Letters at Christmas (2024) Movie Script
1
(projector clicking)
(dramatic music)
(suspenseful music)
(gentle acoustic music)
(gentle acoustic music
continues)
(warm jazz music)
- Michael, Honey.
Wash up for dinner.
- Okay, Mommy.
- And put your toys
away. It's bath night.
- Oh, I just had one!
- [Mother] That was
a week ago, Mijito.
- Barely.
- I'll see you in
the kitchen, okay?
(soft jazz music continues)
(soft jazz music continues)
- Do you want corn?
- Potatoes?
- Greens?
- No!
(soft jazz music continues)
- Children, we have to move
out of the hotel for a while.
Your father's savings is gone.
I have to work in the
city for a couple months.
- Where will we live?
- We will be offering
this room to other renters
while we are gone to work.
We get to live in the
homes of other people
that are working out of town.
Okay?
The railroad has
been very helpful.
- What about Grandmother?
- Your father's mother
has not written back,
but I have it all figured out.
It'll be an adventure.
- Sounds fun!
- It will be.
Now eat your food!
(birds chirping)
(door slams)
(Jason sighs deeply)
(birds chirping)
- This place has
seen better days.
Kids, don't get
in anybody's way!
- Good morning!
- Ah, Roger?
- That's me.
(dog barking)
- Ease up there, Roger!
We're still not divorced.
- Hey, yeah.
Catherine said there
are no guests currently,
but they will arrive
later tonight.
- So how much of the
hotel is damaged?
- The east wing is collapsed,
but the rooms and
lobby are sound.
With a little bit of work,
they'll be available to be used.
- How much staff?
- Two!
Catherine and Rojelio.
They call him Junior.
- They?
- Well, he's got a crew.
- And we pay them?
- I'm not exactly
sure what the deal is.
I didn't spend a
bunch of time here
when your grandfather was alive.
I just met these folks at
the Thanksgiving feast.
- So how many plates
did they sell?
- 75.
- And how many are we
expecting for Christmas?
- Catherine just said, "125."
Why don't you come in?
I'll introduce you.
(dog barking)
(bell jingles)
(warm piano music)
- Hi!
- Hi! I'm Jason.
- I'm Nadia.
- Catherine. This is so great.
Pop talked about you
guys all the time.
- Pop?
- Your grandfather,
Mr. Lawrence.
- Yeah.
- [Catherine] He was
really excited about
you taking over this
place.
- We're not gonna
stay very long.
We're just gonna clean
it up and sell it.
- Oh! Well, that
makes me very sad.
- It's for the best.
- Yes, it is.
- Right! So I will
get you a room key.
- Two rooms, please.
- Right.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
I'll take the kids
with me tonight.
- That's fine.
Where are they? They
just ran in here.
- [Catherine] Ah,
yeah. Up the stairs.
I think they're on
the third floor.
- Thank you.
- Hey, Junior!
- Hi!
- [Catherine] You
can grab their bags?
- Yeah! Yeah!
Your bags, they're in your car?
- Yes!
- [Junior] I'll take your keys.
- Thank you, Junior.
- Thank you.
- It's nice to meet you both.
Okay, thanks. I'm on my way.
- Thank you, Roger!
- [Catherine] Up the stairs,
across the hall, and up the
second step of stairs.
- [Jason] Thank you!
I know the way. Thank you.
(warm jazz music)
(phone ringing)
- [Receptionist] Hi, there.
Welcome to the Val Verde.
- The Flynns.
- The Flynns!
There you go, Mr. Flynn.
- Thank you very much.
(phone ringing)
- What is this?
(board scrapes)
(somber piano music)
My name is Michael. My
dad's name is Michael too.
He died in Germany.
He flew the B-17 bomber.
He was a navigator,
that means he was the one
who told them where to go.
35 missions.
These are my toys.
My dad played with me.
If you find these toys,
please be careful.
Your friend, Michael.
(somber piano music continues)
Dear Michael, my name's Laura.
My daddy's name is Thomas.
He died on the railroad.
My new daddy is my
daddy's brother, Bob.
He's nice to me and my mom.
My mom's name is Sabrina.
She makes clothes.
I like your room.
I will take very good
care of your toys.
I will continue to write
you letters as we stay here.
I hope you write me back.
Your friend, Laura.
(somber piano music continues)
(door squeaks)
(gentle piano music)
- Kids! It's just us tonight.
Your dad's staying
in another room.
- What's there to do here?
- I don't know yet.
We'll walk around after dinner.
Catherine said
dinner in an hour.
Get unpacked.
- How long are we staying?
- [Nadia] As long as it
takes to sell this place
so your father and I can
split the money and move on.
- Sounds done.
Where are we gonna go then?
- Well, we'll
figure it out then.
- Where's Dad gonna live?
- Who knows? He's really
focused on his new career.
I don't know much about
where he plans to land.
- Well, can we at least sit
together and figure this out?
- There really isn't much
more to figure out, Honey.
Your father and I just don't
work out like we used to.
- Dinner though. We can
have dinner together.
- Yes, of course! Of course!
Come here, Luke.
Get unpacked, okay?
- Okay.
(gentle piano music continues)
(dog barking)
- Nic, look!
(dog barking)
(gentle bright piano music)
- All right. Well, that
doesn't matter to me, okay?
That's not what's important.
All right, fine. Fine,
fine, fine, fine, fine.
I'm busy now for
the rest of the day.
Hey, look!
I don't care who you sell
it to, just sell it, okay?
The sooner, the better.
- I got an industrial
group looking tomorrow.
If they bite, all your
troubles will be over.
- Good, 'cause I'm not
gonna spend my life savings
rebuilding this place just
to have it torn down again.
All right? I'm selling it as-is.
- The last time these
guys bought a property,
it was twice the market.
You could build this building
from scratch, tear it down,
and still be in profit.
- All right. Good.
I'm not gonna do that, but good.
(gentle piano music)
(gentle piano music continues)
- You're selling?
- Uh, divorce isn't cheap.
- Oh, it's none of my business.
I'm sorry for you both, really.
- Yeah, me too.
(items clang and rattle)
(items banging and rattling)
(emotional music)
Tried to conjure up friends
But they ran away
Said I'll make
an incantation
That would make my
troubles just fade
But what was I
trying to pull
Out of
- This old place.
'Cause I was just lying
about the life I had
Where is the magic
that holds the sky up
It makes me look upward
whenever it rains
And where is the feeling
that fills my life up
To tell you I don't
think it's stayed
- Do you think these
were the doors they had
when this place was first built?
- You mean when Grandpa had it?
- No, before that.
Grandpa bought this
place when Dad was born.
- [Luke] How old is it?
- About a hundred years old.
- How many people do
you think stayed here?
- I don't know.
A lot, I suppose.
- [Nadia] Kids, dinner!
(lamp shatters)
- Shoot!
- Mom's gonna freak!
- Okay, don't say anything.
We'll clean it up
when we get back.
- Your funeral!
Woo! Woo! Dinner time!
- Where's Mom at?
- You didn't see any real
ghost stuff, did you?
Did you?
What'd you guys see?
You can tell me.
You can tell me.
- Ghosts.
- No, you didn't!
- Why'd you stand up?
- It's the polite thing to
do when a lady sits down.
- Why don't we ever
do that at home?
- Well, sometimes we
get so busy at home,
we forget to do the
things that we should.
- Mm! Is that why we're
getting a divorce?
- Honey, we are not
getting a divorce.
Your mother and I...
It has nothing to
do with you guys.
It's between us as adults. Okay?
You guys are wonderful.
- Yeah guys, we love
you both very much.
Just sometimes grownups
just grow apart.
- Well grow back!
Like a lobster claw.
- Doesn't work
like that actually.
But you'll be fine, really.
- Guys, sometimes it
just works out better.
- [Nadia] You'll be fine.
- Bon appetit!
Seared scallops with
infused butter and herbs.
- [Jason] Thank you.
- Don't we get to
order something?
- Oh, not here, sweetheart.
We pick the menu and
we serve it to you.
- What if I'm vegan?
- Are you? Your
mother didn't say.
- No, I was just wondering
if there was an option
if I was vegan.
- Yes, there is.
- That's quite enough, Nicole.
Catherine, this looks
amazing. Thank you.
- Yeah, enjoy.
- Thank you.
Dig in!
- Do we really own this place?
- Yes, we do.
- Why are we selling it?
This is amazing!
- Well, we can't afford it.
I mean, this place
will cost so much money
just to get back up to code.
They're gonna condemn it.
- How can they condemn
someone's property?
- Well, we're eating
in here because
the roof in the dining
room has collapsed.
- Well, maybe if they had menus
and let people order
what they wanted,
they might have made more money.
- Yeah, that'd be nice
if they actually had
access to the kitchen.
- Mm!
- It's good though, right?
Uh-huh!
(Luke giggles)
(Jason laughs)
Mm!
- Hey, Junior!
- Thank you.
Hey, that Jason.
He's a strange guy, huh?
- What do you mean, "Strange?"
- Well, you know he spends
a ton of time looking at you
when his wife is
standing right there.
- Like looking at
me, looking at me?
- Yep. Looking at
you, looking at you.
- Well, I guess they are
getting a divorce, so.
- Oh, really?
Well, that's kinda sad.
- Yeah, especially
for those kids.
(cutlery clinks)
(bulb scrapes)
(broom scrapes)
(shattered pieces clink)
(board scrapes)
(board bangs)
- Look at that.
(slinky clinks)
- Someone left all these toys.
(gentle music)
- [Luke] Do you think
they're a hundred years old?
- I'm sure they're old.
Probably not a hundred.
(papers rustle)
These letters.
(gentle music continues)
My name is Michael. My
daddy's name was Michael too.
He died in Germany. He flew in
the B-17 bomber, Squadron J.
He was a navigator,
that means he was the one
who told them where to go.
35 missions.
Those are my toys.
My daddy played with me.
If you find these toys,
please be careful.
Your friend, Michael.
- Dear Michael,
my name is Laura.
My daddy's name is Thomas.
He died on the railroad.
My new Daddy is my
Daddy's brother, Bob.
He is nice to me and my mom.
My mom's name is Sabrina.
She makes clothes.
I like your room
and I will take very
good care of your toys,
but I will continue to
write you these letters
as we stay here.
And I hope you
will write me back.
Your friend, Laura.
- [Nicole] Laura, your picture
was exhilarating to see.
- [Michael] I pictured
you as an angel,
but I had no idea how much
you looked like Heaven.
- Michael! The bus will
be here in 20 minutes.
- Okay, Mom!
Mary Lou
- I have been going to school
with a lot of pretty girls,
but I don't talk to
them like I talk to you.
There's something
special about you.
I wish I could explain it.
Thank you for the
bracelet you made.
I gave it to my Mom.
Here's a picture of
me and my family.
Mom said she would try to get
me a photograph of just me.
She's been busy.
Christmas is coming up.
I 've left you a gift.
I hope you like it.
Yours, Michael.
'Cause then I'll cry
- Michael, I'm so sad
we haven't met yet.
Mom says we missed you
by only a few days.
Mom's dresses made it
to the sample room.
It was wonderful to see her
start to become successful.
My baby doll is my new
addition to the vault.
She is a fighter
like your soldier.
Please take care of her.
She is tough. Your
friend, Laura.
Bye Mary Lou
- Wow!
These two are falling
in love over letters
and they never even met.
- Imagine if Dad wrote
something like that to Mom.
She would stop being mad
at him for being so busy
for a year.
- I bet if Mom told Dad that
she was his and he was hers,
he'd find the time to call
her even if he was busy.
What if...
- We write letters to them?
- Yeah!
- We can write them letters
like this from each other
and let them fall back in love.
- Okay, but we need
to keep them apart
so they don't give it away.
- You take Dad and
I'll stay with Mom.
We place the letters we write
and make sure they find them.
- Brilliant.
- [Nadia] Kids, I'm going
to bed. Not too late.
- Goodnight, Mom!
- Goodnight, Mom!
- Let's see. Let's
start with Mom.
What would Michael say?
My dearest Nadia.
It seems like ages
since we've spoke.
- All the lovely things in life,
I see none of them make me feel
like I feel when I see you.
- That's good.
Ooh! This is good.
This hotel wraps its arms
around me like they are yours.
And even as the leaves
fall in the courtyard,
I feel your presence around me.
- Okay, let's back
it off just a bit
so you don't make it
too much to believe.
Add in there:
Work is very important to me,
but I think I forgot
what I was doing it for.
- That's good, little brother.
- Michael said it in this one
when he started high school.
Football player.
- Just because I'm busy,
it doesn't mean you're
not always on my mind.
- Still yours?
- Too much?
- No, but we are going to
need to be really careful
not to let them cross paths
for the next few days.
- Yeah, we need help.
- Who?
- Okay, so what do
you have in mind?
- Well, if we can
keep them apart
until we deliver
them a couple letters
to lock them back
into their marriage,
I know that when they finally
do see each other again,
it'll make all the difference.
- How do we do that?
- Well, we have that
dinner coming up.
Can you set them jobs
that'll separate them?
- I could use some
help with the toilets.
Maybe your dad could commit
to helping me with that.
Ow! Oh!
- I bet if I tell him
that I want to help,
he will want to be sure
that I do it right.
