's too dark
in the basement.
Dad said the power is out
all over the neighborhood.
What do you think caused it?
Somebody's doing something
they shouldn't have been doing.
Mm.
Do you think Santa will still
be able to find our house?
Oh, he's still got
Rudolph's nose, right?
I'm sure there's going to be
no problem.
The time capsule.
Did it get buried?
Not yet.
Oh, well, maybe
after dinner, then.
Hm.
You're going to help,
aren't you?
Sure. Of course I am.
Good.
I wonder what things will be
like when we dig it up in 1967.
Maybe there will be robots and
spaceships and stuff like that.
You read too many comic books.
[groans] Seven years seems like
a really long time from now.
But it's not.
It goes by fast.
So everything will be the same.
Do you think Christmas
will be the same?
Toys will probably
be different, I'm sure.
And you know the things
we wrap them up in.
Hm.
It doesn't really matter.
The teacher that gave us
the assignment
to do the time capsule
said we should think about
when we open the box.
What do we want the future
us to know about the now us?
What do we want to remember?
Yeah. Remembering
is a good thing.
I guess if you do,
then Christmas will always be
exactly like it is now.
[Penny] Alex, honey, come get
washed up for dinner.
Okay, mom.
Thanks, Grandpa.
See ya.
[Wedding March plays]



You may be seated.
Love conquers all.
If you love someone,
set them free.
Stop in the name of love.
[chuckles]
And lastly, it's better
to have loved and lost
than to have never loved at all.
Now, why are there so
many sayings about love?
I believe because it's
so difficult to explain.
And we write songs and
movies and sonnets about it.
Even Paul writes in his first
letters to the Corinthians.
Love is patient.
Love is kind.
That love is
the greatest gift of all.
And when you receive it,
you treasure it for the rest
of your life,
because it is what connects us
all together.
It's what connects us
across generations.
Love makes everything possible.
Even a last-minute
outdoor wedding in the snow
on Christmas Eve.
[guests laugh]
Max, do you take Beth to be
your lawfully wedded wife
in sickness and health,
forsaking all others
for as long as you
both shall live?
I do.
Beth.
Do you take Max to be your
lawfully wedded husband
in sickness and health,
forsaking all others
for as long as you
both shall live?
I do.
Now, by the power vested
in me by the state,
the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit
of Christmas,
[guests laugh]
I now pronounce you
husband and wife.
Max, you may kiss your bride.
[cheering and applause]
[joyous music]

- Hey!
- Hi.
Just getting the turkey ready.
A little bit less to do tomorrow
when I'm getting
Christmas dinner ready.
Yeah, I can see that.
Uh, are you okay?
What? Yes.
I'm fine.
Are you sure?
I feel like if you rub
that turkey any harder,
all we're gonna be left
with is the wishbone.
So you fell asleep on the couch?
Big deal.
I fell asleep next
to a man I barely know.
So what. It doesn't mean
anything, does it?
No, of course not.
Should I ask the turkey?
I feel like I might have
a different opinion.
I used to fall asleep
next to Greg
when we would
watch Christmas movies.
Oh, Regina.
This house.
I love it, I do, but it has
so many memories
and I don't know
how to give that up.
It's why I keep the clock
on the mantel.
Because when it goes off,
it's like he's saying
Merry Christmas.
Regina... memories
are just a way
of keeping the things we
love close to us, you know?
It's a way to make sure
we never lose them.
There's a lot of love
in this house.
I know.
You know, my parents talk about
Cherry Lane all the time.
I do too.
And I remember it.
The thing is, you can't
get stuck in the past.
Creating new memories doesn't
mean forgetting the old ones.
But what if I'm still not ready?
Mom says dinner is ready.
Great. Thank you.
I'll be in in a minute.
Just making sure
the ground's not too frozen.
Okay. Don't dig the hole yet.
Mom and grandpa have to be here.
Oh, I don't think your
grandpa's going to want
to be outside for this.
He said he would.
Oh, okay. Good.
It's really important
that everybody's here, Dad.
It's the Kramer family
Christmas time capsule.
That means all of us.
It's all I want for Christmas.
Did your mom tell you
to say that?
Yeah. Okay.
I'll be in in a minute.
Get in there.
Okay.
But Dad...
Just because mom told me
to say it
doesn't mean I don't mean it.
Well, the kids made it
out of the school.
That's good to hear.
Any clarity on the wooden
reindeer situation?
Yeah. It turns out that
the reindeer
was the Christmas present.
So the Whitman boy carved it
for his father in woodshop
and left it in his locker
and went back to get it.
[laughter]
Well, it's hard
to blame somebody
when the excuse
is because Christmas.
Well, um, I should probably
head out.
Oh. You're leaving?
Yeah. The tow truck guy
got my car up and running
so I can get out of your hair.
Great. That's great.
Um...
Um, Hector, can you help me
with something in
the kitchen, please?
- What?
- Let's go.
So, uh, how much do I owe you?
You don't owe me anything.
You fed me.
So let's call it even.
I'll call my buddy and have him
come out the day after Christmas.
And he can figure out what's
going on with your pipes.
You're not coming back?
Um, I don't think I should.
I'm not a plumber, remember?
Mhm. Right.
Well thank you.
Um... Thank you for
a new Christmas story.
You're welcome.
Merry Christmas Regina.
Merry Christmas Nelson.
Ready to go?
Yeah, I think so.
Just giving her one last look.
Well. That's good.
Good idea.
This is solid.
Can't go wrong
with galvanized steel.
You know, son,
this is not the way I would
have done things.
Yeah.
But you did good here.
Good job.
All of this.
You did good, Eli.
Thanks, Dad.
It, uh...
It helped that I had somebody
who knew what they were doing.
Let there be light.
What do you know?
Hey, uh...
let's seal this up
and get it in the ground,
shall we?
Yeah.
Yeah, although I think there's
room for... for one more thing.
Dad...
That's mom's clock.
Let me get this stuff
out of here.
Put that down first.
Hey, you guys gonna be able
to get a flight
to Michigan tomorrow?
Yeah. Talk to the airline
and we are rebooked.
But if they can't get
the runways clear,
they might cancel again.
No, they're not gonna cancel.
[laughs]
Well, I guess
we should head home.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Give your parents
a big hug from me.
I will.
Hey, do you want to just stay
with us tonight?
We can open presents
in the morning in PJs tomorrow.
Thank you, but
I think I'll stay here.
I need to get up early anyway,
to prep Christmas dinner.
[Nelson] Regina! Regina!
Come out here!
Is that Nelson?
What is he doing
in the backyard?
Well, let's go see.
You came back.
I never left.
Well, that's great, but why
are you digging up my yard?
I figured out
where your pipe broke.
How?
With a metal detector
and a good shovel.
You carry a metal detector
in your truck?
Don't you?
You can't imagine how many
times that's come in handy.
Yeah. How many?
Including today? One.
But the point is,
I solved your problem.
I thought you were gonna
get a plumber to do that.
I changed my mind.
It was a tree root.
And the only reason
the root hit the pipe
was because it couldn't
go where it wanted to.
Wait, what stops the tree root?
A galvanized steel box.
That was buried up
against a rock.
I think we're good.
Okay.
Kramer Family Time Capsule,
Huh?
Oh, look at them.
Ooh! A recipe for gingerbread.
And a comic book.
And...
Christmas ornament.
Hey, there's something else
wedged down in the bottom.
It's big too.
Regina, it's another
Christmas clock.
[cuckoo chimes]
Hm.
Merry Christmas to you too, sweetheart.
[cuckoo chimes]
[cuckoo]

