Christmas At Holly Lodge

• Roasted Chestnuts
• Go to Christmas Tree Farm
• Decorate Christmas Tree
• Go Snow Skiing
• Snowman
• Snowball Fight
• Horse-Drawn Carriage
• Tree Lighting Ceremony
• Almost kiss about 25 minutes before end of movie
• Drink from Empty Coffee Cups
• Pool Table but nobody plays on it
• Santa Costume
• No Exes Involved

Director

• Jem Garrard

Producers

• Jamie Goehring
• Kevin Leslie
• Trevor McWhinney
• Shawn Williamson

Cast

• Arpad Balogh
• Robyn Bradley
• Jordan Bridges
• Christian Convery
• Aria DeMaris
• Adrian Hough
• Toby Levins
• Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe
• Byron Noble
• Gerard Plunkett
• Sheryl Lee Ralph ⭐
• Alison Sweeney
• Ramon Terrell
• Alison Wandzura
• Latonya Williams

CALLIE"Gary's coming in today, and we've got a bunch of newbies." Callie, please do not tell them about the miracle. OK? "It's true" It's not. "It is! Every year that I've been here somebody gets a gift. They get exactly what they need out of nowhere." It's not miraculous.

EVAN'S SECRETARY"And how are you gonna double up your work?" Oh I can take care of this new thing and then fly to Indonesia on the 25th. "Ah, on Christmas Day?" That's a perfect day to fly. "Think you can finish this new deal before then?" What Sir Ian wants...

SIR IAN"He gets! Ah, there's a man after my own heart... and a holiday bonus." Happy to do it. "Oh, it's fun isn't it? Don't you love your job?" I do. But I gotta ask why this property so sudden? "I saw an ad for the Lodge and I had a feeling... and then yesterday I flew over the mountain and I knew. Waves emanating all the way up to the plane. Oh, I can smell it! A perfect hidden little gem. Out of the way. Exclusive. Or, it will be." Sounds great, but without more background, can we just... "That's why I need you on the ground there. I want this property Evan. Now I have to fly out myself tonight so this is your baby to deliver. Trust your instincts. Emma? Trust instincts... and get it in writing."

SOPHIEWelcome to Holly Lodge. Just checking in? "Uh, I'm booked, but uh, is this a private party?" What? Oh, no. It's just Christmas! "Really?" Yeah, everybody's invited.

CALLIE"You're blushing!" I don't blush. "You're definitely blushing." Stop it!

EVAN"What's the deal with Christmas? "Oh, it's kind of a thing around here. We have a lot of regulars and we do a lot of activities... here's your key. "That's cute. Thank you." If you'd like to join us, we're going to go tree shopping. "Oh, that's tempting, but uh..." It'll only take an hour. Two hours tops... and then you get to meet everyone... and then you can come back here, into your room, and no one will bother you. I mean, it's not like anyone would intrude, except that's, that's what I'm doing right now. "No, no, not at all." Well, we're leaving in about 15 minutes, so if you change your mind, come on down!

SOPHIE TO HERSELFCome on down? What am I, a game show host?

EVAN TO HIMSELFI just slammed the door right in her face.

SOPHIEIt was the key right? It threw you that it wasn't one of those modern key cards. "It is charming." I like the brochure word: Rustic. But now that you've seen an axe, you're gonna expect butter churning and buggies. "At least a one horse open sleigh." Now that I would love.

EVAN"Ah, missed a spot." No, that's the spot we leave for the winning ornament. Yeah, oh yeah that, we have an ornament making contest. I like the idea that everybody has a little bit of themselves on the tree. So you have to start thinking about it. "Will do."

EVAN"Okay, what about that one?" That one right there, is my very first ornament. I got it when I was two. "Wait, you have one for every year?" Yep. It was my Mom's idea. She um... wanted me to have this great collection for when I moved out... and now I have theirs.

EVAN"So uh, all the people who come here every Christmas they're all on their own too?" One way or another. Gary was a longtime family friend of my parents and he and Nadine and her husband, they would come every year. Then when my parents passed away, I didn't have a plan. I didn't know what to do and they just showed up at Christmas... and they brought all their friends. They really saved me that year. And, um, it just grew from there you know? Word of mouth!