- So we're gonna need to
keep them on separate floors.
The guest rooms need setting up.
How's your mom at decorating?
- She's great! She should
be an interior decorator.
She just didn't wanna travel
while we were in school.
- Who knew she was so
perfect for this place?
- Mom's pretty
perfect all around.
- I believe you.
- Yeah. You believe in bacon?
- I'm getting it! I
only have two hands.
- Oh, yeah.
And I'll take a couple of
those hands for the season.
- [Catherine] Yeah, I know.
- Dad and I can help.
- [Junior] Yeah?
- Sure!
- All right! 'Cause, you know,
like I said, I need to do
the toilets before the drip
breaks them through the floor.
- Let's do it.
- All right. Let
me get some tools.
(footsteps racing)
- Oh! Catherine, coffee please!
- Oh, you didn't
sleep last night?
- I know getting
coffee isn't your job,
I just did not have a
coffee maker in my room.
- No, it's no problem. Here.
- I will take you a
coffee maker after lunch.
- Thank you.
- Is the room very comfortable?
- No, it's fine.
I just can't get used to these
noises in this old building.
- Ghosts?
- I'm sure!
- No! There are no ghosts here.
Old buildings have
their own noises.
- Mm!
Mmm!
So what's the plan?
- I'm gonna learn how
to replace toilets.
- Sounds fun.
- Mom, Catherine was telling me
they need help
decorating upstairs.
Can we help them? Please?
Mom, you haven't
decorated in years.
- Okay! If Catherine needs
our help, we'll give her help.
- It would be a huge help.
I have a ton to do and not
enough hours in my day.
- Well then, I'll make
myself available to you.
- Great! I'll meet you
upstairs after breakfast.
- See you in about an hour?
- Sure. Nicole?
- Wouldn't miss it!
- Good morning, fine people.
How's the life of
you future tycoons?
- Fine, thank you.
- What's a tycoon?
- Masters of industry and
property development giants.
- Aren't we selling?
- Yes!
But what we're selling
this place for,
we can buy two more.
- We don't talk business
with the children.
- Well...
They're gonna learn
about it eventually.
Shouldn't they know
where it comes from?
- I'll decide when they should
learn about our business.
- I don't like that
we're selling this place.
- Like I said, the offer's
too good to pass up.
- Like I said, I'll decide
what's best for my children.
Kids, go upstairs.
- Hey, Mom, I'm gonna stay
with Dad tonight, okay?
- [Nadia] Whatever
you want, Honey.
- Okay, I'm gonna be with
you all day tomorrow though.
I wanna learn how to do rooms.
- Look, Nadia, I'm sorry
if I stepped over the line.
I'm just really excited
for you and your family
and I think you'll
be very pleased with
the deal I'm working.
- Not if it means
selling this place.
I'm sorry. It's
none of my business.
- No! You're not all wrong.
Too bad Jason's the one in
charge of this situation.
- Thank goodness, right?
Then he'll get all the
credit for this amazing deal.
- Thank goodness.
Thank you, Junior, for
cleaning all of that up.
- Yep, yep, yep.
- Thanks.
- Wait, isn't your
husband coming down?
- Just missed him.
- I'll call him. No worries.
- Breakfast?
- Oh! No, maybe just coffee.
(Junior laughs)
- Yeah! Woo!
Whew!
- Now what?
- Junior!
- Oh!
Oh! Yep.
- Get it off the table!
- Oh, yeah. Okay.
- What are you doing
with the toilet?
- Well, what do you
normally do with a toilet?
- Nothing in a dining room.
- Who uses a toilet
in the dining room?
- Exactly.
- Then we're on the same page.
I gotta go.
All right, ah! Here we go.
Upstairs, I think. I
think I'm going upstairs.
- These are beautiful.
They're handmade!
That's how they did
it back in the day.
Grab these bedsheets.
I'll show you.
- Okay.
This room is much smaller
than the one we're in.
- Yeah! We have the Penthouse.
It's where people who worked
in a hotel used to stay.
It's almost like a dorm.
- Even Dad's room
is bigger than this.
- Yeah, he's in the
Governor's Suite.
That's where the
VIPs used to stay.
Elizabeth Taylor
used to stay there.
- Who's she?
- Ssh! Shut your mouth, girl.
That's blasphemy!
- What? Is she like
famous or something?
- What? Ah!
She was! She was the
Angelina Jolie of her time.
So many of the best old movies.
She was wonderful.
She was beautiful.
Quite the history between
her and Nicky Hilton
here in this hotel.
- Like Paris Hilton?
- Yes! Her grandfather.
Oh!
- You know, I think I saw Dad
writing you a letter earlier.
- A letter? He's not
really a letter guy.
- Don't write him off like that.
I seriously think he was.
- I love you, Honey, but
this is grownup stuff.
- Well, what you guys do
affects me and Luke too, so.
- I know. Look,
Go to the closet and grab
me two more pillows, please?
(footsteps rushing)
(gentle bright music)
(gentle bright music continues)
- I told you I'm
not gonna be free!
Not until next week.
I know. All right.
All right, fine! All right, bye.
Hey! (kisses)
Come here. Come here.
You all right?
Here!
Come here. Come here.
Come here. Come here.
Come here. Come here. Come here.
There you go. There you go.
All right.
- [Nicole] I got the pillows!
- Ah! Did you get lost?
- No. I just don't
like public restrooms.
- Chicken!
Perfect.
- Wow, Mom, this looks amazing.
- Thank you, Daughter.
You're quite the helper
bee. You ready for lunch?
- Yeah, let's go!
- You got it.
- Hurry, Mom. I don't
want them to see us.
- Why not?
- I've spent every second
of the last week with them.
I just want one lunch together.
- Okay. But that is silly.
- Girls' day?
- Girls' day.
- Okay.
- All right, Luke,
just drive that screw right
all the way
through that into the wall.
(drill buzzing)
Hey! There you go.
Good job, Buddy!
- Thanks!
- Yeah!
- Hey, did you talk to Mom?
- Ah, when? What about?
- I don't know.
Anytime today.
She was writing you
a letter last night.
I wanted to know what it said.
- Well, I don't know 'cause
I didn't see anything.
- Oh. Well, maybe she
wasn't done with it yet.
- Well, how do you know
she was writing it to me?
- My dearest Jason
was a clear giveaway.
Unless you know another
guy named Jason.
- No, I don't.
Maybe she-
My dearest Jason? She
really wrote that?
You sure?
- Dad, I'm 10. I can read.
(toilet flushes)
- Junior, that was
just a test, right?
- Yep! Mm-hmm.
Well, I had to make sure
it could handle the load.
- The what?
- Well, you know?
I needed to test
that it was flushing
and I just didn't wanna waste
the water and flush nothing.
- Junior! That's gross!
We're right here.
- Mm-hmm!
-Not anymore though.
We're outta here. We're going.
Come on, Buddy.
Let's get outta here.
Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, come on. That's
what a man smells like.
Doesn't smell like perfume,
for heaven's sakes.
Oh, man! I just dropped my
cell phone in the toilet.
(Jason laughs cheerfully)
- That Junior sure
is a goofball.
Hey! This must be the
letter that your mom wrote.
(gentle music)
She doesn't wear
perfume much anymore.
- Did she lace it on the letter?
- Maybe.
(gentle music continues)
- Out loud, Dad!
What does it say?
- Hold your horses.
All right.
My dearest Jason,
it seems like a year
since we've had any
connection to each other.
I stare out of this
window into the courtyard
and the world seems so large.
You are so far away.
But I breathe in the
air from this room
and know that you
are here with me.
It's a peace that I
haven't felt in so long.
It's almost Christmas
and the only thing
I've asked Santa for-
- Is the chance to spend
a few moments with you.
- We have such a
difficult relationship.
It's easy to think of
even the smallest thing
to make things better.
A smile, a kind word,
a brush of my hand on yours.
- Place the star on
the tree with you,
would make this the best
Christmas I've ever had.
- Nadia.
(gentle music continues)
We should go get a Christmas
tree for the courtyard.
What do you think?
That's a great idea, Dad.
[Jason] You wanna help me go
pick it out?
- Sure!
- Let's do it. Come on.
- [Nicole] 10 minutes ago.
- The guacamole was
really good. (laughs)
- [Nicole] Oh, it was.
- All right! Here we go.
I'll be right back
with your refills.
- Thank you!
Mm! Smells so good.
Have you ever had carne adovada?
- Never heard of it.
- Oh! I have failed you
as a mother twice today.
Elizabeth Taylor used
to eat carne adovada.
- Okay, Mom. I get it.
It does smell good.
(upbeat music)
It is really good.
Oh, but it's hot.
It's really hot.
- Yeah, chili is
ridiculously good.
But if you're not ready for it,
you are going to get
a shot and shoot.
- What?
- Don't look!
- Oh, my gosh.
Isn't there anywhere else
he could be right now?
- Guess not.
Oh, man!
- Nadia! Ladies! Hi!
- Hi.
- Gentlemen, this is Nadia
and her daughter Nicole.
Nadia's husband's grandfather
owned the Val Verde.
- Ah! Ladies,
pleasure to meet you.
Roger was just about to take
us over to see the property.
- Are you guys
looking to buy it?
- We are considering it.
Do you have another idea?
- Well, yes. I'd like
my parents to keep it.
- Well, Mr. Miguel Rivera
here can be quite persuasive.
Although if you kept it,
might be good for the employees.
But if you sold it,
your family stands to
reap quite a nice profit.
What do you say, Mrs?
- Nadia is fine.
Are you the investor?
- The developer.
- Okay. I see.
Well, I'll do whatever
my husband wants.
- And what do you
want, Mrs. Nadia?
- Well, our first date
was at that hotel.
My children's memories
of their grandparents
are at that hotel.
So I prefer we keep
it, we restore it.
- Aren't you getting a divorce?
- Good day, Nadia. Ma'am.
- Have a lovely day, ladies.
Hopefully we can speak again
when you're not eating.
And I sincerely apologize
for the rudeness.
It is, of course,
not our business,
so please enjoy the
rest of your lunch.
- Thank you.
- Gentlemen, wait!
- Look, Mom, you don't
owe anyone anything, okay?
Let's just eat.
- I know, Honey. You're right.
- I love you, Mom.
- I love you too, Honey.
- Guys! Gentlemen, wait!
- Roger, that is one
of the rudest things
I've ever seen in my life.
- You're so lucky
she didn't smack you
and she had every reason to.
- [Miguel] You
embarrassed us.
- [Luke] What about this one?
- Ah! I mean, I don't
know. I'm thinking taller.
- Taller?
- Yeah! Taller.
- Okay.
- Welcome to JB's
Christmas Tree Farm.
- Hey!
- How can I help you fellas?
- Taller.
- Taller?
- Taller! Yeah, like 10 feet.
- Let me see what we have here.
You know, we're
out in the desert.
We don't have those
really big Christmas trees
like they do on the
West Coast or back East.
I think eight feet is about
all we're gonna be able to do.
- I don't think eight
feet's gonna cut it.
- No?
- Then what?
- Hey, never give up,
Son. Never give up!
- Hey, wait a minute. You
gentlemen are in luck.
Follow me.
- Ah-ha! Told you.
Is that a doghouse?
Is that a doghouse in
the trash over there?
(humming)
- Is that your coat?
- Yep!
That's what this is for.
(bright music)
All right!
Get my jacket back.
Here we go.
Sweetie! Come here! Come here!
Come here! Come here!
Yes, come on and look at
this little house you got.
All right!
Now go ahead and go inside.
Ah! You spoiled little mutt.
- Dad, I didn't
know you liked dogs.
- Of course I like dogs, Son!
Come on, Sweetie! (kissing)
I'm giving her my
jacket. Come on, Sweetie.
Come here! Come here!
Yes! Come inside. Check
out your new house.
Look at your house.
Can see if that's good.
All right, let's go
get the tree. Come on.
Come on!
(laughs cheerfully)
Come on, you gotta help
me get this tree unloaded
before your mom gets back.
- That tree, Dad?
- What? Too much?
- To unload!
- Not for you! Look at you.
Come on.
You're like a superhero. Look at
these muscles.
You're like Miles Morales.
- Wow! That's a nice tree.
- Oh, thank you. Thank
you, Junior, so much.
Could you grab that tree stand
in the back of my truck, please?
- Why do you have a tree
stand in your truck?
- I just bought it.
- Oh! Okay, good.
'Cause we don't have
tree stands in the hotel.
If you're gonna
want one of those,
you're gonna have to go
the store and get it.
- You mind just help
me get this tree out
before Nadia gets back?
I don't want her to see it.
- Yeah, she's not here.
- I know.
We wanna get the tree set
up before she gets back
so she doesn't see it.
- Oh, okay.
'Cause when she comes,
she's gonna see it.
- Come on, Junior. Help us.
- Yeah, come on. Here!
You take this side, will you?
- All right.
- Ah!
Yeah, just put it there, Junior.
Right there. Up!
All right, Luke,
what do you think?
Should we put the tree between
the fountain and the street?
Or between the
fountain and the hotel?
- I think in the front
between those two tables.
That way everyone can
see it from the hotel
and from the street.
- I like your thinking. Up top!
I'll get the tree stand. Woo!
Woo-ha!
