Random Acts of Christmas (2019)

Post by **bunniefuu** » 12/17/23 15:48

The city of Chicago, it seems,

has been taken over
by Christmas elves!

There were barely
enough volunteers to handle

the amount of winter clothes
left at all of the shelters.

The city has never seen
this level of charity,

as they are putting a smile
on early commuters' faces.

Okay, so Grandma is gonna
pick you up after school,

'cause I have a feeling
I'm gonna be busy

with the story I just landed.

Ollie. Oliver!

Look, Mom. This is it!

Skyflier! Skyflier! Skyflier!

Skyflier and accessories
sold separately.

Oh, yes, I know, sweetie.

You've shown me
about a hundred times.

Come on. Pack it up!

We gotta go,
or we're gonna be late.

Oh, yeah, Mom?

Yeah?

I forgot.

I need to bring in a treat

for the teacher/staff
Christmas party.

Oliver...

Okay, here you go, honey.

You sure you got it?

Okay.

Mwah! Love you.
Have a good day at school.

I love you too.

Free bus passes for everyone!

Merry Christmas! Free bus pass?

Oh... Thank you.

- Merry Christmas!
- A free bus pass?

Enjoy a free bus pass,
courtesy of Secret Santa!

Oh, this made my day!

I can't believe
someone paid my fare.

Free bus pass?

There is still kindness
out there.

Ho, ho, ho!

Merry Christmas.

Oh, thank you.
-You're welcome.

Another free ride?

'Tis the season for giving.

Anyone?
-Free bus pass?

I guess everyone's too busy
to make a donation.

Yeah.

'Tis the season
to be overwhelmed.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

That's not the story I want,
Sydney.

I want the story
about the Secret Santa.

The one who donated the clothes,

and who, I'm guessing,

is responsible for those elves
giving away the bus fares?

That's the one.

Look, I know that is
a feel-good story too,

but I really feel...

Look, Sydney, all I want
is the name of the Secret Santa,

what he's gonna do next,

and I need it first.

Because, to be honest,

the last few stories
you've brought me

were sweet,

but yawners.

So if you can't get me
what I need,

I'll have to start
looking for other journalists.

I'll cr*ck who that Santa is
and get you the story you want.

I've already got
the groundwork interviews.

That's what I like to hear.

Sorry, Syd,

but all's fair game in the world
of freelance journalism.

Andy, what
groundwork interviews?

Do you mean the elves
from this morning?

Spoke to them all,

and got the Secret Santa
calling card.

Same one he left
at the shelters.

Secret Santa.

"He sprang to his sleigh,
to his team gave a whistle,

and away they all flew
like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim,
'ere he drove out of sight,

'Happy Christmas to all'

"'...And to all a good night!'"

Mom, you're home!

Yeah, I made it home
in time to tuck you in.

But first

do we need to find Harold?

He's been missing since
I came home from school today.

Oh! Well, that is curious.

Should we go find him?
-Yeah!

Come on.

Go get him.

I want to hear
all about your day.

Okay.

Cold.

Oh, you're getting colder.

Oh, you're getting warmer!

Oh, not that warm. Like medium...

Now you're getting hot.

Oh! Now you're boiling!

Harold!

Ah, good.

Now both of you, hop into bed.

Gotta get down in there.

Love you.

I love you too.

Good night, Harold.

You didn't have to do this, Mom.

Oh, why not? You do enough.

I just packed some leftovers
for Oliver's lunch tomorrow,

so you don't
have to worry about it.

Thank you.

I do not know
what I would do without you.

I feel the same way.

- Everything all right?
- I don't know.

I spent the whole day looking
for signs of the Secret Santa

that Perry wants to jump on,

but I didn't find any,
and if I don't,

I lose my connection
with the network,

and then I'm just like
with everyone with a cell phone

trying to sell a story.

Except

not everyone else
is able to spot the unusual

like you can.

I mean, even as a little girl,

you could spot
the four-leaf clover

in a field of green,

or a smiling face
in a sea of frowns.

That's a gift, Sydney,

and one you should never
give up on.

I don't want to give up.

What kind of example
would that set for Ollie?

That's right, that's why
you're gonna keep trying,

because I know you, Sydney.

Whatever it is, you'll see it.

Thanks, Mom.

Oh, come on.

Really?

And it's slow going

on the main roads out there
in Chicago,

as the worst traffic
is at Carlaw and Fifth,

where vans in a parking lot
distributing Christmas food

have attracted crowds of people

that has traffic
at a standstill.

Wait a minute.

Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!

Excuse me.
Who put you up to this?

Secret Santa again.

Thank you.

Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!

So, the Secret Santa
strikes again.

Boy, you should've been here
when the first truck arrived.

I thought people were gonna
get out of their cars

and jump those Santas.

- Oh, Andy...
- Oh, I wouldn't bother.

I already got all the footage,
interviewed the Santas.

Perry's probably got it
in Editing as we speak.

How did you know
this was happening?

Oh, my sources have eyes
and ears all over this city.

But you didn't get
the Secret Santa yet, did you?

Not yet, but I will.

Not if I get him first.

Hey.

What are you doing?

Hi. Uh...

S-Sorry. Who... Who are you?

I asked you first...
Secret Santa?

Oh, yeah. Right. I wish.

That means I'd have the scoop on
the hottest story of the season.

So, you're just
another journalist?

Afraid so. Sorry to disappoint.

Ah, no. It's okay.

I figured this place
would be crawling with us.

So who do you work for?

I'm freelance, actually.

What about you?

Yeah, me too.

I'm trying to land
a permanent position with BCN.

'Cause the freedom of freelance
is great, right?

But being a single mom,

a permanent position
would definitely be better.

Hey, you wanna...
You want to try some of this?

I mean, it's like research
for us reporters, right?

You know what?

I didn't eat breakfast,
so, yeah, why not?

Yeah.

Uh... hey. Look at this.

There you go.
-Thank you.

You're welcome.

Just...
-Dive right in.

Yeah.

So, uh, how many kids
do you have?

Just one.

My son, Oliver,
he just turned eight.

Oh, wow.

That is really good.

But it'd be great
with a little brandy cream.

Now you're talking.

So, you find it hard?

Juggling your career
and being a single mom?

Mm. Sometimes.

But I try to make sure
I have at least

a little time for Ollie
every single day.

We have this thing we do,

where I hide
his favorite stuffed animal,

Harold,

and he has to find it
before bed.

I am such a lucky mom.

Oliver is the best little guy.

He asked for just one thing
for Christmas.

One thing!

Th-That toy called the Skyflier.

Oh, yes. I've...
I've heard of it.

Yeah, how could you not?

They play an ad for it
about every five minutes.

The power of marketing.

I feel like that's all
Christmas is about these days.

Forget any kind of magic.

And I'm so stressed out
about getting it all done,

I haven't even put
the outdoor lights

on my house yet.

What about all this, though?

I think this is pretty magical.

Don't you?

Yeah.

It would be,
if I got the story first.

I should get to work.

It was nice to meet you.

Wait. What's your name?

Cole... Howard.

Cole Howard.

Sydney Larkin.

It looks like it went well.

Howard.
What do you think of this?

It's from
our new "Silent Night" line.

It's nostalgic.

That's good, because that's
exactly what we're going for.

So what do I have
on my schedule tomorrow?

Well, the mistletoe
you ordered from Wales

is coming in,

and I've confirmed your 3:00
with the director

of Mothers in Arms.