SOPHIEWhat were your Christmases like? "I had a lot of freedom as a kid." Really? What did you do with all that freedom? "Oh I explored. We traveled a lot. I still do actually." What was the best Christmas trip ever? "Hmm. Oh, Roatan was nice." I don't know it. "Oh, it's this beautiful little island off the coast of Honduras. For a long time only divers knew about it but now I mean, there's a ferry that goes out to the island, there's an airport, resorts." So you mean, they ruined it? "No, no. It's great! It's just easier to get to."

SOPHIESo about those late notices that you keep sending me "It breaks my heart, you've beaten the odds a long time Sophie." Times have been tough for everyone in this town. No snow, no customers. But this is a great season and I'm gonna make it back. I just, I just need a little more time. "I'll see what I can do." Thanks.

SOPHIECallie, what is wrong, did something happen? "OK, First of all, I want you to know that I did not go looking for this. I just went into his room, and I lift up his laptop to dust underneath it and then it turned itself on and there it was." Wait, no wait, who's laptop? And what? "Evan's... and this. I'm sorry I didn't want to touch anything so I only got a screen cap of the first page."

LAPTOP:Holly Lodge
Preliminary Assessment and Purchase Guide
Initial research didn't show it but owner had title to significant Mountain acreage now held in trust do a name search and research usage rights. No assessment yet of owners willingness to sell. Proximity to slopes but enough shelter from the ski lodge makes the location perfect for the Elite Brand.

SOPHIEElite Brand? "Elite Resort. I did a search as soon as I found it. It's a privately held company owned by this Brit named Sir Ian Summersby. Who kite surfs and owns an island and build space shuttles. Anyways, they're specialty is buying boutique properties and turning them into Elite upscale resorts." So that's why he's here. That's why he's being so... it's business.

CALLIE"I'm so sorry Sophie I could see how much fun you were having." Please don't be sorry. I'm glad I know. I'm not gonna let some clowns take my home and turn it into an Elite Resort. "Yeah good. You go and give him a piece of your mind. Ooh, and I will throw all his clothes out the window! Wait, unless you want to throw his clothes out the window." No, I can't afford to... "You can't afford to what?" Let Evan know that we're on to him, right? And that gives us an advantage.

EVANArt, you here? "All day every day, my friend." I need a one horse open sleigh. "Sure, yeah you might also find some turtle doves down at the Jasper farm. They could probably help you out with six geese a-laying too. Oh and for a non-livestock option there's five gold rings at Clifton's, which are great." Nice, but I just need the one horse open sleigh. Today. "Oh, yeah okay so not just any grand holiday gesture, this is specific." Very. "Is there a woman involved?" Yeah. "Oh boy. Okay let me make some calls." Great! "I think I know a guy."

SOPHIEYou think that Evan's gonna wanna come to the tree lighting tonight? "Oh well, we should probably count on it. I can always push dinner back an hour. Vince can help us. He'll be here." Because he's such a great guy? "I know. Don't start." It's obvious. You should give him a chance. Come on Callie. You too, could be the Christmas miracle this year!

SOPHIEWhat have you done? "You said you'd love a one-horse open sleigh. Come on!"

SOPHIEHow did you do it? There is no one-horse sleigh in this town. "I know. I know. Art from the feed and tackle store, he found one two counties over.

EVAN"It's just through here. Here it is!" Whoa. "Look at that." This is my place. Did you know that? "Your place?" Yeah, since I was a kid. "I had no idea. I just walked around and tried to look for a spot that I thought you'd love." I've spent thousands of hours up here just watching the mountain breathe. What? "It all has a story. Your story." But everyone's life is like that isn't it? "Not like yours. Most of us just observe, collect, visit. I guess I try to leave a place better than I found it." And do you? "I don't know. Maybe that's just what I tell myself."

SOPHIEWhere's home for you? "Well, I'm based in New York because it's a little bit of everywhere and that fits me. But really, that could change any time. So I guess no home. I always felt it was the journey that mattered you know?" It is. But sometimes you find everything you're looking for in one place. "Or one person." I should probably get back.

EVAN"You know, I go to a lot of little towns all around the world, and I love it, but I've never felt this... compelled." Compelled? Yeah. Yeah, I feel like I could stay here."