(horn honks)
(footsteps racing)
(tarp rustling)
Hey!
- Hey!
(gentle bright music)
- Weird.
What?
What are you guys up to?
- Nothing!
Just got some stuff from
town and had a bite to eat.
- Is your dad okay?
- Yeah, of course, Mom.
- You think you're sneaky!
- I am sneaky, Mom.
- Come on, Mom. Unlock
the door. I need to pee.
- I'm watching you.
(gentle bright music continues)
- Ah!
Good job, Buddy. Yes!
- Oh! That was gonna be a mess.
(Nadia laughs)
What is it?
- Look!
- Hmm, looks like
a letter from Dad.
- I don't think I've ever
seen him write my name.
- He always writes your name.
- Where?
- All of his work memos
include Jason and Nadia,
Christmas cards,
letters to the school.
He never just signs his name.
It's always both of you.
- I guess I don't
think I knew that.
- Well, what do you think it is?
- I don't know.
A Christmas list?
A love letter?
- Yeah, right! Not your dad!
- Didn't he used to
write you letters?
- Not really.
I mean, he did write me
poems when we were dating.
- Poems?
- Yeah!
- Dad?
- Yes! And he was
pretty darn good too.
- All right, well open
it! What does it say?
- My Nadia,
it seems like ages
since we've spoke.
Of all the lovely
things in life I see,
none of them make me feel
like I feel when I see you.
(gentle jazz music)
This hotel wraps its arms
around me like they are yours,
and even as the leaves
fall in this courtyard,
I feel your presence
growing around me.
- The world seems so against us.
But we've come so far.
That it's only, only talk
- [Laura] If we give up now,
we will never forgive
ourselves.
For giving the world
that power over us.
- [Nadia] I wish on every
star and every penny I see
that we find a way
out of our situation
where everything seems
to be going against us.
- Laura! What? What
is that? What is that?
Who is that?
Who is this letting
you turn into trash?
- [Nadia] I can't
imagine a life where
being with you when we are
old isn't the only option.
Please be patient with me.
I'm not done fighting for us.
Still yours, Jason.
- Mom, that's really beautiful.
- It's like he's speaking
my own words to me.
- Mom, you gotta write him back.
- Why?
I mean, why can't we just talk?
- The same reason y'all text
each other in the same room!
Like you can just
get your words out
without losing your
train of thought.
Here, I'll write it.
You dictate it to me.
- Okay. But how would I start?
- My dearest husband!
(Nadia laughs)
- Oh, my God.
That's not too much?
- No. Not if he's
your dearest husband.
I mean, should we be writing to
another dearest
husband of yours?
(Nadia giggles)
- No, but I don't know if
that's really how he feels.
- Well, this is
about your feelings.
You know, you put your
feelings on the page
and you'll be able to crack
through his tough shell.
I mean,
he used to write you
poems, for Pete's sake.
- My dearest husband.
My dearest husband,
this year has been the
toughest of my life.
Hearing your words have
given me such great joy.
- No, let's not
include his letter.
You know, this is about you.
Don't let him take
credit for your feelings.
- Okay, okay, okay.
I have not given up hope that
we are at the darkest point,
just waiting for the dawn.
- [Nicole] Mm!
- [Nadia] The Sun will
rise and shine on our love
because we will
will it to happen.
This hotel is our sanctuary,
and the ghosts in these
walls have spoken to us,
a reassurance that
love is all we need.
(clattering)
The noise surrounding
us is just pots banging.
We can shut out that noise
if we listen to our hearts.
(birds chirping)
- It's pretty good.
- I know.
- She did it.
- [Luke] She wrote one?
- Well, she let me write it.
It's perfect.
He won't suspect a thing.
- Until they talk.
- Well, I'll stay
with Dad tonight.
Help him write her one.
What did he say
about the letter?
- Nothing.
- Nothing?
- Nope!
But he was bouncing all
around happy about something
and he wants to put
a Christmas tree
in the courtyard for her.
- Really?
You know that means something
because he hates taking those
decorations in from the shed.
And now he's willing
to put a Christmas tree
into a hotel he
doesn't even like.
- Yeah, I know.
I'm not dumb.
- Sure!
- I need to keep
Dad away from Mom
until we get another
letter written.
I'm gonna have Mom
take me to town
to get decorations
for the lobby.
- Yeah. I'll stay with Dad,
help him put up the tree.
Stay out of sight, okay?
- Will do!
- Yeah, so I introduced the
buyers to Nadia at lunch
and may have let it slip that
there was a divorce in the mix
and might have been a bit rude.
- Yeah, you think? That's
nobody's business, okay?
Not yours, not the buyers!
- Well, that's why
I'm here to say sorry.
- How about you
don't say anything
in the presence of
my wife or my kids?
How about that?
- [Roger] I understand.
- Good!
- So I think it may be
best to get the buyers here
as soon as possible.
- Hey!
Literally,
what did I just say?
- Yes, of course.
I will just give you
a call later today.
- How about you just
take the whole day off
and we'll schedule
a call for tomorrow?
- Okay, good. I'll
call you tomorrow.
- Okay!
That guy.
- Ah, so Luke's taking
Mom into the mall today
to get some Christmas
stuff for the lobby.
I can help you set up the tree.
- Yeah? That's great!
All right! It's good
that you guys
are getting along so well.
You're a little mischievous.
You guys have some kind
of plan or something?
- No, Dad, there's
nothing else to do
but talk to each other.
Plus, I love setting
up Christmas trees.
- All right. As soon as they
leave, we'll get it done.
- I really think you should
write Mom a letter back.
- Me write her back?
- Yeah, she said that you used
to write her poetry all the time
when you guys were younger.
Why'd you stop?
- Honey, that was
a long time ago.
And it's a lot easier to
write poetry when you're young
and in love.
- What if the whole
point of being married
is to fall back in love?
- Sweetheart, I don't want you
to get your hopes up, okay?
Your Mom and I fell outta
love a long time ago.
- It's never too late to
fall back in love, Dad.
(gentle piano music)
- [Nadia] Okay, Kiddo. Let's go.
(gentle upbeat music)
- What?
- Nothing!
- Let's just go get
this tree up, you.
Here, take that
strand right there.
- Thank you.
(bells jingle)
- Thank you, Junior!
- Yeah!
- Hey, do we have a ladder?
- Where?
- Here at the hotel?
- Did you do something with it?
- No, no. Do we have a
ladder here somewhere?
Like in a storage shed
or something like that?
- [Junior] Of course.
- Okay. You mind go
and getting it, please?
- Yeah! Ladder.
I can. I can do that.
- Thank you, Junior.
- [Junior] Yep.
(Jason laughs)
- So, Dad, tell me
about the poems.
I didn't know you did that.
- It was way before
you were born.
- Bet if it was more recent,
you and Mom would be
fighting a lot less.
- Well, that's not
how poems work, Honey.
- Bet that's how it
would work for Mom.
- You think you're
so smart, don't you?
- I get it from my dad.
Get it from your daddy
You get it from your daddy
I get it from my daddy
- So did you know
about the letter?
- Letter?
- Yeah. Your dad
wrote me a letter.
- Great. Did you write him back?
- Yes, I did.
- Cool.
Let's get all the hanging stuff.
Do we have a tree for the hotel?
- I think so.
I mean, I assume they have one.
They do this every year.
- Okay. Let's get this
stuff for the lobby.
- Got it.
Oh! Do you sell coats by chance?
- Yes, we do.
Down aisle three.
- Where are you going?
- Wait right here.
I'll be right back.
(gentle festive music)
- Wow! That was fast.
- You knew about this?
- Maybe.
- I told you you were sneaky.
This is beautiful.
Should we go see your dad?
- No, of course not, Mom!
It's my night with you.
We'll have breakfast
with Dad tomorrow.
In the meantime, let's
decorate the lobby.
- Okay. Sounds like a date.
(bright festive music)
- That was awesome.
She was gonna cry
if Luke didn't step on
her feelings like that,
being Luke.
- Should we go see them?
- No! Dad, we have
to write her back.
- I'm no good at
writing letters.
- Listen, you just have to
come up with the thoughts.
I'll get the words.
Okay?
- All right. Let's
see what we get.
My dearest Nadia,
I've been a fool.
(gentle upbeat music)
The leaves fall when they've
died, but the tree still lives.
The roots grow strong and
take what the world gives.
The tree can't control
the place it grows,
but the tree can control
how much it sways
when the wind blows.
I'm not the earth or
the soil or the rain,
I'm the tree that you've sat
under that is causing you pain.
The branches I've set out
to capture our dreams,
I've allowed to fall as they
capture less important things.
So you bleed and you cry,
and your tears wet the earth.
Your love has fed the
roots of our lives
and given my heart a new birth.
If you'll forgive my sin of
taking your love for granted,
I will change my bloom
and share the dreams
for yours to be planted.
It took the soul of this
hotel to remind me that
my love is the ceiling
and your love is the
floor and the walls.
- Dang, Dad! You're
really good at this.
(Jason chuckles)
Dad, I don't think you
should get divorced.
I know it's your lives
and you wanna be happy,
but what you just said.
- Honey, it's very complicated.
You know, your mother and I...
- What?
- We fall back in love again
and then it just hurts
more the next time.
And I just don't wanna be hurt.
- Why don't we just
see what Mom thinks?
And we can figure
this out together!
I know Luke and I haven't
always made it easy for you guys
always choosing between us.
- Honey, this has nothing
to do with you guys.
All right, Silly? Nothing.
- No! I don't mean that.
I mean, your lives
are more hectic
because of what me and Luke
think we're entitled to.
It's not just me. Luke agrees.
- You and Luke have
talked about this?
- Yeah. He's my stinky
little brother after all.
- Well, he is at that.
Both stinky and
your little brother.
Hey, when did you learn to
write in my handwriting?
- I write all your
letters for work, Dad.
- Yeah, but I didn't realize
you used my handwriting.
- I had to get good
for school, you know?
- Do you really?
- Yeah.
- That's like perfectly
my handwriting.
- Yeah! I mean-
- No! That's not okay!
You are grounded forever.
- Where's Mom?
- She went downstairs
to get a snack.
Hey, look at this.
- What?
- Michael and Laura. Can't
believe they never met.
- All that I am is your
love, my dearest love.
- [Michael] Your parents
have made it clear that
your kind won't
mingle with my kind.
I left a note with the
concierge to deliver to you
the last time I stayed.
I got it back today with
a letter from your mom.
She will not be
allowing us to meet.
I'm not white. I'm not rich.
I'm a proud Mexican-American
who will head off to college
and will never get
to see you in person.
I'll never get to hear the
tone of your sweet voice.
We're too far apart, even
when we're in the same room,
and the world will build
mountains between us.
Your dress is beautiful.
You will conquer this world.
But I'm afraid it
must be without me.
I don't blame you
for not seeing me.
I know my place.
You are in the heavens, where
I am in the fields below.
- We should find him.
- Michael?
- Yes!
- He's probably like 80 now.
- So? He may be alive.
- How would we even find him?
- Let's go see Catherine.
(Catherine laughs)
Miss Catherine, do you have
a record of guests here
from the '50s?
- I don't think so.
Your grandfather took
over in the '70s.
There was no records
on the property.
There was a big fire
in the boiler room
and everything got destroyed.
- Who are you looking for?
- There was a family that
stayed in the room we were in.
They left some toys in the wall.
- Wow! That's cool.
I'd love to see that.
- Kids named Michael and Laura.
- Wait, how do you know that?
- They wrote-
- Ah, they wrote their
names on the toys.
- Hmm. That's pretty cool.
So how's your father?
- Funny you should ask.
He read your letter.
- And then wrote this?
- [Nicole] Mm-hmm!
- [Luke] Come on, Mom!
- [Nicole] Yeah! Don't
keep us waiting. Read it!
- What is it?
- It's a poem.
- Oh!
- [Luke] Read it!
- You guys, these
things are private.
Unless you wanna share.
- My dearest Nadia,
I've been a fool.
- [Jason] The leaves
fall when they've died,
but the tree still lives.
The roots grow strong and
take what the world gives.
The tree can't control
the place it grows,
but the tree can control
how much it sways
when the wind blows.
I'm not the earth or
the soil or the rain,
I'm the tree that you've sat
under that is causing you pain.
The branches I've set out
to capture our dreams,
I've allowed to fall.
Your love has fed the
roots of our lives
and given my heart a new birth.
If you'll forgive my sin of
taking your love for granted,
I will change my bloom
and share the dreams
for yours to be planted.
- [Nadia] It took the
soul of this hotel
to remind me that my
love is the ceiling
and your love is the
floor and the walls.
- What are we crying for?
- Shut up, you meanie.
- [Luke] What?
- [Junior] Hello, friends!
- [Nadia] Hey, Junior.
What are you up to?
- I'm gonna go out
and water the tree.
- Isn't the tree dead?
- We're all dead if
we don't get water.
- Why do you need to give
water to the dead tree?
- So the tree don't die.
- If you don't keep
water in the base,
the needles dry out
too soon and fall off.
- Ah!
- Maybe Junior knows them.
- Maybe! Junior, how long
have you worked here?
- My whole life, I guess.
- Do you know a man named
Mike and a woman named Laura,
stayed here in the '50s?
- Mike? No.
Laura? Yep.