Good, well, let's just hope
she doesn't want a photo op.

No, I was very firm.

I'm sure they're gonna respect
the privacy of the company.

And you're very good
at staying undercover.

You should've seen
the faces today, Howard.

Well, I've never seen
people so excited

about being caught
in a traffic jam.

Actually, I had a small
encounter with a journalist.

Don't worry.

I told her that
I was a journalist as well,

a freelancer named Cole Howard.

Oh, quick thinking.

Well, we know that

if my true identity ever
made it into the spotlight,

it would compromise
what my intentions were.

But this journalist,

she's exactly
why I'm doing this.

A single mother,

who is so stressed out

because she sees Christmas as
just another thing to juggle

during this holiday season.

She's so focused
on getting the story, my story,

that she's missing the point
of what I'm trying to do,

which is reminding people

what the true spirit
of Christmas is all about.

Well, you can only hope that
she'll come to see it your way.

Well, maybe she will
with this next act.

Which reminds me,

I have a few phone calls
I have to make.

Well...

Checkmate.

Unbelievable.

Well, what do you think?

It's perfect.

I'll have Grandma bring
some of our old ornaments

so that we can
really fill it out.

But for now, you have
a hockey game to get to.

Can we walk to the rink?

I mean, maybe we can

catch or find the Secret Santa
doing something else.

You know what?

That is a great idea.

Let's do it.

So, did you bring all your gear?

Yes, Mom.

Your pads?

Yes, Mom.

Your skates?

Yes, Mom.

Your mouth guard?

Yes, Mom.

Your game face?

Yes, Mom.

Did you see that assist?

I scooped it and passed it

right between
the other player's legs.

Oh, I saw it. It was great.

Mom, do you think

the Secret Santa
will do something else?

Honey, I have a feeling
he already has.

Whoa!

Is it him?

I'd say it's a pretty safe bet.

Excuse me, ma'am? Hi!

I'm Sydney.
This is my son, Oliver.

Do you happen to know
who's responsible

for all the poinsettias?

Oh, I do.

I found this tucked in my plant.

From "Secret Santa."

Thank you.

Cole?

Hey.

Hi.

I guess you heard the rumor

that Secret Santa struck again?

Yes, he did.

Look.

Oh, wow.

That's a very nice calling card.

Are you by any chance Oliver?

Oh, I'm sorry.

Ollie, this is Cole.

Nice to meet you, Cole.

Well, nice to meet you.

So, Oliver, what do you, uh,

what do you think
about all this?

It's amazing!

Because we haven't even had time
to put up our Christmas lights,

and now we have
Christmas flowers!

Wow, and you...
you live right here?

Yeah, right here.
-Yeah.

Mom, can I play
with the other kids?

Oh, of course. Go ahead.

Yay!

Nice to meet you, Cole.

Nice meeting you.

What a polite kid.

Thank you.

So, how did you know
about all this?

Oh, I just followed
the trail of bread crumbs,

or... poinsettias.

Right.

What... What's wrong?

What's wrong is

I have to figure out
how to tell my boss, Perry,

that the Secret Santa
struck again,

on my street,

and I missed it.

You didn't miss it. You're here.

Yeah, but Perry likes
to break the story first.

You know, you understand.

Oh. Oh, y-yeah. Yeah.

Wait a minute. Do you see that?

The kids,

they're all playing together,

and the neighbors
are all talking to each other.

Cole, what if that's the story?

Not who the Secret Santa is,
but all this?

Uh, yeah, right. Um...

Because if the Secret Santa
was actually revealed,

then...

I guess
all of this would go away

and it would
just stop happening.

Exactly.

Now, the trick is gonna be
convincing Perry of that.

Do you think it's unethical

if I aid the story a little bit?

You know, pad it some?

What do you mean?

Who would like
some hot chocolate?

Yay!
-Okay, great!

We'll be right back with some.

As in "we" will be back?
-Yes!

Come on, Cole.

If this is the story,
better get after it.

Come on!
-Okay.

Wow. I like your tree.

Aw. It is cute, isn't it?

You know,
when I was Oliver's age,

my mom and I would actually
drive out of the city,

and we would
chop our own tree down.

Just the two of you?

Yeah. It was always just us.

Kind of like you and Oliver.

Why do you think he does it?

Secret Santa?

From what I've investigated,

other than
leaving his calling card,

he hasn't left any other clues,
and certainly not as to why.

Well, I mean, there could be
many possibilities...

I mean, it could just be
simple generosity.

Could be all of the attention.

But I don't know,
something tells me

it's deeper than that.

Like

maybe something from his past,

maybe a tribute to... somebody.

Well, it would be nice
to know why.

You know, for another layer
of the story.

Listen, um, off the record...

Oh! What you got?

Just the best secret ingredient
for hot chocolate.

For the adults, of course.

Right.
-Here...

Give this a try.

Yep, that is hot chocolate
with a kick.

Right?

So, do you have any other
secrets up your sleeve?

No. No. That's, uh...

That's...
that's the only secret.

We should probably get these
out to your neighbors

while they're still hot.

Yes.
-Okay.

Okay. Oh...

We got hot chocolate!

Come on over and get a cup.

Yeah!

Thanks, Mom.

You're welcome, sweetheart.

Here, please.
Ooh, be careful, it's hot.

Careful, it's hot, though.
Merry Christmas.

Ooh, enjoy.

Here you go. Hi, neighbor.

Please enjoy.

Oh, you're welcome.

Do you have one there for me?

Yes, here you go!

Thank you.
-Perfect.

So you and your husband
are in 42?

Oh, no!
-We're not...

- He's not my husband.
- I don't live here.

- I live here, he doesn't.
- I'm somewhere-.

We're just working together.

So, did you see any of this
being set up, or...

I was out
Christmas shopping all day,

but I did see

a couple of white vans pull away
just as I got home.

Good night, Sue.

Good night, John.

Thanks again for
the hot chocolate, Sydney.

Night, Beth.
-Good night.

So? This went over pretty well.

Oh, it was great.

You have become better neighbors
with my neighbors than I have.

I gotta get Ollie to bed.

Plus, you and I have
a big story to write.

Hey, I was thinking about that.

Um... why don't you
take this one?

Seriously?

Yeah. Why not?

I've just never met a reporter

who was willing
to give up their story.

Well, it's kind of our story,
if you think about it.

And, um, I was wondering,

maybe we could, uh,
maybe we could work together.

Like partners?

Yeah.

You know,
two minds are better than one.

And we would share the credit.

Or I could be
like a silent partner.

I've never really been big
on taking the credit.

I just do this job
because I love it,

and I remember my mom
kind of juggling

starting up a business

and being a single parent.

I... I just know,
I know it's tough.

Plus, it's Christmas, so...

What do you say?

All right... partner.

All right, partner.

Good night.
-Good night.

Poinsettias
dancing above Chicago

caused quite a buzz,

thanks to the city's
very own Secret Santa,

as people look to the skies
at a glance of Christmas.

This floor houses
our creative department.

Basically,
it's a room full of elves

who come up with ideas
for new Christmas decorations.

This year, we're launching
our "Silent Night" collection.

Classic ornamental balls

with words
of Christmas inspiration.

I would like a percentage

of these sales
and of all of decoration sales

to go towards your charity.

Wow.

I don't know what to say.