ART"Hey hey, Mr. Jingle Bells! So, did the sleigh do the trick?" You know, I thought so, now I'm not so sure. "So what are you doing holed up here with this pile of papers instead of being with her?" I'm looking for the needle in the haystack that's gonna save her from her worst nightmare. "Which is?" Me. Or, not me. My old self. "So what, you're not yourself anymore? I don't, what?" I don't know. Maybe I'm completely myself for the first time.

NADINE"What's wrong with you? You get to fall in love." Not this time. "What is it?" I just have things I have to do... and Evan is not who or what I thought and I just need to stay away from him. You know, I have to keep my wits about me. "Wits are highly overrated." "You know what Harry used to say? He said that I would lose anything that was not Velcroed onto me or written on my hand. Okay, he was right. But you know what I will never lose? Ever? How I feel. I remember every day we spent together. The good and the bad... and that counts for something. I saw the way you looked at Evan. Even more, I saw the way he looked at you. I felt it too. From across the room." Well, that's why it stinks so much.

NADINE"Honey, it is not over. I know this has been a bad day for all of us, just kicking us in our behind. Bad day: 2, Christmas: 0. So I say we move on... or eat cookie dough." Why not both? "Oh, that's my girl!"

SOPHIEOh, what is this? "OK, so that one is from Peru, and, uh, this one I got at the Kasbah in Marrakesh. I watched the guy cut and stamp it right there." Wow! "Yeah. It's supposed to give you protection and good luck. This one, it's from Venice. I watched the guy finish it right there." Wow. It's beautiful. I see a theme. They're all something you watched being made. "Yeah, that's my rule. They have to be handmade, authentic. It matters." It does. You just carry these all around with you? "No, I sent for it. It's the closest thing that I have to an ornament collection. You said that you wanted everyone to have a piece of themselves on your tree. So I want to be there too. Just, whichever one you want." Evan, I want them all on the tree. "I'm freezing cold, I need to go inside!"

EVAN"Is this is your dream?" Is what? "This place. Being here." It's better than a dream, because it's real. "You're curious about the world. I can see it." Why are you always trying to convince me to leave my home? "Maybe because I'm tired of being alone. What?" Uh, there's just work, uh, I have left to do tonight." Right now?" Yeah. That's what happens when you're running a messy family business.

ZOE"What's going on? Papa!" "Zoe, baby, sweetheart, how are you? I miss you so much. Tell me everything. Have you been skiing? Having fun at the Holly Lodge?" "It's the best Christmas now!" "I love you so much, Zoe. You know that? You and your Mom."

NADINEWell, It seems I've got friends in places I never even knew about before. But it's pure luck that the weather cleared up enough for him to get through." Nadine, you made the Christmas miracle this year. "Yes I did."

CALLIEYou're a good man Vince. "Yeah. Yeah, you too. I mean, not, no, you're not a man. You're a person though. Such a good person. Hey, listen, uh, next week once this all, you know, calms down, do you wanna maybe get out of here with me sometime? A date is what I'm asking you on. Callie, do you want to go on a date with me?" Yes! Yeah?" I would love to. "OK."

EVAN"Open it." What is this? "Go ahead." What's this certificate? "Sophie, your parents bought a life insurance wrapper for the mortgage of the Lodge." I've never seen this. "You know what? That's exactly what Frank Dunlop said. He had no idea about this because it was buried under a pile of old documents. Anyway, he's very apologetic, and, um, I spoke to the lawyers, double checked. It's valid." Wait, it says it should have paid off the mortgage after my parents died? "That's right." But I kept making payments. "Yeah. Yeah, and you're gonna get all of that money back with interest. Which the bank will pay back quickly. Frank doesn't wanna cause trouble." So my parents they "They took care of you." And the lodge is mine? I mean, this... "It's all yours. Yeah, free and clear... and you know what? You're gonna have a nice little nest day to take care of all the banging pipes and whatnot!"

SOPHIEEvan, I just can't believe that you did this for me. "It was the right thing to do." You risked your job. "Nah, I saved, Sir Ian, a whole pile of trouble. I'll find him another Mountain." They don't exactly grow on trees you know. "Whatever happens, thanks to you. I, I finally have a place that I want to be every Christmas. Maybe, during the off-season you could come travel with me." Wow. You're really going for the miracle trifecta here. You wanna show me the world? "Why not?"

TRIVIA:Unfortunately there is no Overton ski town in real life

THOUGHT:Sometimes the background piano music sounds like the Jurassic Park background piano music.