Yeah, her family came here
in the fall in the '60s,
and Laura Flynn was her name.
She was very nice.
Very nice. Yep!
- When was the last
time you saw her?
- Ooh!
Ah, that was the day
Elvis Presley died.
- How do you remember
that so clearly?
- 'Cause I was wearing
my blue suede shoes
at a ball that her
mom was putting on.
And, wow, I never wore
those shoes again.
- That's both very
sad and weird.
You liked Elvis?
- I was 16. We all loved Elvis.
But they left that night and,
yeah, they never came back.
I think her mom died
pretty soon after.
- Was she married then?
- No, not that I can remember.
I mean, I never saw
her with any man.
I mean, she was
famous for a while.
- We can find her!
(gentle upbeat music)
Look!
- Yeah. I can't tell.
Let's go look on the computer.
Oh! What are you
gonna do about Dad?
- I don't know.
What should I do?
- I don't know, but
whatever you do,
make sure it's not something
you'll regret forever.
- You're right.
- Oh! Hey, yep.
Trees. Yep! Mm-hmm!
(both laugh cheerfully)
- What are you gonna do?
- I love him. I don't
want to get divorced.
- Oh. Why don't you go find him?
("Silent Night" playing)
("Silent Night" continues)
("Silent Night" continues)
- It's her eyes, I think.
- It has to be her.
- Look! She has an
office. We can call.
It's late. First thing tomorrow.
(footsteps racing)
We called her. She's coming.
- Laura? From the letters?
- Yeah! She's coming
to the Christmas party.
- What else did she say?
- I told her about
the letters and toys.
She wants to come see them.
- Wow!
Okay!
Hey, how was your
mom last night?
- She didn't come
back to the room.
- Is she okay?
- We saw her go
upstairs with Dad.
(Catherine laughs)
- You guys did it!
- Yeah. We're awesome.
- You are awesome. You can be
really awesome
and help me set the tables.
We have like a hundred
people coming for dinner.
- Oh, man.
- Hurry up, Dork.
(dramatic orchestral music)
- [Nadia] What is it?
- Roger!
(dramatic orchestral
music continues)
- Dad, what's going on?
What? What is it?
- Your Dad sold the hotel.
- What?
- But I thought they
were gonna figure it out.
- Hey! Roger, what's going on?
You said we had 30 days.
- Well, Mr. Rivera
wanted to get started
before the end of the year.
- You said we had 30 days!
- Actually, I said
30 days is customary,
but the terms of the $2
million offer is that
the new owner takes
possession of the property
within 48 hours.
- That's not fair.
- I assure you it's quite fair.
I'm giving you double the value.
- It's Christmas though, Sir.
- Not quite.
- Well, it's Christmas
tomorrow, Sir.
- Dad, what's going on?
- Mr. Rivera?
- It's nice to see
you, Mrs. Nadia.
- I wish I could say the same.
- And you married him?
- And had these children!
- And now getting divorced?
- What does that have
to do with anything?
- It's hard to be married
when you guys are
all so different.
- Are you married, Mr. Rivera?
- I was married.
My wife passed away
several years ago.
- We aren't, by the way.
- You aren't what?
- Getting divorced!
- [Jason] That's right!
- That'll be all, Roger.
- Sir, I assure you
they were filing papers.
- Hey, didn't I tell
you not to talk business
in front of my
wife and my family?
- Look, Jason, this
is just how it goes.
- No, it's not how it goes!
- Roger, you're fired.
I would not want you working
for me and my investment.
(birds chirping)
I apologize for my rush.
I'll see you guys
after the holidays.
- You'll join us for
dinner tonight, won't you?
One last dinner in
the Val Verde Hotel
for the history books?
- I've never eaten
at the dining room.
But, yes, I will.
- Dinner at five.
- Thank you. Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Thank you both.
(birds chirping)
(engine rumbling)
(alarm beeping)
- Well, hello.
(birds chirping)
- Okay, I'm gonna get
these ones up top, guys.
- [Jackie] Cat!
- Jack!
Come here! You guys,
this is Jackie.
This is Jason and Nadia and
their amazing kids.
- Hi! It's so nice to
finally meet you guys.
She's told me everything
about you guys.
- Everything?
- Everything! All of it!
The letters, the decorations.
- The letters?
- Sneaky, huh?
- Kids, what have you done?
- We just started it.
Y'all finished it.
- What does that mean?
You knew about this?
- I thought it was a
really romantic idea.
I'm sorry.
- So you didn't
write the letters?
- No, I mean, I did.
Kids explain.
- We may have written the
first letter to each of you.
- So you didn't
mean those things?
- No, I did! The
things I wrote anyway.
- What gave you guys this idea?
- There were letters
and toys in the wall.
Laura and Michael, they wrote
love letters to each other.
- We thought if two
people who never met
could fall in love
through writing letters,
that two people who
were always in love
could fall back in love
through writing letters.
- So what is this?
- We just wrote the first
ones to get it started.
- We used the words
of Michael and Laura
to show you guys how
much you love each other.
- These are definitely
my thoughts.
- Mine too.
- So we aren't dead?
- No, you're not dead.
But you are in serious
trouble, both of you.
- But for now, you're
gonna help with the party.
- That's right! Jackie, it's
very, very nice to meet you.
- You too. Kids, I'm so sorry.
I didn't know it
was still a secret.
- Traitor!
- I'm sorry.
Well, they're so in love
and it's just perfect.
- It is perfect.
- Okay, well, we have
a lot of work to do.
Last charge for the Val Verde.
- All right! Kids,
you get to work.
You're still in trouble.
(cheerful jazz music)
(cheerful jazz music continues)
Hi! Welcome to Val Verde!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas. Welcome!
- [Nadia] Hi! Merry Christmas.
- [Guest] Merry Christmas!
- [Guest] Merry Christmas.
- Hi, Randy.
- Hi, how are you?
- Fine, Merry Christmas.
This is my husband, Jason.
- Hi. How are you? Nice
to meet you, Randy.
- Merry Christmas.
This is my wife, Kay.
- Hi, Kay. Merry
Christmas to you guys.
Welcome to the Val Verde. Enjoy!
- [Randy] Thank you so much.
- We're happy to have you.
- [Randy] Yes, thank
you. Beautiful night.
- [Jason] You look beautiful.
- Thank you.
- [Jason] Mm-hmm!
- I got this for you.
- Seriously?
- I did. I thought
you might need it.
(cheerful jazz music continues)
- Ah, ha, ho!
A new coat.
Thank you, Babe. That's my girl.
- Merry Christmas.
-Merry Christmas.
(enchanted music)
On your knees
O hear
The angel voices
O night
Divine
O night
When Christ was born
O night
Divine
O night
O night divine
(upbeat jazz music)
(upbeat jazz music continues)
- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas, everybody.
- Hi!
- Thank you so much
for being here.
Thank y'all. Merry Christmas.
- Woo! Merry Christmas!
- Junior!
- Merry Christmas, Junior!
- I can't talk, I gotta go.
- He's really working.
- That guy is so funny.
- This is so great.
- It's so great.
I wish we could have
been doing this sooner.
- But we're here now.
- Yeah. I guess this hotel
means more than we ever thought.
- Doesn't it?
- Ah! Miguel.
Nice to see you,
Sir. Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.
- [Nadia] Merry Christmas.
- Ah! Mr. Jeffs. Thank you, Sir.
- Absolutely.
- Merry Christmas to you.
- Merry Christmas.
This is a beautiful
party, you two.
- Thank you for being here.
- I'm so glad you
decided to make it.
- Thank you.
- Would you like to
take a look around?
- Uh, no, I've been here before.
- I'm sorry. I thought you said
you hadn't been in the lobby.
- No, I have never
eaten in the lobby.
- Why is that?
- I wasn't allowed.
My mother was help here.
- Wow!
- Mr. Rivera, it's
so nice to see you.
Can I make you a plate?
- Not right now, Miss.
Anybody staying
at the Penthouse?
- That's our room.
- Oh!
- Do you wanna go see it?
- Ah, could I?
- I can take you up.
- If you would.
- This way.
- Thanks, Buddy. Take
your time. Enjoy!
(cheerful jazz music)
- Thank you, Santa!
- [Santa] You're welcome.
Tonight
And we'll have ourselves
a Merry Christmas time
- This is the same dresser
that was here when
we stayed here.
For the perfect holiday
But starting today,
whatever your faith
Can we all just
pray for peace
- Is that another letter?
- You had no right! I love him!
I'm going to find him!
- Laura, you mustn't
ruin this for us.
You can't marry a Mexican.
- You don't even
know him, Mother!
- Laura, you must listen to me.
You're going to get hurt.
The world will never understand.
- I don't care!
When he sends for me, I'm going!
- He won't!
- He will! He loves me.
- I told him never
to contact you again.
He left.
He isn't going to send for you.
(Laura gasps)
(Laura crying)
Mary Lou
Mary Lou
Mary Lou, Mary Lou
- [Michael] My only love, I hope
my mother hasn't got to you.
I don't care who
your parents are.
You are mine. Send for
me and I will come.
When you are done
with your schooling,
we can start our
lives together.
I won't love again
until I see you.
Your most beautiful Laura.
(cheerful jazz music)
- Michael?
- I haven't gone
by Michael since...
- Since you wrote
your last letter.
- How did you know?
(cheerful jazz music continues)
Where'd you get these?
- Why did you go by Michael?
- In that time, speaking
Spanish was looked down upon,
almost a disability.
I had to go to
special ed classes
'cause I spoke with an accent.
- That's terrible.
- As I got older, I
embraced my heritage.
(cheerful jazz music continues)
I haven't seen
these in 60 years!
- You're Michael,
the football player?
Son of a bomber?
- Yes, that was me.
- Now you're a tycoon.
- I'm a man attempting
to destroy the past
so I can regret my
decisions a little bit less.
(phone rings)
- Hello?
Yes, this is me.
You're downstairs?
Perfect! I'll be right there.
I will be right back.
- You two helped my
parents' marriage.
- How do you mean?
- Your letters.
My sister and I wrote letters
as if they were coming
from each other.
It helped them find
their own words
and now they love
each other again.
Thank you,
even if you do have
to turn this building
into a parking lot.
- She said she wouldn't
love again till she sees me.
I hope she didn't
waste her whole life.
- How could I have
possibly wasted my life
with a love like ours to carry
me through every tough time?
- Laura?
- Michael!
- My love. My love.
- Yes, my love.
- I still have a picture of you.
- You've grown
even more handsome.
- I got your letter.
- Just now?
- I've been quite busy and I
just made it back into town.
- What's a few years for love?
- A few years indeed.
(cheerful jazz music continues)
- You guys should catch up.
We'll be downstairs
if you need anything.
(cheerful jazz music continues)
- We appreciate everything
you've been doing.
Thank you so much.
- Absolutely. And
we're not done.
- Oh! Hey!
Hey, you. Hey, we're
gonna be all right.
This family is
gonna be just fine!
- Watch out! Coming through!
Watch out! Hey! Oh, okay.
Move outta the way!
- Junior!
- Yeah, but Junior
may not be so fine.
(group laughs)
(glass clinking)
- Ladies and
gentlemen! Everyone!
Thank you all for joining us
for this final Christmas
dinner at the Val Verde Hotel.
Next year, we'll have to
find a new place together
as this place is in
its final chapter.
- Not so fast, young lady.
- Mr. Rivera!
- Val Verde Hotel's
going nowhere.
- Well, you, you,
you're not buying it?
- I am un-buying
it, if you will.
- He will!
- I will. We will!
- But to make sure
no one else buys it,
Mr. Rivera and I would
like to make an endowment
to the Val Verde
Historic Hotel Museum.
- Thank you! Absolutely!
Wow! Thank you.
- So that's a yes?
- Yes. Absolute yes!
Yes, absolutely.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Thank you.
- Hope this makes
your Christmas.
- Oh, yes it does.
- Thank you. Merry Christmas.
Thank you for saving my family.
- And thank you guys
for saving my family.
Now we can say we're even.
- We're even. Deal.
- Well, Merry Christmas to all!
- [Both] Merry Christmas!
- Merry Christmas.
(cheerful jazz music continues)
(cheerful jazz music continues)
- [Santa] And what would you
like for Christmas, young man?
- I've already
got what I wanted.
(bright instrumental music)
Come on, let's go,
we're feeling brand new
New sun, new day,
nothing we can't do
The wrong, the past,
it's all behind you
We got a brand new start
(bright instrumental
music continues)
These hearts, these
souls are made to be one
Breathe in, breathe out,
it's like we're reborn
Fresh breeze, new skies
look even brighter
Its like we hit restart
And now we're
feeling elated again
My soul, knew the rain
would finally clear
And even though
it looks hazy now
We both know good
times are here
We're feeling brand
new, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Nothing can do,
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
It's just me and you,
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
We're feeling brand new
(bright instrumental
music continues)
Feels good, feels right
Just take it all in
New sun, good things
on the horizon
The wrong, the past,
it's all behind you
This is brand new start
And now we're
feeling elated again
In my soul, I knew the
rain would finally clear
And even though
it looks hazy now
We both know the
good times are here
We're feeling brand new,
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Nothing can do,
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
It's just me and you,
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
We're feeling brand new
(bright instrumental
music continues)
(music ends)
(projector clicking)
(dramatic music)
(suspenseful music)
(gentle acoustic music)
(gentle acoustic music
continues)
(warm jazz music)
- Michael, Honey.