I mean, you're the country's
largest manufacturer

of Christmas decorations,
so that would mean...

Well, I don't know
what that would mean,

but I do know
it's very generous.

If it wasn't for charities
like Mothers in Arms,

my own mother would never
have been able

to start up this business

and let it succeed
the way that she did.

Thanks, Mr. Hauer.

And if we can help in any way

publish your story
in the next brochure or...

No. No, I would...
I would actually prefer

to keep this just between myself
and your organization,

if that's all right.

Of course.

Great. I'll have my legal team
do up the appropriate paperwork.

Thank you.

Merry Christmas.

- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.

The meeting went well?

It did.

I just hope
that we can keep our anonymity.

Well, looks like
you're managing so far.

That light show the other night

you raised the bar.

Well, the best part of it,
Howard,

was that she got it

this journalist, she understands
what we're trying to do.

The only problem is

that her boss wants
the full story.

But that's okay,

because I know
how I'm gonna help her.

I'm sorry... "help her"?

Yeah.

Get the job she needs
at the network.

And how do you plan
to pull that off,

being as your plate
is a bit full?

By working with her.

I'm gonna give her clues

on where the Secret Santa's
gonna strike next,

therefore giving her
the jump on the story.

And I'm guessing you can't
just tell her who you are

and what you're planning next?

No, because I would

have to insist
that she stays quiet,

and that would compromise
her integrity as a journalist.

Well

she seems to be a special lady,

if you're going
to all that trouble.

Is she?

Yeah, Howard...

It's not like that.

You have to see

the way the woman is
with her son.

It... it reminds me

of how my mom and I used to be.

Well,

it's nice to see that her spirit
lives on in you like that.

Now, I have, uh,

I've cleared your schedule
for the rest of the afternoon

so we can tackle your employee
Christmas wish-list.

Right, um, the only problem
with that is,

I don't know

where the list is.
Perfect. Thank you.

Yeah, I didn't see
my name on there.

Does that mean that my gift

requires its own page
unto itself?

Not really part of the spirit,
there, Howard.

No, but I can try, can't I?

Mathew in my class
kept on bragging

that he has a new giant
blow-up Santa on his lawn.

Now I can tell him

that the Secret Santa
was on my street.

Well, make sure
you're not bragging back,

because I don't think that's why
the Secret Santa did it.

Why does he do it?

I think to make us feel good.

Maybe remind us
during the holidays

to take a little time

to, you know, decorate,

and visit a neighbor,

or both.

What do you think?

I think it worked.

'Cause yesterday,
everyone was smiling.

Especially when
you made the hot chocolates.

Well, maybe I should do it
more often, then, huh?

Hello?

Sydney. Hey, it's Cole.

Hey, what's going on?

I got a tip on the Santa.

Really? What is it?

Listen, it might just be a bust,

but can you meet me at
the community center on Park

as soon as you can?

I'll grab Ollie

and we'll meet you there
right away.

All right. Great. Thanks.

Ollie, sweetie,
get dressed as fast as you can.

Why?
-I'll tell you on the way.

Only two more
shopping weekends left

until Christmas,

and the city is already
jammed with shoppers.

Look!
-Yay!

Come on, honey.

Whoa!

Wow.

Look at this!

What is going on?

I don't know, but I think
you-know-who's involved.

I just got a feeling.

You ever get one of those?

Yeah.

Yeah, I do.

I have a kind of intuition,
I can kind of "see" things,

like the unusual
in the ordinary,

that sort of thing.

Of course, you're a journalist,
that's your gift.

Me, on the other hand,

I got a tip
from a friend of mine

who has a snowplowing company.

He said he got an order
to drop off a ton of snow

here.
-Hey!

Hey!

Hey, where did
all this snow come from?

This is a community center!

I think it was the Secret Santa.

Oh, was it?

It could've been. Yeah.

I don't care who he was,
he's blocking access.

What does this guy think
he's doing, anyhow?

I know. He made
a toboggan slide. Look!

Mom, can I try it?

I think the Secret Santa
would want you to.

Yay!

Hey, I don't think you should!

Yeah, it'll be fine.

Here, here. I'll get it.

Get on that?
-Got it?

You good?
-Yeah.

Here we go. One

two

three!

Woo!

Aah! Woo!

Whoa, that was so fun.

Mommy, can we do it again?

Yes! Absolutely.

Look at this.

In what appears to be
an impromptu toboggan hill,

courtesy of Chicago's
own Secret Santa,

both kids and parents alike

are forgoing their shopping
and to-do lists

for some pre-Christmas fun.

Sir?

What were you
planning on doing today?

I was gonna
tackle my Christmas list.

And would it
have occurred to you

to go tobogganing instead?

Heck, no, we had
way too much to do.

But, you know,
seeing their faces...

Maybe I need to make the time.

Thank you.

Taking the time
during the holidays

that's the story, right here,

and something we should all
make a point of.

Great.
-What did you think?

Amazing.
-Let me see.

Andy! Hi.

Hi.

Sorry, you're too late.

I already got the story.

Or should I say
we already got the story.

Oh yeah?

And, uh, you are...?

Uh, I'm Cole Howard.

You a freelancer?

Yes, sir.

Haven't seen you around.

I have been around.

Not, like, here,

but... you know, been around.

Well, don't get
too excited, Syd,

'cause I'm still gonna find
that Secret Santa.

And that story will blow
all of this out of the water.

Actually, Andy,
I think you're wrong.

This is the story,

and if you uncover
who the real Secret Santa is,

there'll be nothing
for us to report on.

Not you or me or anyone.

Yeah, well, I won't
have to worry about that

when Perry gives me the title
of network journalist.

Goodbye!
It was so nice meeting you!

Nice guy. Was that your rival?

Well, let's just say
he wouldn't partner up,

like we have.

Mommy, come over here
and try it!

Oh, honey, I don't have
the right pants or shoes...

What? Are you kidding me?

You're a journalist!

You live to get
your hands dirty,

or wet and snowy. Come on.

Ha ha. Touché.

Okay. Well, you better
get on here.

If I'm getting my hands dirty,
so are you.

Ah, all right.

One second...

Okay...
-Can you fit?

Just wait...

All right. Are you guys ready?

Okay. Oh, can someone push us?

Oh, thank you!

Wait... go...
-Here we go!

I see why
the Secret Santa did this.

That was really fun.

Can we do it again?

Can we do it again?

I could do this all day.

Oh! Thank you.

That's great, Perry.
Yeah, thank you.

So? Is she happy?

BCN broke the story first,

so she's as happy
as Perry can be.

Mommy, does this mean
you're going to be on TV?

Yes, it does!

We have to call Grandma
to come over and watch.

Okay, so, what did you mean

when you told Andy
you hadn't always been here?

Oh, um, I just meant, like,

you know, I do some work
in the field.

Like, fieldwork.

You know.

Hey, you guys,
you guys hear that?

Music! Come on!

♪ Joy to the world ♪

♪ The Lord is come ♪

♪ Let Earth receive her king ♪

No matter how many times
I hear them,

carols always get me
in the spirit.

Do you have a favorite one?

Yeah.

Um, I like "Silent Night."

How about you?

"Deck the Halls."

My mom used to sing it to me
every morning,

starting December first.

Think I looked forward to that

more than I did
my advent calendar.

I don't.

Ha ha, I know you don't.

♪ ...their songs employ ♪

So hat about you? Do you have
any other Christmas traditions?