- Jessie.
- Hey.
My grandma wanted to say good
night before I walk her home.
It was so good to see you,
Barbara.
Good to see you too, dear.
Beautiful wedding.
Wasn't it?
Oh, I meant to tell you.
I love the book
that you recommended.
Oh, good.
What book?
It's called "Christmas
with Walter".
It was written by a guy that used
to live in this house, Eli Kramer.
It's about his relationship
with his father.
It's just beautiful.
My friend Penny used
to style my hair.
She was Eli's wife.
We would talk and talk.
Did they really bury a time
capsule in the backyard?
Sure thing.
That was in 1960.
Oh, they moved away
a few years later,
but they left it here so the
new family could discover it
and find out about their family.
I wonder if it's
still out there.
Oh. Who knows?
Well, I suppose we
really must get going.
Merry Christmas, Jessie.
Merry Christmas Barbara.
Thanks.
Hi.
I was just going
to go get some fresh air
- if you want to...
- I would love.
Okay.

Winter days are moving in
[shudders]
It's you I'm thinking of
Everything in red and green
along the city streets
Thank you.
It's you I'm thinking of
[laughs]
December days
You remember our first dance?
I do, it was our first date.
It wasn't a date.
It was a crime.
No, we weren't charged.
Principal Johnson only cut us a
break because it was Christmas.
We still got suspended, though.
It was totally worth it.
It was a wooden reindeer.
I needed something for my dad.
I cannot get my dad a present.
Also, you didn't have to
come with me.
You barely knew me.
Well, you knew me well enough
to know that I knew
how to sneak into
the school's theater.
Well, I don't care what you say.
There was food.
There was candlelight.
We danced while
we were locked down there.
So it was a date.
There was no kiss.
It can't be a date
if there's no kiss.
I'll take care of that later.
I'm glad we talked through
what happened back then.
Yeah.
Yeah. Me too.
We just both needed closure.
Yeah. Yeah, closure is good.
Now we can...
forget about the past and
just move on with our lives.
Although...
I'm listening.
They say those
that forget about the past
are doomed to repeat it.
Well, that's very true.
So we should probably both
just say what needs to be said.
Tim...
I'm done talking.
It's about time.
You are the one on top
of my wish list.
After all it's another day
made for two.
So that, uh, plumber
friend of mine will be back
right after Christmas.
All right. You know, Nelson,
you've already done so much.
Why don't you just come
back and fix it yourself?
Are you sure?
I'm sure.
Okay, well, I'll see you
in a couple of days.
I'll be here.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Regina.
Nelson...
I'm not quite ready for
this Christmas story to end.
Why don't you ask me out?
Regina, would you like
to go out on a date?
I would.
Mm. You know, just to clarify.
Me coming back in a few days
to deal with your pipes.
That doesn't count,
because that's work.
Correct.
And technically,
you didn't pay me for today,
so maybe we already had
our first date.
Maybe we did.
Well, then maybe I should
kiss you good night.
Maybe you should.
[romantic music]
Merry Christmas.
It is thanks to you.


This is a pretty great house.
Welcome to Cherry Lane.