Wash up for dinner.
- Okay, Mommy.
- And put your toys
away. It's bath night.
- Oh, I just had one!
- [Mother] That was
a week ago, Mijito.
- Barely.
- I'll see you in
the kitchen, okay?
(soft jazz music continues)
(soft jazz music continues)
- Do you want corn?
- Potatoes?
- Greens?
- No!
(soft jazz music continues)
- Children, we have to move
out of the hotel for a while.
Your father's savings is gone.
I have to work in the
city for a couple months.
- Where will we live?
- We will be offering
this room to other renters
while we are gone to work.
We get to live in the
homes of other people
that are working out of town.
Okay?
The railroad has
been very helpful.
- What about Grandmother?
- Your father's mother
has not written back,
but I have it all figured out.
It'll be an adventure.
- Sounds fun!
- It will be.
Now eat your food!
(birds chirping)
(door slams)
(Jason sighs deeply)
(birds chirping)
- This place has
seen better days.
Kids, don't get
in anybody's way!
- Good morning!
- Ah, Roger?
- That's me.
(dog barking)
- Ease up there, Roger!
We're still not divorced.
- Hey, yeah.
Catherine said there
are no guests currently,
but they will arrive
later tonight.
- So how much of the
hotel is damaged?
- The east wing is collapsed,
but the rooms and
lobby are sound.
With a little bit of work,
they'll be available to be used.
- How much staff?
- Two!
Catherine and Rojelio.
They call him Junior.
- They?
- Well, he's got a crew.
- And we pay them?
- I'm not exactly
sure what the deal is.
I didn't spend a
bunch of time here
when your grandfather was alive.
I just met these folks at
the Thanksgiving feast.
- So how many plates
did they sell?
- 75.
- And how many are we
expecting for Christmas?
- Catherine just said, "125."
Why don't you come in?
I'll introduce you.
(dog barking)
(bell jingles)
(warm piano music)
- Hi!
- Hi! I'm Jason.
- I'm Nadia.
- Catherine. This is so great.
Pop talked about you
guys all the time.
- Pop?
- Your grandfather,
Mr. Lawrence.
- Yeah.
- [Catherine] He was
really excited about
you taking over this
place.
- We're not gonna
stay very long.
We're just gonna clean
it up and sell it.
- Oh! Well, that
makes me very sad.
- It's for the best.
- Yes, it is.
- Right! So I will
get you a room key.
- Two rooms, please.
- Right.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
I'll take the kids
with me tonight.
- That's fine.
Where are they? They
just ran in here.
- [Catherine] Ah,
yeah. Up the stairs.
I think they're on
the third floor.
- Thank you.
- Hey, Junior!
- Hi!
- [Catherine] You
can grab their bags?
- Yeah! Yeah!
Your bags, they're in your car?
- Yes!
- [Junior] I'll take your keys.
- Thank you, Junior.
- Thank you.
- It's nice to meet you both.
Okay, thanks. I'm on my way.
- Thank you, Roger!
- [Catherine] Up the stairs,
across the hall, and up the
second step of stairs.
- [Jason] Thank you!
I know the way. Thank you.
(warm jazz music)
(phone ringing)
- [Receptionist] Hi, there.
Welcome to the Val Verde.
- The Flynns.
- The Flynns!
There you go, Mr. Flynn.
- Thank you very much.
(phone ringing)
- What is this?
(board scrapes)
(somber piano music)
My name is Michael. My
dad's name is Michael too.
He died in Germany.
He flew the B-17 bomber.
He was a navigator,
that means he was the one
who told them where to go.
35 missions.
These are my toys.
My dad played with me.
If you find these toys,
please be careful.
Your friend, Michael.
(somber piano music continues)
Dear Michael, my name's Laura.
My daddy's name is Thomas.
He died on the railroad.
My new daddy is my
daddy's brother, Bob.
He's nice to me and my mom.
My mom's name is Sabrina.
She makes clothes.
I like your room.
I will take very good
care of your toys.
I will continue to write
you letters as we stay here.
I hope you write me back.
Your friend, Laura.
(somber piano music continues)
(door squeaks)
(gentle piano music)
- Kids! It's just us tonight.
Your dad's staying
in another room.
- What's there to do here?
- I don't know yet.
We'll walk around after dinner.
Catherine said
dinner in an hour.
Get unpacked.
- How long are we staying?
- [Nadia] As long as it
takes to sell this place
so your father and I can
split the money and move on.
- Sounds done.
Where are we gonna go then?
- Well, we'll
figure it out then.
- Where's Dad gonna live?
- Who knows? He's really
focused on his new career.
I don't know much about
where he plans to land.
- Well, can we at least sit
together and figure this out?
- There really isn't much
more to figure out, Honey.
Your father and I just don't
work out like we used to.
- Dinner though. We can
have dinner together.
- Yes, of course! Of course!
Come here, Luke.
Get unpacked, okay?
- Okay.
(gentle piano music continues)
(dog barking)
- Nic, look!
(dog barking)
(gentle bright piano music)
- All right. Well, that
doesn't matter to me, okay?
That's not what's important.
All right, fine. Fine,
fine, fine, fine, fine.
I'm busy now for
the rest of the day.
Hey, look!
I don't care who you sell
it to, just sell it, okay?
The sooner, the better.
- I got an industrial
group looking tomorrow.
If they bite, all your
troubles will be over.
- Good, 'cause I'm not
gonna spend my life savings
rebuilding this place just
to have it torn down again.
All right? I'm selling it as-is.
- The last time these
guys bought a property,
it was twice the market.
You could build this building
from scratch, tear it down,
and still be in profit.
- All right. Good.
I'm not gonna do that, but good.
(gentle piano music)
(gentle piano music continues)
- You're selling?
- Uh, divorce isn't cheap.
- Oh, it's none of my business.
I'm sorry for you both, really.
- Yeah, me too.
(items clang and rattle)
(items banging and rattling)
(emotional music)
Tried to conjure up friends
But they ran away
Said I'll make
an incantation
That would make my
troubles just fade
But what was I
trying to pull
Out of
- This old place.
'Cause I was just lying
about the life I had
Where is the magic
that holds the sky up
It makes me look upward
whenever it rains
And where is the feeling
that fills my life up
To tell you I don't
think it's stayed
- Do you think these
were the doors they had
when this place was first built?
- You mean when Grandpa had it?
- No, before that.
Grandpa bought this
place when Dad was born.
- [Luke] How old is it?
- About a hundred years old.
- How many people do
you think stayed here?
- I don't know.
A lot, I suppose.
- [Nadia] Kids, dinner!
(lamp shatters)
- Shoot!
- Mom's gonna freak!
- Okay, don't say anything.
We'll clean it up
when we get back.
- Your funeral!
Woo! Woo! Dinner time!
- Where's Mom at?
- You didn't see any real
ghost stuff, did you?
Did you?
What'd you guys see?
You can tell me.
You can tell me.
- Ghosts.
- No, you didn't!
- Why'd you stand up?
- It's the polite thing to
do when a lady sits down.
- Why don't we ever
do that at home?
- Well, sometimes we
get so busy at home,
we forget to do the
things that we should.
- Mm! Is that why we're
getting a divorce?
- Honey, we are not
getting a divorce.
Your mother and I...
It has nothing to
do with you guys.
It's between us as adults. Okay?
You guys are wonderful.
- Yeah guys, we love
you both very much.
Just sometimes grownups
just grow apart.
- Well grow back!
Like a lobster claw.
- Doesn't work
like that actually.
But you'll be fine, really.
- Guys, sometimes it
just works out better.
- [Nadia] You'll be fine.
- Bon appetit!
Seared scallops with
infused butter and herbs.
- [Jason] Thank you.
- Don't we get to
order something?
- Oh, not here, sweetheart.
We pick the menu and
we serve it to you.
- What if I'm vegan?
- Are you? Your
mother didn't say.
- No, I was just wondering
if there was an option
if I was vegan.
- Yes, there is.
- That's quite enough, Nicole.
Catherine, this looks
amazing. Thank you.
- Yeah, enjoy.
- Thank you.
Dig in!
- Do we really own this place?
- Yes, we do.
- Why are we selling it?
This is amazing!
- Well, we can't afford it.
I mean, this place
will cost so much money
just to get back up to code.
They're gonna condemn it.
- How can they condemn
someone's property?
- Well, we're eating
in here because
the roof in the dining
room has collapsed.
- Well, maybe if they had menus
and let people order
what they wanted,
they might have made more money.
- Yeah, that'd be nice
if they actually had
access to the kitchen.
- Mm!
- It's good though, right?
Uh-huh!
(Luke giggles)
(Jason laughs)
Mm!
- Hey, Junior!
- Thank you.
Hey, that Jason.
He's a strange guy, huh?
- What do you mean, "Strange?"
- Well, you know he spends
a ton of time looking at you
when his wife is
standing right there.
- Like looking at
me, looking at me?
- Yep. Looking at
you, looking at you.
- Well, I guess they are
getting a divorce, so.
- Oh, really?
Well, that's kinda sad.
- Yeah, especially
for those kids.
(cutlery clinks)
(bulb scrapes)
(broom scrapes)
(shattered pieces clink)
(board scrapes)
(board bangs)
- Look at that.
(slinky clinks)
- Someone left all these toys.
(gentle music)
- [Luke] Do you think
they're a hundred years old?
- I'm sure they're old.
Probably not a hundred.
(papers rustle)
These letters.
(gentle music continues)
My name is Michael. My
daddy's name was Michael too.
He died in Germany. He flew in
the B-17 bomber, Squadron J.
He was a navigator,
that means he was the one
who told them where to go.
35 missions.
Those are my toys.
My daddy played with me.
If you find these toys,
please be careful.
Your friend, Michael.
- Dear Michael,
my name is Laura.
My daddy's name is Thomas.
He died on the railroad.
My new Daddy is my
Daddy's brother, Bob.
He is nice to me and my mom.
My mom's name is Sabrina.
She makes clothes.
I like your room
and I will take very
good care of your toys,
but I will continue to
write you these letters
as we stay here.
And I hope you
will write me back.
Your friend, Laura.
- [Nicole] Laura, your picture
was exhilarating to see.
- [Michael] I pictured
you as an angel,
but I had no idea how much
you looked like Heaven.
- Michael! The bus will
be here in 20 minutes.
- Okay, Mom!
Mary Lou
- I have been going to school
with a lot of pretty girls,
but I don't talk to
them like I talk to you.
There's something
special about you.
I wish I could explain it.
Thank you for the
bracelet you made.
I gave it to my Mom.
Here's a picture of
me and my family.
Mom said she would try to get
me a photograph of just me.
She's been busy.
Christmas is coming up.
I 've left you a gift.
I hope you like it.
Yours, Michael.
'Cause then I'll cry
- Michael, I'm so sad
we haven't met yet.
Mom says we missed you
by only a few days.
Mom's dresses made it
to the sample room.
It was wonderful to see her
start to become successful.
My baby doll is my new
addition to the vault.
She is a fighter
like your soldier.
Please take care of her.
She is tough. Your
friend, Laura.
Bye Mary Lou
- Wow!
These two are falling
in love over letters
and they never even met.
- Imagine if Dad wrote
something like that to Mom.
She would stop being mad
at him for being so busy
for a year.
- I bet if Mom told Dad that
she was his and he was hers,
he'd find the time to call
her even if he was busy.
What if...
- We write letters to them?
- Yeah!
- We can write them letters
like this from each other
and let them fall back in love.
- Okay, but we need
to keep them apart
so they don't give it away.
- You take Dad and
I'll stay with Mom.
We place the letters we write
and make sure they find them.
- Brilliant.
- [Nadia] Kids, I'm going
to bed. Not too late.
- Goodnight, Mom!
- Goodnight, Mom!
- Let's see. Let's
start with Mom.
What would Michael say?
My dearest Nadia.
It seems like ages
since we've spoke.
- All the lovely things in life,
I see none of them make me feel
like I feel when I see you.
- That's good.
Ooh! This is good.
This hotel wraps its arms
around me like they are yours.
And even as the leaves
fall in the courtyard,
I feel your presence around me.
- Okay, let's back
it off just a bit
so you don't make it
too much to believe.
Add in there:
Work is very important to me,
but I think I forgot
what I was doing it for.
- That's good, little brother.
- Michael said it in this one
when he started high school.
Football player.
- Just because I'm busy,
it doesn't mean you're
not always on my mind.
- Still yours?
- Too much?
- No, but we are going to
need to be really careful
not to let them cross paths
for the next few days.
- Yeah, we need help.
- Who?
- Okay, so what do
you have in mind?
- Well, if we can
keep them apart
until we deliver
them a couple letters
to lock them back
into their marriage,
I know that when they finally
do see each other again,
it'll make all the difference.
- How do we do that?
- Well, we have that
dinner coming up.
Can you set them jobs
that'll separate them?
- I could use some
help with the toilets.
Maybe your dad could commit
to helping me with that.
Ow! Oh!
- I bet if I tell him
that I want to help,
he will want to be sure
that I do it right.