Uh, yeah, I've got a few.

Uh, I would say
my favorite, though,

every year when I was a kid,

my mom and I,
we would get a plain ornament,

and we would write
a word on it, and, um,

well, every year, she would
write the word "bliss,"

because it means
"perfect happiness."

That's what she said
Christmas felt like to her.

♪ ...makes the nations prove ♪

♪ The glory of
His righteousness ♪

taking the time
during the holidays...

- That's the story right here...
- Wow.

And something we should all
make a point of.

What do you think?

I think

it's exactly the kind of news
we should be hearing about

this time of year.

Which is what I think
the Secret Santa is going for.

I think he's trying
to start something

a vibe, or change of attitude.

Well, he certainly has
his work cut out for him.

No kidding!

Oliver, what are you
working on over there?

I'm making
a Christmas ornament for Cole.

Oh, that's really nice.

I've been hearing an awful lot
about this Cole tonight.

Don't get too excited, Mom.

We're just working together.

Okay, tobogganing together
is working?

Hey! That looked good
for the story.

Besides, Oliver had fun.

Are you worried
about starting something new?

No, I'm not worried about it.

I just need to be sure of any
guy that I bring into our life.

You're young, Sydney,

and Oliver won't be
your little man forever.

Tell me, Howard.

What's your favorite
Christmas carol?

Oh, that would have to be
"Jolly Old St. Nick."

Really? Why's that?

My parents would host
a Christmas party every year.

It was the biggest event
on the block.

And at midnight,

my father would appear
in a red Santa suit,

singing "Jolly Old St. Nick"

and passing out spiced eggnog,

if you know what I mean.

I think I do,
and that sounds quite festive.

Well, it was known
to get a bit rowdy.

Well, I'll be sure to add
that song to the list, then.

And when is this next event
taking place?

Tomorrow night.

Yeah, it's...
It's gonna be brilliant.

Sydney's got
this way of seeing things

that most people don't notice.

She's gonna figure it out.
I know it.

Okay.

More weight, sir?

Uh, no.

This is good.

Okay.

And, one...

It's called the Skyflier.

Are you sure
you don't have any more?

Okay, thank you.

Perry?

So? Did we rock it
in the ratings?

We did fairly well.

Maybe if you led

with the Secret Santa story
next time,

we would knock it
out of the park.

Don't get ahead
of yourself, Sydney.

That's the thing.

I want to. To get ahead.

And if I was a network
journalist here for you,

I would do whatever it takes
to get the story.

What types of stories are
you passionate about, Sydney?

Well, anything, really.

Even the hard stories?

The ones that might not
make us feel that good?

Well, I...

Be honest, Sydney,

because from the first time
I met you,

I knew you weren't the kind

of cut-throat journalist
who'd chase down a car wreck.

Fine.

Yes, okay.

I love the stories with heart.

I love the ones
that make people feel something,

that touch people,

and make them feel like
we're all connected.

You know those stories
don't rate the highest.

Not until now.

Not until the Secret Santa.
I'm telling you, Perry.

This is a leading story,
especially at Christmas.

You keep doing
what you're doing.

We'll see where it takes you.

Hey.

Hey. Are you busy later?

Depends.

Do you have any more info
on our secret Santa?

Uh, no.

Not at the moment,

but I am working on
another story

that I think that
we should follow up on.

I'm calling it
"Project: Lights."

Sounds intriguing.

So

Are you good to meet
at your place in about an hour?

Actually, Ollie's being
dropped off after hockey,

so that's perfect.

All right, great.
I'll see you then.

Merry Christmas.

James. Good work.

Dana! Loving those sparkles.

Oh, uh, do we have
another box of these?

Can somebody bring it up
to my office, please?

Thanks. Good work, everybody!

Hey!

What's all this?

"Project: Lights."

You said that you were too busy

to put all your outdoor
Christmas decorations up,

so I thought, two hands
are better than one.

What do you say?

Okay.

Come on in.

From handing out Christmas cakes

to impromptu tobogganing,

Chicago's Secret Santa
has the whole city

talking about
"What will he do next?"

You are surprisingly good
at this.

Aw... thanks.

In high school, I was
on the decorating committee.

Really?

Yeah. Well, every year,

we did a production
of A Christmas Carol, so

that's what you're getting.

Let me guess.

Yearbook committee?

How did you know that?

I told you,
I got that intuition.

Well, I hope that intuition
leads me

to where the Secret Santa's
gonna strike next,

'cause Perry's starting
to really understand

that this is a leading story,
which is good for me.

Shall we hit it?

Yes, let's do it.

Actually, you know what?
Why don't you do the honors?

I would love to.

Thank you.

Oh, uh, drum roll.

Aw.

I would say "Project: Lights"
is a success.

Yeah, we make
a pretty good team, I think.

Wow!
Nice decorations, neighbors.

Thank you.

Thanks, Beth.

I didn't bother correcting her.

She had the groceries, and...

Uh, she knows
that I don't live here, so...

Uh, there's Ollie.

Thanks, Kelly.

Hey, honey.

Whoa! Did the Secret Santa
come again?

No.

That was me and Cole.
Do you like it?

Yeah!
It's the most Christmassy ever!

I think so too.

How was hockey practice?

It was great, but I'm starving.

Okay, why don't you get inside,
get washed up,

and I'll start dinner.

Thanks, Cole,

for decorating the house.

Oh, no problem, buddy.
I'm glad you like it.

Well, I should probably
get dinner started.

Did you want to stay, or...

It's probably just gonna be
frozen pizza tonight.

I... thank you,
but I should probably...

I just have some work
I have to do, so...

Okay.

Although, you know,
I do love frozen pizza,

and, uh

burgers, street food,
you know...

I actually know the best place
to get street food

in the city
around this time of year.

Really? Where's that?

Why don't you meet me tomorrow?

Highland Park. 6:30.

It's my treat.
We can talk about...

Secret Santa strategies
or whatever.

That sounds great, it's perfect.

Great. Good.

'Kay. Good night.

Oh. Cole?

Yeah?

Thank you... for all of this.

It was so worth it

to see Ollie's face
light up like that.

It was, wasn't it?

Good night, Sydney.

Mommy,

why are you so happy
this morning?

Is it 'cause
it's almost Christmas?

You know what?

I am happy
because it's almost Christmas.

Now, Grandma's gonna
pick you up after school, okay?

Right.

Let's get going, my little elf.

Ooh! Thank you.

What is this?

I told you!

This is the best street food
in the city this time of year.

Those are

waffles made out of stuffing

deep-fried turkey,
topped with gravy.

Wow.

What, no cranberry sauce?

But of course.

Ho, ho, ho. I see.

Woo!

There's no way I'm gonna
eat this all myself.

Yeah, that was the plan.

Oh, thank you.
-That's yours.

Oh, okay, uh, me first?

Yes.

That tastes like

Christmas dinner
all in one bite.

That's exactly what I said
the first time I had it.

- What? What are you looking...
- Oh. No.

Nothing. Sorry.
There's just a speaker up there.

I'm sure it's just left over
from a music festival

or Oktoberfest or something.

Okay, look, I think
that we should

put our heads together
and brainstorm ideas

that represent Christmas to us.

Like food.

Um, although he already did
the baked hams

and the Christmas cakes.

So, what do you think?

Next, he's gonna drop
turkeys from the sky?

Yeah.

No.
-No.

No, no, no.

You see, when I think
about Christmas,

I think about, like,
friends, and family,

although

he kinda already did that
with the tobogganing

and the decorating
with the poinsettias.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Right.

So what else is there?

Well, let's see.

There's gift-wrapping.
-Yeah.

Or mistletoe.

Or jingle bells.

Or...

J... "Jingle Bells." Music.

No, that's it.

I don't think
that these speakers

are left over from anything.

Okay, there are
no cords on them,

which means they are Bluetooth,

and there must be more
within a 300-foot radius...

I am going to make a quick call.

Okay, who are you calling?

I have a contact
at Parks and Rec.

I'm gonna ask if she... Oh. Hi!

It's Sydney.

Yeah, I'm over at Highland Park.

I'm seeing some speakers.

I was just wondering
if they were left over

from an event or something.

Okay. Great, thank you.

Happy holidays.

They don't belong to the city.

I have a feeling about this.

Do you?

Yeah. I think I do.

I think we should go see
where there are more.

Let's do it.

Yeah? You got that?

Yep. You go.
-Okay.

Let's go.

Yeah, this is something.

- Wait! Right there.
- What? There?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go, go, go.

Here.

Oh... thank you.

Wait.
There's something up here...

Yeah, that's great, Mom.
Thank you.

Yeah, I'll be home
as soon as I can.

'Kay. Bye.

Everything okay?

Everything's great.

My mom is gonna help Ollie
find Harold

if I'm not home in time.

Aw.

I know, I don't know
what I would do without her.

Well, I guess you found
all the clues.

I know, but we still don't know

what Secret Santa's gonna do
with all the speakers.

No.

So... I guess
we just wait it out.

Stakeout?

A stakeout.

Yeah! And their little wings
got tangled together,

and they had to dance around
the school stage...

Okay, I think
I've had too much sugar.

That's good,
because I think we've eaten

everything off
the vendor's cart.

But at least now I know
what a real stakeout is like.

So let's say the Secret Santa,

he's trying to get everybody
to remember Christmas, right?

That's a pretty big task.

If you look around the city,

everybody's too busy
and in a hurry

to even drop money
into a donation box.

Exactly, yeah,
and that's the shame of it.

Everyone is
just treating Christmas

like another thing
to check off their to-do list.

I'm guilty of that.

Oh, well, we all are,

we-we are,

but I think if we each just stop
and do one thing,

it would help raise the spirit.

You know, when I was little,

we used to hand-deliver

Christmas cards
with candy canes on the front

to everybody
in our neighborhood.

It was just
a small, little thing,

but it really
seemed to touch people.

That's great! It is.

It doesn't have to be
a big thing

or some grand gesture.

Just a small

simple smile
and a "Merry Christmas."

♪ We wish you
a merry Christmas ♪

♪ We wish you a merry
Christmas ♪

This is it.

Oh! This is what
we've been waiting for!

Yeah.

♪ ...and a happy new year ♪

- Here! Give me my phone...
- Oh. Yeah.

♪ Good tidings we bring
to you and your kin ♪

♪ Good tidings for Christmas
and a happy new year ♪

♪ We all know that Santa's
coming ♪

♪ We all know that
Santa's coming ♪

♪ We all know that Santa's
coming ♪

Are you seeing this?

♪ And soon will be here ♪

My favorite.

Well, don't you think
we should sing, then?

I mean, it wouldn't be
padding the story too much

if we did a little
impromptu caroling, would it?

I wouldn't say so.

♪ Don we now our gay apparel ♪

♪ Fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la ♪

♪ Join the ancient
Yuletide carol ♪

♪ Fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la ♪

This is Sydney Larkin
in Highland Park,

where the sound of Christmas
has just filled the air.

Will the music of the season
inspire people to stop,

take a listen,
and remember Christmas?

We'll have to wait and see.

Great.

Oh, yeah, that's gonna work.

Did you see that?
-Yeah.

It was like the whole city
came together

like they were one giant choir.

Tat was incredible.

Well, what's incredible
is that when I asked people

if they wanted to know
who the Secret Santa is,

they said they don't,

in case it brings an end
to all this magic,

and Perry's nuts
about the story.

She's gonna lead with it.

Isn't that great?

This could land me
the position that I want.

That's amazing. Congratulations.

Well, what about you?

You deserve something
out of all this too.

Are you kidding me?

This is the most fun I've had
during the holidays.

Well, I think
I should tell Perry

that we've been
working together.

You deserve to share the credit.

Uh, no, no, no, no.
You don't have to do that.

Think of this

as a random act
of Christmas kindness.

From me to you.

I have an idea.

What if we did our own random
act of Christmas kindness?

Okay. What do you have in mind?

Follow me!

Okay.
-Come on!

Okay. Go, go, go, go, go.

Oh, my gosh.
That was so much fun.

I mean, think about it.
People are expecting

to get a parking ticket,
not a candy cane.

It was brilliant,
that whole idea.

Just ingenious.

I better get going.

I might even make it in time
to find Harold.

Right!

Well, you can't miss that.

Thank you for indulging me.

I would be happy

to spread a little Christmas
cheer with you anytime.

Me too.

Okay. Well...

Good night.
-Good night.

Oh, Cole?

Oh. Thanks.

Better than a ticket.

Night.

Good night.

All right, you.

How many days till Christmas?

Ten!

Ten! Which means
we have ten days

to do as many festive activities
as we can.

Can we bake Christmas cookies
for my class party

instead of buying them?

Of course we can.

Yes!

Yes! We'll even
ask Grandma to help.

How's that sound?

That sounds amazing.

Oh, good. Goodnight, bud.

Love you.
-Love you too.

Good night, Mommy.

Did you hear it?

Hear it?

Oliver thought
it was angels singing.

I mean, when do the sounds
of the city ever stop

in place of
Christmas carols being sung?

It was Cole's idea to get
everyone to sing along.

Well, he's quite a character.

He is.

So you're not jaded anymore?

Maybe not.

Oh! Come on. Mothers know.

It was just brilliant.

So my timing
on the music was all right?

Actually...

Yeah, you know what?
It was... It was perfect.

Really?
-Yeah.

You're sure
I didn't interrupt something?

No, no, everything is going
exactly to plan.

In fact, Sydney's boss is gonna
lead with her story,

so fingers crossed,
a permanent job offer follows.

So what's the next plan?

No plan.

Once this is finished,
my work is complete.

Unless, of course,
there's a plan "B".

The city broke out
into the sounds of Christmas

when, once again,

our Secret Santa
brought us together,

reminding us of the true spirit
of Christmas.

Morning!
-Morning.

Congratulations
on your top story.

Thank you, Andy.

Just don't get too excited,
because I got a lead.

On what?

Who this Secret Santa is.

You must have seen
the interviews.

I mean, I can show them to you.

People don't want to know
who the Secret Santa is.

It would ruin everything.

How would having the story
of the season ruin anything?

Because it's not
in the Christmas spirit.

Don't you have any?

I do.

It comes
in the form of gingerbread.

Give me a ginger cookie

or a piece of
a gingerbread house,

and I'm filled with, uh,
what do they call it?

Christmas nostalgia.

What's going on?

I have a lead
on the Secret Santa.

But people don't want to know
who that is, Perry.

You saw that.

They just want more random acts,

more joy,

more Christmas.

Sydney's right.