- So we're gonna need to
keep them on separate floors.
The guest rooms need setting up.
How's your mom at decorating?
- She's great! She should
be an interior decorator.
She just didn't wanna travel
while we were in school.
- Who knew she was so
perfect for this place?
- Mom's pretty
perfect all around.
- I believe you.
- Yeah. You believe in bacon?
- I'm getting it! I
only have two hands.
- Oh, yeah.
And I'll take a couple of
those hands for the season.
- [Catherine] Yeah, I know.
- Dad and I can help.
- [Junior] Yeah?
- Sure!
- All right! 'Cause, you know,
like I said, I need to do
the toilets before the drip
breaks them through the floor.
- Let's do it.
- All right. Let
me get some tools.
(footsteps racing)
- Oh! Catherine, coffee please!
- Oh, you didn't
sleep last night?
- I know getting
coffee isn't your job,
I just did not have a
coffee maker in my room.
- No, it's no problem. Here.
- I will take you a
coffee maker after lunch.
- Thank you.
- Is the room very comfortable?
- No, it's fine.
I just can't get used to these
noises in this old building.
- Ghosts?
- I'm sure!
- No! There are no ghosts here.
Old buildings have
their own noises.
- Mm!
Mmm!
So what's the plan?
- I'm gonna learn how
to replace toilets.
- Sounds fun.
- Mom, Catherine was telling me
they need help
decorating upstairs.
Can we help them? Please?
Mom, you haven't
decorated in years.
- Okay! If Catherine needs
our help, we'll give her help.
- It would be a huge help.
I have a ton to do and not
enough hours in my day.
- Well then, I'll make
myself available to you.
- Great! I'll meet you
upstairs after breakfast.
- See you in about an hour?
- Sure. Nicole?
- Wouldn't miss it!
- Good morning, fine people.
How's the life of
you future tycoons?
- Fine, thank you.
- What's a tycoon?
- Masters of industry and
property development giants.
- Aren't we selling?
- Yes!
But what we're selling
this place for,
we can buy two more.
- We don't talk business
with the children.
- Well...
They're gonna learn
about it eventually.
Shouldn't they know
where it comes from?
- I'll decide when they should
learn about our business.
- I don't like that
we're selling this place.
- Like I said, the offer's
too good to pass up.
- Like I said, I'll decide
what's best for my children.
Kids, go upstairs.
- Hey, Mom, I'm gonna stay
with Dad tonight, okay?
- [Nadia] Whatever
you want, Honey.
- Okay, I'm gonna be with
you all day tomorrow though.
I wanna learn how to do rooms.
- Look, Nadia, I'm sorry
if I stepped over the line.
I'm just really excited
for you and your family
and I think you'll
be very pleased with
the deal I'm working.
- Not if it means
selling this place.
I'm sorry. It's
none of my business.
- No! You're not all wrong.
Too bad Jason's the one in
charge of this situation.
- Thank goodness, right?
Then he'll get all the
credit for this amazing deal.
- Thank goodness.
Thank you, Junior, for
cleaning all of that up.
- Yep, yep, yep.
- Thanks.
- Wait, isn't your
husband coming down?
- Just missed him.
- I'll call him. No worries.
- Breakfast?
- Oh! No, maybe just coffee.
(Junior laughs)
- Yeah! Woo!
Whew!
- Now what?
- Junior!
- Oh!
Oh! Yep.
- Get it off the table!
- Oh, yeah. Okay.
- What are you doing
with the toilet?
- Well, what do you
normally do with a toilet?
- Nothing in a dining room.
- Who uses a toilet
in the dining room?
- Exactly.
- Then we're on the same page.
I gotta go.
All right, ah! Here we go.
Upstairs, I think. I
think I'm going upstairs.
- These are beautiful.
They're handmade!
That's how they did
it back in the day.
Grab these bedsheets.
I'll show you.
- Okay.
This room is much smaller
than the one we're in.
- Yeah! We have the Penthouse.
It's where people who worked
in a hotel used to stay.
It's almost like a dorm.
- Even Dad's room
is bigger than this.
- Yeah, he's in the
Governor's Suite.
That's where the
VIPs used to stay.
Elizabeth Taylor
used to stay there.
- Who's she?
- Ssh! Shut your mouth, girl.
That's blasphemy!
- What? Is she like
famous or something?
- What? Ah!
She was! She was the
Angelina Jolie of her time.
So many of the best old movies.
She was wonderful.
She was beautiful.
Quite the history between
her and Nicky Hilton
here in this hotel.
- Like Paris Hilton?
- Yes! Her grandfather.
Oh!
- You know, I think I saw Dad
writing you a letter earlier.
- A letter? He's not
really a letter guy.
- Don't write him off like that.
I seriously think he was.
- I love you, Honey, but
this is grownup stuff.
- Well, what you guys do
affects me and Luke too, so.
- I know. Look,
Go to the closet and grab
me two more pillows, please?
(footsteps rushing)
(gentle bright music)
(gentle bright music continues)
- I told you I'm
not gonna be free!
Not until next week.
I know. All right.
All right, fine! All right, bye.
Hey! (kisses)
Come here. Come here.
You all right?
Here!
Come here. Come here.
Come here. Come here.
Come here. Come here. Come here.
There you go. There you go.
All right.
- [Nicole] I got the pillows!
- Ah! Did you get lost?
- No. I just don't
like public restrooms.
- Chicken!
Perfect.
- Wow, Mom, this looks amazing.
- Thank you, Daughter.
You're quite the helper
bee. You ready for lunch?
- Yeah, let's go!
- You got it.
- Hurry, Mom. I don't
want them to see us.
- Why not?
- I've spent every second
of the last week with them.
I just want one lunch together.
- Okay. But that is silly.
- Girls' day?
- Girls' day.
- Okay.
- All right, Luke,
just drive that screw right
all the way
through that into the wall.
(drill buzzing)
Hey! There you go.
Good job, Buddy!
- Thanks!
- Yeah!
- Hey, did you talk to Mom?
- Ah, when? What about?
- I don't know.
Anytime today.
She was writing you
a letter last night.
I wanted to know what it said.
- Well, I don't know 'cause
I didn't see anything.
- Oh. Well, maybe she
wasn't done with it yet.
- Well, how do you know
she was writing it to me?
- My dearest Jason
was a clear giveaway.
Unless you know another
guy named Jason.
- No, I don't.
Maybe she-
My dearest Jason? She
really wrote that?
You sure?
- Dad, I'm 10. I can read.
(toilet flushes)
- Junior, that was
just a test, right?
- Yep! Mm-hmm.
Well, I had to make sure
it could handle the load.
- The what?
- Well, you know?
I needed to test
that it was flushing
and I just didn't wanna waste
the water and flush nothing.
- Junior! That's gross!
We're right here.
- Mm-hmm!
-Not anymore though.
We're outta here. We're going.
Come on, Buddy.
Let's get outta here.
Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, come on. That's
what a man smells like.
Doesn't smell like perfume,
for heaven's sakes.
Oh, man! I just dropped my
cell phone in the toilet.
(Jason laughs cheerfully)
- That Junior sure
is a goofball.
Hey! This must be the
letter that your mom wrote.
(gentle music)
She doesn't wear
perfume much anymore.
- Did she lace it on the letter?
- Maybe.
(gentle music continues)
- Out loud, Dad!
What does it say?
- Hold your horses.
All right.
My dearest Jason,
it seems like a year
since we've had any
connection to each other.
I stare out of this
window into the courtyard
and the world seems so large.
You are so far away.
But I breathe in the
air from this room
and know that you
are here with me.
It's a peace that I
haven't felt in so long.
It's almost Christmas
and the only thing
I've asked Santa for-
- Is the chance to spend
a few moments with you.
- We have such a
difficult relationship.
It's easy to think of
even the smallest thing
to make things better.
A smile, a kind word,
a brush of my hand on yours.
- Place the star on
the tree with you,
would make this the best
Christmas I've ever had.
- Nadia.
(gentle music continues)
We should go get a Christmas
tree for the courtyard.
What do you think?
That's a great idea, Dad.
[Jason] You wanna help me go
pick it out?
- Sure!
- Let's do it. Come on.
- [Nicole] 10 minutes ago.
- The guacamole was
really good. (laughs)
- [Nicole] Oh, it was.
- All right! Here we go.
I'll be right back
with your refills.
- Thank you!
Mm! Smells so good.
Have you ever had carne adovada?
- Never heard of it.
- Oh! I have failed you
as a mother twice today.
Elizabeth Taylor used
to eat carne adovada.
- Okay, Mom. I get it.
It does smell good.
(upbeat music)
It is really good.
Oh, but it's hot.
It's really hot.
- Yeah, chili is
ridiculously good.
But if you're not ready for it,
you are going to get
a shot and shoot.
- What?
- Don't look!
- Oh, my gosh.
Isn't there anywhere else
he could be right now?
- Guess not.
Oh, man!
- Nadia! Ladies! Hi!
- Hi.
- Gentlemen, this is Nadia
and her daughter Nicole.
Nadia's husband's grandfather
owned the Val Verde.
- Ah! Ladies,
pleasure to meet you.
Roger was just about to take
us over to see the property.
- Are you guys
looking to buy it?
- We are considering it.
Do you have another idea?
- Well, yes. I'd like
my parents to keep it.
- Well, Mr. Miguel Rivera
here can be quite persuasive.
Although if you kept it,
might be good for the employees.
But if you sold it,
your family stands to
reap quite a nice profit.
What do you say, Mrs?
- Nadia is fine.
Are you the investor?
- The developer.
- Okay. I see.
Well, I'll do whatever
my husband wants.
- And what do you
want, Mrs. Nadia?
- Well, our first date
was at that hotel.
My children's memories
of their grandparents
are at that hotel.
So I prefer we keep
it, we restore it.
- Aren't you getting a divorce?
- Good day, Nadia. Ma'am.
- Have a lovely day, ladies.
Hopefully we can speak again
when you're not eating.
And I sincerely apologize
for the rudeness.
It is, of course,
not our business,
so please enjoy the
rest of your lunch.
- Thank you.
- Gentlemen, wait!
- Look, Mom, you don't
owe anyone anything, okay?
Let's just eat.
- I know, Honey. You're right.
- I love you, Mom.
- I love you too, Honey.
- Guys! Gentlemen, wait!
- Roger, that is one
of the rudest things
I've ever seen in my life.
- You're so lucky
she didn't smack you
and she had every reason to.
- [Miguel] You
embarrassed us.
- [Luke] What about this one?
- Ah! I mean, I don't
know. I'm thinking taller.
- Taller?
- Yeah! Taller.
- Okay.
- Welcome to JB's
Christmas Tree Farm.
- Hey!
- How can I help you fellas?
- Taller.
- Taller?
- Taller! Yeah, like 10 feet.
- Let me see what we have here.
You know, we're
out in the desert.
We don't have those
really big Christmas trees
like they do on the
West Coast or back East.
I think eight feet is about
all we're gonna be able to do.
- I don't think eight
feet's gonna cut it.
- No?
- Then what?
- Hey, never give up,
Son. Never give up!
- Hey, wait a minute. You
gentlemen are in luck.
Follow me.
- Ah-ha! Told you.
Is that a doghouse?
Is that a doghouse in
the trash over there?
(humming)
- Is that your coat?
- Yep!
That's what this is for.
(bright music)
All right!
Get my jacket back.
Here we go.
Sweetie! Come here! Come here!
Come here! Come here!
Yes, come on and look at
this little house you got.
All right!
Now go ahead and go inside.
Ah! You spoiled little mutt.
- Dad, I didn't
know you liked dogs.
- Of course I like dogs, Son!
Come on, Sweetie! (kissing)
I'm giving her my
jacket. Come on, Sweetie.
Come here! Come here!
Yes! Come inside. Check
out your new house.
Look at your house.
Can see if that's good.
All right, let's go
get the tree. Come on.
Come on!
(laughs cheerfully)
Come on, you gotta help
me get this tree unloaded
before your mom gets back.
- That tree, Dad?
- What? Too much?
- To unload!
- Not for you! Look at you.
Come on.
You're like a superhero. Look at
these muscles.
You're like Miles Morales.
- Wow! That's a nice tree.
- Oh, thank you. Thank
you, Junior, so much.
Could you grab that tree stand
in the back of my truck, please?
- Why do you have a tree
stand in your truck?
- I just bought it.
- Oh! Okay, good.
'Cause we don't have
tree stands in the hotel.
If you're gonna
want one of those,
you're gonna have to go
the store and get it.
- You mind just help
me get this tree out
before Nadia gets back?
I don't want her to see it.
- Yeah, she's not here.
- I know.
We wanna get the tree set
up before she gets back
so she doesn't see it.
- Oh, okay.
'Cause when she comes,
she's gonna see it.
- Come on, Junior. Help us.
- Yeah, come on. Here!
You take this side, will you?
- All right.
- Ah!
Yeah, just put it there, Junior.
Right there. Up!
All right, Luke,
what do you think?
Should we put the tree between
the fountain and the street?
Or between the
fountain and the hotel?
- I think in the front
between those two tables.
That way everyone can
see it from the hotel
and from the street.
- I like your thinking. Up top!
I'll get the tree stand. Woo!
Woo-ha!
(horn honks)
(footsteps racing)
(tarp rustling)
Hey!