The story is
these acts of Christmas,

and we don't want
to be the network Grinch

who brought an end to it.

Seriously?

Yeah, she's serious.

Well, you're making a mistake.

Because revealing
this Secret Santa

is the story that'll blow
the rest of it away,

and as journalists,

that's what
we should be delivering.

And I will deliver,

if not here,
then... another network.

Andy!

Have a piece of gingerbread!

Do you really think
his lead is legitimate?

Between you and me?

I hope not.

Maybe we can
make cinnamon cookies.

Everyone loves cinnamon.

Or maybe sugar cookies,

or maybe both!

Mommy, what do you think?

Oh, yeah, we could do that.

Hey, look. There's Cole!

Hey, Cole!

Cole!

Hi!
-Hey!

Whoa!

Is this your car?

This car? Uh, no.

I, uh, I wish it was.

Then what are you doing?

Now, Mr. Howard,

Mr. Fenton

does not like
to be kept waiting,

especially for an interview.

I've got an interview.

I'm doing an interview
for another story.

This is my ride.

To the interview.

Oh! That's great.

Well, we won't keep you waiting,

but I wanted to tell you

Andy thinks he'd got
a lead on the Secret Santa.

Oh, really?

Um, did he say who it was?

No, just that
he's gonna break the story.

But you go, and we can...
We can talk about it later.

I know!

Cole, maybe you can come over.

You can help us
decorate the tree

and bake Christmas cookies,

and then you and Mom
can have a talk.

Oh, honey, I don't think Cole...

You know what?
That's a great idea.

Thank you. I'd love to.

Okay, great. How about 6:30?

Sounds great.

I'll bring some decorations.

Okay. Have a good interview!

Bye!
-Right. Bye!

That's quick thinking, Howard.

Although clearly
someone already has a lead.

You don't think
I've been compromised, do you?

I don't see how.

Well, I think I'll just lay low
for a little while.

Good idea.

It'll give you time for...
baking.

So does he have
any more information,

or is it just
still the one lead?

That was it.

Well, you know,
why doesn't everybody

just let this Secret Santa
remain a secret,

if that's what he wants?

I could not agree more.

Hey, so, uh, the sugar cookies
are your mother's recipe?

Yeah. Yeah, believe it or not,

they were passed down
three generations.

Well, I hope you don't mind
if I carry on the tradition.

No, please. I'd be thrilled.

Oliver!

That tree is looking great, bud.

Is it time
to decorate the cookies?

I think almost.
-Okay.

The decorations
you brought over for the tree

are beautiful.

Oh, thanks, I just grabbed a box

of whatever decorations
were left over from my own tree.

You know, Oliver,

this batch is cool.

Come on over.

- Ooh, Ollie!
- Ready to go to work.

Here you go.

So what should we do here, guys?

Sprinkles, icing,
marshmallows...?

Green, red...

How about everything?

Yeah!

Ah! Let's do everything.

All the decorations!

Oops! Sorry.

You know,
I think I'm going to go.

You three seem
to have everything

perfectly under control.

Okay?

Well, thanks for coming over
and helping.

Oh, gosh, it was so much fun.

Oh, yeah, you know what,
give me... give me a hit of that.

Yum.

You know what, Lauren?
Before you go...

Please take this,

and don't worry, I'm gonna
give Sydney the recipe.

Thank you, Cole.
Really nice to meet you.

- The pleasure's all mine.
- Bye, Grandma.

Bye. Love you.

Bye, Mom. Love you.
-Love you.

See you tomorrow.
-Have fun.

I think your class is gonna
love these cookies

for the party.

I wonder if we can give one
to the class hamster.

Actually, you know what?

Oliver, that reminds me
of when I was your age.

My mom and I, we would make
these Christmas balls,

and we'd fill 'em full of seeds,

so then when we went down
to the petting zoo,

we would give them
to the animals at Christmastime.

Can we do that?

Yes? Yeah.

Yes.
-We can. Uh

how about tomorrow after school?

Wow, that sounds great,
doesn't it?

Yeah.

You know what, little man?

With your Christmas party
at school tomorrow

and now the zoo,

you got a big day,

so I think we got to get you
off to bed.

Wait. I forgot something.

Here! I made this.

- For me?
- Yeah, for you.

Oh, wow, Oliver.

I love it!

Good night, Cole.

Good night, Oliver.

Good luck
finding Harold tonight.

Okay.
-Okay.

Be back in a bit.

Okay.

Get under there.

Maybe if I get that Skyflier
for Christmas,

Cole could come over
and try it with me.

About that...

I'm sorry, but I don't know

if I'm gonna be able to find it
in time for Christmas.

I'm trying everything,

but I just don't want you
to be disappointed

if I can't get it.

It's okay, Mommy.

I don't care if I get it or not,

because this has already
been the best Christmas ever.

It really has, hasn't it?

Yeah, it has.

Good night.
-Good night, Mom.

You didn't have to do all this!

Oh, come on, I don't mind.

So, where was Harold
hiding tonight?

Harold was hiding
in an old rain boot.

Ah, Harold. Classic hiding spot.

Classic.

You know, you're right.

Oliver is, like,
he's like the best kid ever.

He is, isn't he?

Yeah.

Which is why I feel
like the worst mom ever,

'cause that thing
he wanted for Christmas,

I didn't get started looking
early enough,

and now I can't
find it anywhere.

Oh, yeah, that, uh...

Sky..

"Skyflier."
- Flier.

- Yeah.
- "Skyflier."

Yeah, 'cause you know how it is,
every Christmas,

all the kids want that one toy,

and if you don't
get a jump on it,

they're all gone.

Okay, well, first of all,
don't give up, all right?

You'll find it, it's out there.

And second of all,
you're not the worst mother,

you're, like,

the best mother ever.

All you got to do
is talk to Oliver

to figure that one out.

Thank you.

And thank you for all of this,

and for making this the best
Christmas yet for Oliver.

Oh, come on.

And for me.

I should, um...

I should probably
get out of here.

I have to get the seeds
for the zoo tomorrow, so...

Oh! Yeah. Of course.

Uh, but

keep me in the loop with
the whole "Secret Santa" thing.

Will do.

It's right this way.

The door! Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah, I've been
calling everywhere,

but there is still no luck
with that Skyflier.

And Cole seems to think
we'll find it,

but I don't know.

"We"?

Yes, "we."

I don't think I have to tell you

how great I think
this Cole fellow is.

And I also don't
have to tell you

how smitten he is with you.

That I might need a little more
convincing of.

Sydney,

why are you doubting?

He left so suddenly
the other night.

You know, I mean,
I thought we were connecting,

and then he had to go.

Well, maybe
he didn't feel comfortable

with Oliver being there.

Maybe.

Speaking of,

I have to get Oliver to school,

so I'll see you at the mall
in an hour, okay?

Okay. I'll see you there.

'Kay. Love you, Mom. -Love you.

Yeah.

No, that's right.
It's called a Skyflier.

Right, I don't care if you have
to courier it in

from Switzerland,
I need it by Christmas.

Great, thank you.

Uh, Howard, do we have any salt?

So, how do you plan
on telling her?

I don't know.

But it's got to be done
just right,

otherwise she may never
talk to me again.

I mean, what am I gonna say?

"Hey, remember how I told you
that I was Cole Howard?

I'm actually Colin Hauer,
President of Hauer Industries,

and I'm the Secret Santa."

I can't tell her today
at the petting zoo.

Oliver's gonna be there.

Well, why don't you
just take her

someplace you two
have been alone together,

and break the news to her there?

That's a great idea, Howard.

Howard, how are you
so knowledgeable

about all these things?

I have had plenty of time

to plan on what I would say

if I were fortunate enough

to have someone
as lovely as Miss Larkin.

Thank you.

Okay, so I just talked
to the zookeeper,

he said it was okay

if we give the animals
these treats, so...

Ollie, who do you think
is gonna get this one?

A horse?

Why don't you go give it to him?

Thank you.

It's amazing!

You know,

I forgot there was even
a petting zoo in this city.

It's easy to forget.

You didn't.

Well, I have a lot less things
to worry about than you do.

Yeah, well,
that's partly my fault.

Because I convinced myself
I had to do it on my own

raise Ollie, support us...

'Cause that way,

I wouldn't be disappointed
if someone let me down,

but now I'm not sure
that's the right attitude.

Especially not for Ollie.

Listen, um,
can you meet me tomorrow?

Highland Park?

Just the two of us, though.

Sure. What about?

I...
-Colin?

Colin, is that you?

Uh, Diane, hi!

Um... sorry.
Just excuse us for a second?

Sure.
-Hi! Nice to see you.

And you! Will you be

at the black-and-white
charity ball again this year?

Um, yes, I will.

We should catch up then.

I'm just, I'm a little busy
right now.

Of course.

You're a busy man.
I'll see you at the ball.

Okay. See ya.

Hey. Sorry about that. Um...

I met her

a year ago
at a black-and-white ball.

I was covering a story.

I think she's a little confused
about my name, though.

You know, one too many eggnogs.

"Colin," "Cole,"
they sound alike.

Oh, I guess so.
-Yeah.

Mommy, look.

Oh, my goodness.

Oh, I think we took
half the zoo home with us.

Hey, look!

They found the Secret Santa.

A WQP Exclusive tomorrow night,

an interview with
the Secret Santa himself

revealed live.

Does this mean there won't be
any more Secret Santa acts?

I hope not, sweetie.

Hey.

Hey!

Did you hear?

Yeah. Yeah, I did.

Do you really think
they have him?

Uh, no. No, I don't.

I got a feeling.

Yeah, good, me too,

because my gut is telling me
that something's not right.

Uh, look, I-I gotta
tell you something, Sydney.

Is it another tip?

Because maybe then we can prove
that Andy has the wrong Santa.

No, no, it's not...
It's not another tip.

Although it has to do
with that...

I'm actually...

Oh! Sorry.

It's one of the hockey moms.

Kelly, hi.

Oh. Uh, yeah, it's okay,
I understand.

I'll make sure they get there.

Okay, bye.

Uh, my hockey carpool
just bailed.

I got to get the boys
to practice, I'm sorry.

Oh, that's okay.

Oh, uh, what was it
you wanted to tell me?

Nothing. Nothing.

It... I'll tell you later.

Are you sure?

Yeah. Go ahead. Go.

Okay.
-Okay.

- I'll call you later.
- All right.

Okay.

I was just told

that WQP is about
to break the story.

All right, then. Let's do this.

Thank you.

Why do they want to
give the Santa's secret away?

Well, I guess they figure

that it's news,
and people want to know.

I don't want to know. Do you?

No, I don't want
to know either, honey.

Maybe they made
a mistake, Mommy,

and they have the wrong Santa.

I hope so, sweetie.

What is that?

A snowflake?

No.

What is that?

Well, I don't know, honey.

There's a note.

"It is Christmas in the heart

that puts Christmas in the air."

Mommy, look!

Is it him?

Is it the Secret Santa?

It is. Yes, it is him, honey.

Ollie, we have to get this.

Take the tablet.

Go stand over there. Okay. Good.

Okay.

Well, it appears
our own Secret Santa

is at it again

with gifts of candy
falling from the sky

in what can only be called
"a Christmas shower."

Let's see if the person
alleging to be the Secret Santa

claims this latest act.

Although this reporter
has a feeling

that the real Secret Santa

is still
Chicago's best-kept secret.

Oh! I wish
you could have been there.

It was amazing.

There were tiny boxes of candy

literally falling from the sky,

like Santa's sack of presents

had come loose in his sleigh.

Yeah, I-I wish
I could've been there.

Yeah.

But Ollie,
he was an amazing cameraman.

Oh, and you should've heard

how excited Perry was
about the story.

She ran it at the exact
same time as Andy's,

because it turns out Andy's
quote-unquote "Secret Santa"

didn't know anything
about the candy,

which means
the real Secret Santa

is still out there.

Isn't that great?

Yes, it is.

I'm meeting with Perry
tomorrow morning

to talk about the ratings.

Wish me luck.

Oh, you don't need any luck!

You're a great journalist.

We need more of you

going out there and getting
the good stories.

Well, there are more like me.
I'm talking to one.

Ah, right.

Listen, um,

let's get dinner tomorrow night,

just... just the two of us.

Are you able?

I-I'd love to.

I'll get my mom to watch Ollie.

All right, great.
I look forward to it.

Me too.

Okay, I'll see you tomorrow.

Bye.
-Bye.

As we saw
on Chicago's BNC broadcast,

it was a Christmas shower
last night

when our Secret Santa once again

brought festive joy to our city.

So how did we do?

Turns out
your live coverage last night

blew away
Andy's exclusive with WPQ,

and his supposed Secret Santa.

I knew it!

Who was that guy
Andy found, anyway?

Turns out, just someone who
wanted to seize the spotlight.

Not very Christmas-spirited,

and something Andy
should've uncovered,

but overlooked
rushing to break the story.

Good thing we didn't run it.

So, thank you.

And

congratulations.

Because if you want it,
the position is yours.

Really?

Oh, Perry...

Thank you. Thank you!

I will not disappoint!

Good job.

Congratulations, Sydney.

You toppled my big exclusive.

Oh, it wasn't me.

It was the real Secret Santa.

Oh, that's right.

The Secret Santa,

who you seem to know more about
than anyone else.

It's called
journalistic intuition, Andy.

Maybe you should've
checked yours

before you ran
your big exclusive.

If you know who he is, Sydney,

you're compromising
your integrity

by pretending to just be
breaking these stories.

I don't know who he is,
Andy, I don't.

But if I did,

I wouldn't run out
and reveal him.

I'd let him do what he intended,

which is bring some much-needed
Christmas joy to this city.

So why don't you
eat a gingerbread house?

Get in the spirit.

Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Frank!

Hey! It's Colin Hauer.

Listen, could you reserve
your best table for two tonight?

That's great. Thank you.

"Mm, hello!"

Choo-choo...

Ollie?

Which dress do you like better?

That one. It's more Christmassy!

You are so right. Red it is.

Hey, Grandma's
gonna be here soon.

Start to clean up, okay?

And Oliver

this tree is the best one yet.

It's beautiful.

Choo-choo...

Oliver, is this
one of the ornaments

that Cole brought over?

"Bliss."

His mom's favorite
Christmas word.

Honey, start to clean up, okay?

Mom? Hey, can you come over
a little early?

I just have to, uh,
check on something

before I go to dinner with Cole.

I have a feeling
about something.

Excuse me.

Is there a Cole Howard
that works here?

That's right.

And what were the numbers
in the last quarter?

Oh, wow. This is amazing.

Oh, my gosh, is that Cole?