- Hey!
(gentle bright music)
- Weird.
What?
What are you guys up to?
- Nothing!
Just got some stuff from
town and had a bite to eat.
- Is your dad okay?
- Yeah, of course, Mom.
- You think you're sneaky!
- I am sneaky, Mom.
- Come on, Mom. Unlock
the door. I need to pee.
- I'm watching you.
(gentle bright music continues)
- Ah!
Good job, Buddy. Yes!
- Oh! That was gonna be a mess.
(Nadia laughs)
What is it?
- Look!
- Hmm, looks like
a letter from Dad.
- I don't think I've ever
seen him write my name.
- He always writes your name.
- Where?
- All of his work memos
include Jason and Nadia,
Christmas cards,
letters to the school.
He never just signs his name.
It's always both of you.
- I guess I don't
think I knew that.
- Well, what do you think it is?
- I don't know.
A Christmas list?
A love letter?
- Yeah, right! Not your dad!
- Didn't he used to
write you letters?
- Not really.
I mean, he did write me
poems when we were dating.
- Poems?
- Yeah!
- Dad?
- Yes! And he was
pretty darn good too.
- All right, well open
it! What does it say?
- My Nadia,
it seems like ages
since we've spoke.
Of all the lovely
things in life I see,
none of them make me feel
like I feel when I see you.
(gentle jazz music)
This hotel wraps its arms
around me like they are yours,
and even as the leaves
fall in this courtyard,
I feel your presence
growing around me.
- The world seems so against us.
But we've come so far.
That it's only, only talk
- [Laura] If we give up now,
we will never forgive
ourselves.
For giving the world
that power over us.
- [Nadia] I wish on every
star and every penny I see
that we find a way
out of our situation
where everything seems
to be going against us.
- Laura! What? What
is that? What is that?
Who is that?
Who is this letting
you turn into trash?
- [Nadia] I can't
imagine a life where
being with you when we are
old isn't the only option.
Please be patient with me.
I'm not done fighting for us.
Still yours, Jason.
- Mom, that's really beautiful.
- It's like he's speaking
my own words to me.
- Mom, you gotta write him back.
- Why?
I mean, why can't we just talk?
- The same reason y'all text
each other in the same room!
Like you can just
get your words out
without losing your
train of thought.
Here, I'll write it.
You dictate it to me.
- Okay. But how would I start?
- My dearest husband!
(Nadia laughs)
- Oh, my God.
That's not too much?
- No. Not if he's
your dearest husband.
I mean, should we be writing to
another dearest
husband of yours?
(Nadia giggles)
- No, but I don't know if
that's really how he feels.
- Well, this is
about your feelings.
You know, you put your
feelings on the page
and you'll be able to crack
through his tough shell.
I mean,
he used to write you
poems, for Pete's sake.
- My dearest husband.
My dearest husband,
this year has been the
toughest of my life.
Hearing your words have
given me such great joy.
- No, let's not
include his letter.
You know, this is about you.
Don't let him take
credit for your feelings.
- Okay, okay, okay.
I have not given up hope that
we are at the darkest point,
just waiting for the dawn.
- [Nicole] Mm!
- [Nadia] The Sun will
rise and shine on our love
because we will
will it to happen.
This hotel is our sanctuary,
and the ghosts in these
walls have spoken to us,
a reassurance that
love is all we need.
(clattering)
The noise surrounding
us is just pots banging.
We can shut out that noise
if we listen to our hearts.
(birds chirping)
- It's pretty good.
- I know.
- She did it.
- [Luke] She wrote one?
- Well, she let me write it.
It's perfect.
He won't suspect a thing.
- Until they talk.
- Well, I'll stay
with Dad tonight.
Help him write her one.
What did he say
about the letter?
- Nothing.
- Nothing?
- Nope!
But he was bouncing all
around happy about something
and he wants to put
a Christmas tree
in the courtyard for her.
- Really?
You know that means something
because he hates taking those
decorations in from the shed.
And now he's willing
to put a Christmas tree
into a hotel he
doesn't even like.
- Yeah, I know.
I'm not dumb.
- Sure!
- I need to keep
Dad away from Mom
until we get another
letter written.
I'm gonna have Mom
take me to town
to get decorations
for the lobby.
- Yeah. I'll stay with Dad,
help him put up the tree.
Stay out of sight, okay?
- Will do!
- Yeah, so I introduced the
buyers to Nadia at lunch
and may have let it slip that
there was a divorce in the mix
and might have been a bit rude.
- Yeah, you think? That's
nobody's business, okay?
Not yours, not the buyers!
- Well, that's why
I'm here to say sorry.
- How about you
don't say anything
in the presence of
my wife or my kids?
How about that?
- [Roger] I understand.
- Good!
- So I think it may be
best to get the buyers here
as soon as possible.
- Hey!
Literally,
what did I just say?
- Yes, of course.
I will just give you
a call later today.
- How about you just
take the whole day off
and we'll schedule
a call for tomorrow?
- Okay, good. I'll
call you tomorrow.
- Okay!
That guy.
- Ah, so Luke's taking
Mom into the mall today
to get some Christmas
stuff for the lobby.
I can help you set up the tree.
- Yeah? That's great!
All right! It's good
that you guys
are getting along so well.
You're a little mischievous.
You guys have some kind
of plan or something?
- No, Dad, there's
nothing else to do
but talk to each other.
Plus, I love setting
up Christmas trees.
- All right. As soon as they
leave, we'll get it done.
- I really think you should
write Mom a letter back.
- Me write her back?
- Yeah, she said that you used
to write her poetry all the time
when you guys were younger.
Why'd you stop?
- Honey, that was
a long time ago.
And it's a lot easier to
write poetry when you're young
and in love.
- What if the whole
point of being married
is to fall back in love?
- Sweetheart, I don't want you
to get your hopes up, okay?
Your Mom and I fell outta
love a long time ago.
- It's never too late to
fall back in love, Dad.
(gentle piano music)
- [Nadia] Okay, Kiddo. Let's go.
(gentle upbeat music)
- What?
- Nothing!
- Let's just go get
this tree up, you.
Here, take that
strand right there.
- Thank you.
(bells jingle)
- Thank you, Junior!
- Yeah!
- Hey, do we have a ladder?
- Where?
- Here at the hotel?
- Did you do something with it?
- No, no. Do we have a
ladder here somewhere?
Like in a storage shed
or something like that?
- [Junior] Of course.
- Okay. You mind go
and getting it, please?
- Yeah! Ladder.
I can. I can do that.
- Thank you, Junior.
- [Junior] Yep.
(Jason laughs)
- So, Dad, tell me
about the poems.
I didn't know you did that.
- It was way before
you were born.
- Bet if it was more recent,
you and Mom would be
fighting a lot less.
- Well, that's not
how poems work, Honey.
- Bet that's how it
would work for Mom.
- You think you're
so smart, don't you?
- I get it from my dad.
Get it from your daddy
You get it from your daddy
I get it from my daddy
- So did you know
about the letter?
- Letter?
- Yeah. Your dad
wrote me a letter.
- Great. Did you write him back?
- Yes, I did.
- Cool.
Let's get all the hanging stuff.
Do we have a tree for the hotel?
- I think so.
I mean, I assume they have one.
They do this every year.
- Okay. Let's get this
stuff for the lobby.
- Got it.
Oh! Do you sell coats by chance?
- Yes, we do.
Down aisle three.
- Where are you going?
- Wait right here.
I'll be right back.
(gentle festive music)
- Wow! That was fast.
- You knew about this?
- Maybe.
- I told you you were sneaky.
This is beautiful.
Should we go see your dad?
- No, of course not, Mom!
It's my night with you.
We'll have breakfast
with Dad tomorrow.
In the meantime, let's
decorate the lobby.
- Okay. Sounds like a date.
(bright festive music)
- That was awesome.
She was gonna cry
if Luke didn't step on
her feelings like that,
being Luke.
- Should we go see them?
- No! Dad, we have
to write her back.
- I'm no good at
writing letters.
- Listen, you just have to
come up with the thoughts.
I'll get the words.
Okay?
- All right. Let's
see what we get.
My dearest Nadia,
I've been a fool.
(gentle upbeat music)
The leaves fall when they've
died, but the tree still lives.
The roots grow strong and
take what the world gives.
The tree can't control
the place it grows,
but the tree can control
how much it sways
when the wind blows.
I'm not the earth or
the soil or the rain,
I'm the tree that you've sat
under that is causing you pain.
The branches I've set out
to capture our dreams,
I've allowed to fall as they
capture less important things.
So you bleed and you cry,
and your tears wet the earth.
Your love has fed the
roots of our lives
and given my heart a new birth.
If you'll forgive my sin of
taking your love for granted,
I will change my bloom
and share the dreams
for yours to be planted.
It took the soul of this
hotel to remind me that
my love is the ceiling
and your love is the
floor and the walls.
- Dang, Dad! You're
really good at this.
(Jason chuckles)
Dad, I don't think you
should get divorced.
I know it's your lives
and you wanna be happy,
but what you just said.
- Honey, it's very complicated.
You know, your mother and I...
- What?
- We fall back in love again
and then it just hurts
more the next time.
And I just don't wanna be hurt.
- Why don't we just
see what Mom thinks?
And we can figure
this out together!
I know Luke and I haven't
always made it easy for you guys
always choosing between us.
- Honey, this has nothing
to do with you guys.
All right, Silly? Nothing.
- No! I don't mean that.
I mean, your lives
are more hectic
because of what me and Luke
think we're entitled to.
It's not just me. Luke agrees.
- You and Luke have
talked about this?
- Yeah. He's my stinky
little brother after all.
- Well, he is at that.
Both stinky and
your little brother.
Hey, when did you learn to
write in my handwriting?
- I write all your
letters for work, Dad.
- Yeah, but I didn't realize
you used my handwriting.
- I had to get good
for school, you know?
- Do you really?
- Yeah.
- That's like perfectly
my handwriting.
- Yeah! I mean-
- No! That's not okay!
You are grounded forever.
- Where's Mom?
- She went downstairs
to get a snack.
Hey, look at this.
- What?
- Michael and Laura. Can't
believe they never met.
- All that I am is your
love, my dearest love.
- [Michael] Your parents
have made it clear that
your kind won't
mingle with my kind.
I left a note with the
concierge to deliver to you
the last time I stayed.
I got it back today with
a letter from your mom.
She will not be
allowing us to meet.
I'm not white. I'm not rich.
I'm a proud Mexican-American
who will head off to college
and will never get
to see you in person.
I'll never get to hear the
tone of your sweet voice.
We're too far apart, even
when we're in the same room,
and the world will build
mountains between us.
Your dress is beautiful.
You will conquer this world.
But I'm afraid it
must be without me.
I don't blame you
for not seeing me.
I know my place.
You are in the heavens, where
I am in the fields below.
- We should find him.
- Michael?
- Yes!
- He's probably like 80 now.
- So? He may be alive.
- How would we even find him?
- Let's go see Catherine.
(Catherine laughs)
Miss Catherine, do you have
a record of guests here
from the '50s?
- I don't think so.
Your grandfather took
over in the '70s.
There was no records
on the property.
There was a big fire
in the boiler room
and everything got destroyed.
- Who are you looking for?
- There was a family that
stayed in the room we were in.
They left some toys in the wall.
- Wow! That's cool.
I'd love to see that.
- Kids named Michael and Laura.
- Wait, how do you know that?
- They wrote-
- Ah, they wrote their
names on the toys.
- Hmm. That's pretty cool.
So how's your father?
- Funny you should ask.
He read your letter.
- And then wrote this?
- [Nicole] Mm-hmm!
- [Luke] Come on, Mom!
- [Nicole] Yeah! Don't
keep us waiting. Read it!
- What is it?
- It's a poem.
- Oh!
- [Luke] Read it!
- You guys, these
things are private.
Unless you wanna share.
- My dearest Nadia,
I've been a fool.
- [Jason] The leaves
fall when they've died,
but the tree still lives.
The roots grow strong and
take what the world gives.
The tree can't control
the place it grows,
but the tree can control
how much it sways
when the wind blows.
I'm not the earth or
the soil or the rain,
I'm the tree that you've sat
under that is causing you pain.
The branches I've set out
to capture our dreams,
I've allowed to fall.
Your love has fed the
roots of our lives
and given my heart a new birth.
If you'll forgive my sin of
taking your love for granted,
I will change my bloom
and share the dreams
for yours to be planted.
- [Nadia] It took the
soul of this hotel
to remind me that my
love is the ceiling
and your love is the
floor and the walls.
- What are we crying for?
- Shut up, you meanie.
- [Luke] What?
- [Junior] Hello, friends!
- [Nadia] Hey, Junior.
What are you up to?
- I'm gonna go out
and water the tree.
- Isn't the tree dead?
- We're all dead if
we don't get water.
- Why do you need to give
water to the dead tree?
- So the tree don't die.
- If you don't keep
water in the base,
the needles dry out
too soon and fall off.
- Ah!
- Maybe Junior knows them.
- Maybe! Junior, how long
have you worked here?
- My whole life, I guess.
- Do you know a man named
Mike and a woman named Laura,
stayed here in the '50s?
- Mike? No.
Laura? Yep.