Heading out for the day.

All right,
how are you holding up?

I'm nervous, Howard.

I'm nervous
she's not gonna take it well.

All you have to do
is convince her

that other than your name,
you are the same person.

Now, do you have Oliver's gift?

Oh, it's in the den.

No, no, no. I'll get it.

You just... stay calm.

Sydney.

Wh... uh...

So this is where you live?

It's pretty posh for
a struggling freelance reporter.

Sydney, I was gonna
tell you tonight at dinner.

What? That you're not
Cole Howard?

That you're actually
Colin Hauer?

Listen, believe it or not,

I did this because
I was trying to help you.

Help me?
How is lying to me helping me?

Because I'm not
just Colin Hauer, I'm...

I'm the Secret Santa.

You got it day one,

when you found me
out of that crowd.

I wanted to help you,
so I ped as a journalist,

I gave you clues
on what I was gonna do next.

Whoa. Okay...

So not only
is all of this a lie,

but so are
my journalistic capabilities?

No. You,
you're an amazing journalist.

You're the only one
that's seeing

what I'm trying to do here.

You see the real story.

Really?

You think I'm great

when I couldn't even see
that the man right under my nose

was actually the Secret Santa?

And that I went on believing
that all of this, that us

ha, was real?

This is real!
What I feel for you is real!

It's just I'm not Cole Howard.

Just wait!

Sydney...

Sydney!

Sydney, wait.

- Leave me alone, Secret Santa.
- Talk to me. Please.

Sydney, just...

I'm done, Cole.

Sydney, I...

Colin. Colin?

You just give her time,
and she'll come around.

I...

Maybe this was all
just a mistake

these secret acts.

I mean, did it change anything?
Did it even make a difference?

Of course it did.

Yeah.

Mommy!

You're home?

I didn't want to miss
helping you find Harold.

Uh, why don't you
go get ready for bed,

and your mom will be there
in a minute?

Okay.

What happened?

He wasn't who he said he was.

I don't understand.

My ability to see things...

Wasn't right this time,
that's all.

No, that's not true.

I'm gonna put Ollie to bed.

It's gonna be okay.

Perry, can I talk to you
for a second?

If it's about Colin Hauer,
I know.

Andy came in first thing
this morning to tell me.

How did Andy know?

It doesn't matter, Sydney,

other than that this time
he has the right man.

And now, my only concern

is when Andy breaks this story
in time for the 6:00,

that'll be it

no more random acts,
no more stories.

I don't know, Perry...

I've seen people out there

smiling at each other,

wishing each other
Merry Christmas,

not buried in their cell phones

or stressed about the holiday.

Actually, Perry, I think
the big story is yet to come.

Hot chocolate?

How much?

Aw, don't worry, the last
customer took care of it.

Been happening all day.

Oh. Thanks.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Here you go, sir.

Merry Christmas.
-Seriously?

Merry Christmas.

Hey, hey, um, sorry...
why did you give me this?

What's going on here?

Just a random act
of Christmas kindness.

It's happening
all over the city,

just like that Secret Santa.
Yeah?

Breaking news out of Chicago...

Secret Santa revealed.

No, Secret Santa unwrapped.

That's it.

- ♪ O, Christmas tree ♪
- Breaking news out of Chic-

♪ O, Christmas tree ♪

Trying to record something here!

♪ ...so unchanging ♪

♪ O, Christmas tree ♪

♪ O, Christmas tree ♪

♪ Your leaves
are so unchanging ♪

♪ Not only green
when summer's here ♪

Gingerbread.

♪ But also when
it's cold and drear ♪

♪ O, Christmas tree ♪

♪ O, Christmas tree ♪

♪ Your leaves
are so unchanging ♪

This is Sydney Larkin
for BCN News,

standing outside

of one of Chicago's
charity drop-off points.

As you can see behind me,

the bins
are practically overflowing

as people
have been lining up all day

to make donations.

This is just one of many acts
of Christmas kindness

that has swept the city.

From police officers
handing out greeting cards

in lieu of tickets

to caroling breaking out
on buses, street corners,

everywhere,

this city has shown

that our very own
Secret Santa's efforts

were not in vain,

and in fact,

a movement has begun,

and the true spirit of Christmas

is most definitely in the air.

That, Chicago,

is the big story this Christmas.

Sydney Larkin.

You did it, Sydney.

You saw it and landed
the biggest story of the year.

I did, didn't I?

, Andy didn't even break his.

He went with a weather story

about this winter storm "Megan"
that's coming down from Canada.

Do you think he actually
caught the Christmas bug?

Well, he did come in here
with boxes of gingerbread

for all the staff,

so I think so.

Congratulations, Sydney.

And Merry Christmas.

Thank you, Perry.

Merry Christmas.

Ms. Larkin?

I work for Mr. Hauer.

I know he would want you
to have this.

Ms. Larkin,
I've known Colin since...

Well, for many years,

and I can tell you

he would never deceive you
or anyone

with bad intentions.

All he hoped to do was spread
a little Christmas joy

while helping someone
who touched him very deeply.

Good day.

Sydney?

What are you doing here?

Howard brought that gift
you got for Oliver.

I asked him to bring me here.

Do you want I drink?
I could get you something.

No...

I just want to thank you.

Thank me for what?

Everything.

That gift for Ollie, that was

incredible.

And not just that,

but for everything
you did for us.

This was

the best Christmas we've had,

and that is because of you.

And I also wanted to say

that I understand
why you did what you did.

Because you have
this amazing heart.

So thank you.

You don't have to thank me.

I loved every minute of it.

Every minute with you.

Every minute with Oliver. I...

I just wanted to spread
a little Christmas joy.

I didn't expect... all of this.

I didn't expect...

To what? You didn't...

I didn't expect
to fall in love with you.

I'm sorry, I really, I didn't...

I didn't expect
any of this either.

But when I saw you
in that crowd...

I just knew.

I had a feeling.

Mommy, you got it!

Well, kind of.

I had help from a Secret Santa.

Yeah!

Look. Oh!

What?
-Whoa!

Oh, there's my bread pudding.

Uh, let me help.

Yeah.

Wow. This is remarkable.

Is that cinnamon sugar
on the pancakes?

Yes, it is. You want to try?

Absolutely.
-Okay.

That is the best pancake
I may have ever eaten.

Well, pancakes
are just the start.

Uh, we have
Colin's mother's cookies,

we have Christmas cake,

and all sorts
of delicious treats

for our Christmas breakfast,

including your eggnog,

which I must say

has a lovely kick to it.

Well, it was my father's
festive recipe.

Mm. I hope
you'll share it with me.

There's nothing I'd like more.

Okay.

A toast

to Colin,

and to Sydney,

a remarkable young woman.

And to Lauren,

who I am not surprised
is her mother.

Thank you.

Cheers.

Cheers, cheers.

Cheers, cheers.
-Cheers.

Hey, Colin.

Maybe next year,
my mom and I could help you.

We could be your secret elves.

You know, Oliver, I think
that sounds like a great idea.

I think so too.

Secret elves!

And actually, on that note

this Santa
has just one more surprise.

If you'll follow me.

Okay.

We'll stay here.
-All right.

What is it?

Oh, you'll see.

Look up.

Wow!

Merry Christmas, Sydney.

Merry Christmas, Santa.

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Random Acts of Christmas (2019)

Random Acts of Christmas (2019)