Yeah, her family came here
in the fall in the '60s,
and Laura Flynn was her name.
She was very nice.
Very nice. Yep!
- When was the last
time you saw her?
- Ooh!
Ah, that was the day
Elvis Presley died.
- How do you remember
that so clearly?
- 'Cause I was wearing
my blue suede shoes
at a ball that her
mom was putting on.
And, wow, I never wore
those shoes again.
- That's both very
sad and weird.
You liked Elvis?
- I was 16. We all loved Elvis.
But they left that night and,
yeah, they never came back.
I think her mom died
pretty soon after.
- Was she married then?
- No, not that I can remember.
I mean, I never saw
her with any man.
I mean, she was
famous for a while.
- We can find her!
(gentle upbeat music)
Look!
- Yeah. I can't tell.
Let's go look on the computer.
Oh! What are you
gonna do about Dad?
- I don't know.
What should I do?
- I don't know, but
whatever you do,
make sure it's not something
you'll regret forever.
- You're right.
- Oh! Hey, yep.
Trees. Yep! Mm-hmm!
(both laugh cheerfully)
- What are you gonna do?
- I love him. I don't
want to get divorced.
- Oh. Why don't you go find him?
("Silent Night" playing)
("Silent Night" continues)
("Silent Night" continues)
- It's her eyes, I think.
- It has to be her.
- Look! She has an
office. We can call.
It's late. First thing tomorrow.
(footsteps racing)
We called her. She's coming.
- Laura? From the letters?
- Yeah! She's coming
to the Christmas party.
- What else did she say?
- I told her about
the letters and toys.
She wants to come see them.
- Wow!
Okay!
Hey, how was your
mom last night?
- She didn't come
back to the room.
- Is she okay?
- We saw her go
upstairs with Dad.
(Catherine laughs)
- You guys did it!
- Yeah. We're awesome.
- You are awesome. You can be
really awesome
and help me set the tables.
We have like a hundred
people coming for dinner.
- Oh, man.
- Hurry up, Dork.
(dramatic orchestral music)
- [Nadia] What is it?
- Roger!
(dramatic orchestral
music continues)
- Dad, what's going on?
What? What is it?
- Your Dad sold the hotel.
- What?
- But I thought they
were gonna figure it out.
- Hey! Roger, what's going on?
You said we had 30 days.
- Well, Mr. Rivera
wanted to get started
before the end of the year.
- You said we had 30 days!
- Actually, I said
30 days is customary,
but the terms of the $2
million offer is that
the new owner takes
possession of the property
within 48 hours.
- That's not fair.
- I assure you it's quite fair.
I'm giving you double the value.
- It's Christmas though, Sir.
- Not quite.
- Well, it's Christmas
tomorrow, Sir.
- Dad, what's going on?
- Mr. Rivera?
- It's nice to see
you, Mrs. Nadia.
- I wish I could say the same.
- And you married him?
- And had these children!
- And now getting divorced?
- What does that have
to do with anything?
- It's hard to be married
when you guys are
all so different.
- Are you married, Mr. Rivera?
- I was married.
My wife passed away
several years ago.
- We aren't, by the way.
- You aren't what?
- Getting divorced!
- [Jason] That's right!
- That'll be all, Roger.
- Sir, I assure you
they were filing papers.
- Hey, didn't I tell
you not to talk business
in front of my
wife and my family?
- Look, Jason, this
is just how it goes.
- No, it's not how it goes!
- Roger, you're fired.
I would not want you working
for me and my investment.
(birds chirping)
I apologize for my rush.
I'll see you guys
after the holidays.
- You'll join us for
dinner tonight, won't you?
One last dinner in
the Val Verde Hotel
for the history books?
- I've never eaten
at the dining room.
But, yes, I will.
- Dinner at five.
- Thank you. Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Thank you both.
(birds chirping)
(engine rumbling)
(alarm beeping)
- Well, hello.
(birds chirping)
- Okay, I'm gonna get
these ones up top, guys.
- [Jackie] Cat!
- Jack!
Come here! You guys,
this is Jackie.
This is Jason and Nadia and
their amazing kids.
- Hi! It's so nice to
finally meet you guys.
She's told me everything
about you guys.
- Everything?
- Everything! All of it!
The letters, the decorations.
- The letters?
- Sneaky, huh?
- Kids, what have you done?
- We just started it.
Y'all finished it.
- What does that mean?
You knew about this?
- I thought it was a
really romantic idea.
I'm sorry.
- So you didn't
write the letters?
- No, I mean, I did.
Kids explain.
- We may have written the
first letter to each of you.
- So you didn't
mean those things?
- No, I did! The
things I wrote anyway.
- What gave you guys this idea?
- There were letters
and toys in the wall.
Laura and Michael, they wrote
love letters to each other.
- We thought if two
people who never met
could fall in love
through writing letters,
that two people who
were always in love
could fall back in love
through writing letters.
- So what is this?
- We just wrote the first
ones to get it started.
- We used the words
of Michael and Laura
to show you guys how
much you love each other.
- These are definitely
my thoughts.
- Mine too.
- So we aren't dead?
- No, you're not dead.
But you are in serious
trouble, both of you.
- But for now, you're
gonna help with the party.
- That's right! Jackie, it's
very, very nice to meet you.
- You too. Kids, I'm so sorry.
I didn't know it
was still a secret.
- Traitor!
- I'm sorry.
Well, they're so in love
and it's just perfect.
- It is perfect.
- Okay, well, we have
a lot of work to do.
Last charge for the Val Verde.
- All right! Kids,
you get to work.
You're still in trouble.
(cheerful jazz music)
(cheerful jazz music continues)
Hi! Welcome to Val Verde!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas. Welcome!
- [Nadia] Hi! Merry Christmas.
- [Guest] Merry Christmas!
- [Guest] Merry Christmas.
- Hi, Randy.
- Hi, how are you?
- Fine, Merry Christmas.
This is my husband, Jason.
- Hi. How are you? Nice
to meet you, Randy.
- Merry Christmas.
This is my wife, Kay.
- Hi, Kay. Merry
Christmas to you guys.
Welcome to the Val Verde. Enjoy!
- [Randy] Thank you so much.
- We're happy to have you.
- [Randy] Yes, thank
you. Beautiful night.
- [Jason] You look beautiful.
- Thank you.
- [Jason] Mm-hmm!
- I got this for you.
- Seriously?
- I did. I thought
you might need it.
(cheerful jazz music continues)
- Ah, ha, ho!
A new coat.
Thank you, Babe. That's my girl.
- Merry Christmas.
-Merry Christmas.
(enchanted music)
On your knees
O hear
The angel voices
O night
Divine
O night
When Christ was born
O night
Divine
O night
O night divine
(upbeat jazz music)
(upbeat jazz music continues)
- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas, everybody.
- Hi!
- Thank you so much
for being here.
Thank y'all. Merry Christmas.
- Woo! Merry Christmas!
- Junior!
- Merry Christmas, Junior!
- I can't talk, I gotta go.
- He's really working.
- That guy is so funny.
- This is so great.
- It's so great.
I wish we could have
been doing this sooner.
- But we're here now.
- Yeah. I guess this hotel
means more than we ever thought.
- Doesn't it?
- Ah! Miguel.
Nice to see you,
Sir. Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.
- [Nadia] Merry Christmas.
- Ah! Mr. Jeffs. Thank you, Sir.
- Absolutely.
- Merry Christmas to you.
- Merry Christmas.
This is a beautiful
party, you two.
- Thank you for being here.
- I'm so glad you
decided to make it.
- Thank you.
- Would you like to
take a look around?
- Uh, no, I've been here before.
- I'm sorry. I thought you said
you hadn't been in the lobby.
- No, I have never
eaten in the lobby.
- Why is that?
- I wasn't allowed.
My mother was help here.
- Wow!
- Mr. Rivera, it's
so nice to see you.
Can I make you a plate?
- Not right now, Miss.
Anybody staying
at the Penthouse?
- That's our room.
- Oh!
- Do you wanna go see it?
- Ah, could I?
- I can take you up.
- If you would.
- This way.
- Thanks, Buddy. Take
your time. Enjoy!
(cheerful jazz music)
- Thank you, Santa!
- [Santa] You're welcome.
Tonight
And we'll have ourselves
a Merry Christmas time
- This is the same dresser
that was here when
we stayed here.
For the perfect holiday
But starting today,
whatever your faith
Can we all just
pray for peace
- Is that another letter?
- You had no right! I love him!
I'm going to find him!
- Laura, you mustn't
ruin this for us.
You can't marry a Mexican.
- You don't even
know him, Mother!
- Laura, you must listen to me.
You're going to get hurt.
The world will never understand.
- I don't care!
When he sends for me, I'm going!
- He won't!
- He will! He loves me.
- I told him never
to contact you again.
He left.
He isn't going to send for you.
(Laura gasps)
(Laura crying)
Mary Lou
Mary Lou
Mary Lou, Mary Lou
- [Michael] My only love, I hope
my mother hasn't got to you.
I don't care who
your parents are.
You are mine. Send for
me and I will come.
When you are done
with your schooling,
we can start our
lives together.
I won't love again
until I see you.
Your most beautiful Laura.
(cheerful jazz music)
- Michael?
- I haven't gone
by Michael since...
- Since you wrote
your last letter.
- How did you know?
(cheerful jazz music continues)
Where'd you get these?
- Why did you go by Michael?
- In that time, speaking
Spanish was looked down upon,
almost a disability.
I had to go to
special ed classes
'cause I spoke with an accent.
- That's terrible.
- As I got older, I
embraced my heritage.
(cheerful jazz music continues)
I haven't seen
these in 60 years!
- You're Michael,
the football player?
Son of a bomber?
- Yes, that was me.
- Now you're a tycoon.
- I'm a man attempting
to destroy the past
so I can regret my
decisions a little bit less.
(phone rings)
- Hello?
Yes, this is me.
You're downstairs?
Perfect! I'll be right there.
I will be right back.
- You two helped my
parents' marriage.
- How do you mean?
- Your letters.
My sister and I wrote letters
as if they were coming
from each other.
It helped them find
their own words
and now they love
each other again.
Thank you,
even if you do have
to turn this building
into a parking lot.
- She said she wouldn't
love again till she sees me.
I hope she didn't
waste her whole life.
- How could I have
possibly wasted my life
with a love like ours to carry
me through every tough time?
- Laura?
- Michael!
- My love. My love.
- Yes, my love.
- I still have a picture of you.
- You've grown
even more handsome.
- I got your letter.
- Just now?
- I've been quite busy and I
just made it back into town.
- What's a few years for love?
- A few years indeed.
(cheerful jazz music continues)
- You guys should catch up.
We'll be downstairs
if you need anything.
(cheerful jazz music continues)
- We appreciate everything
you've been doing.
Thank you so much.
- Absolutely. And
we're not done.
- Oh! Hey!
Hey, you. Hey, we're
gonna be all right.
This family is
gonna be just fine!
- Watch out! Coming through!
Watch out! Hey! Oh, okay.
Move outta the way!
- Junior!
- Yeah, but Junior
may not be so fine.
(group laughs)
(glass clinking)
- Ladies and
gentlemen! Everyone!
Thank you all for joining us
for this final Christmas
dinner at the Val Verde Hotel.
Next year, we'll have to
find a new place together
as this place is in
its final chapter.
- Not so fast, young lady.
- Mr. Rivera!
- Val Verde Hotel's
going nowhere.
- Well, you, you,
you're not buying it?
- I am un-buying
it, if you will.
- He will!
- I will. We will!
- But to make sure
no one else buys it,
Mr. Rivera and I would
like to make an endowment
to the Val Verde
Historic Hotel Museum.
- Thank you! Absolutely!
Wow! Thank you.
- So that's a yes?
- Yes. Absolute yes!
Yes, absolutely.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Thank you.
- Hope this makes
your Christmas.
- Oh, yes it does.
- Thank you. Merry Christmas.
Thank you for saving my family.
- And thank you guys
for saving my family.
Now we can say we're even.
- We're even. Deal.
- Well, Merry Christmas to all!
- [Both] Merry Christmas!
- Merry Christmas.
(cheerful jazz music continues)
(cheerful jazz music continues)
- [Santa] And what would you
like for Christmas, young man?
- I've already
got what I wanted.
(bright instrumental music)
Come on, let's go,
we're feeling brand new
New sun, new day,
nothing we can't do
The wrong, the past,
it's all behind you
We got a brand new start
(bright instrumental
music continues)
These hearts, these
souls are made to be one
Breathe in, breathe out,
it's like we're reborn
Fresh breeze, new skies
look even brighter
Its like we hit restart
And now we're
feeling elated again
My soul, knew the rain
would finally clear
And even though
it looks hazy now
We both know good
times are here
We're feeling brand
new, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Nothing can do,
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
It's just me and you,
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
We're feeling brand new
(bright instrumental
music continues)
Feels good, feels right
Just take it all in
New sun, good things
on the horizon
The wrong, the past,
it's all behind you
This is brand new start
And now we're
feeling elated again
In my soul, I knew the
rain would finally clear
And even though
it looks hazy now
We both know the
good times are here
We're feeling brand new,
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Nothing can do,
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
It's just me and you,
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
We're feeling brand new
(bright instrumental
music continues)
(music ends)