If I were to describe
the ideal Christmas story
in just two words,
they would be
"love" and "miracles."
One without the other
is nothing to sneeze at,
but the true spirit of Christmas
really comes to life
when the two coincide.
Our perfect little
Christmas story begins
with a young girl
named Alana.
Alana's mom had passed away
one year earlier,
and her dad thought
it might be best for them
to get away from it all, so,
he got a new job selling
equipment to factories
all around the country
and took her with him
on the road.
And though the adventures
they shared were special,
Alana found herself missing
something rather important.
Hey.
I know this hasn't been
easy for you.
I just want you to know...
you're doing so great.
When are we gonna
be home again, Dad?
I got something
for you over here.
- You wanna see it?
- Yeah.
So,
since we're not home
for Christmas this year,
your Grandpa Johnny asked me
to give you this card.
Oh, there's a picture.
When are we gonna
see Grandpa again?
I don't know, sweetie.
"To the bravest girl
in the whole world,
I hope your day is filled
with love and magic.
Merry Christmas, Grandpa."
Ooh, I got a scratch-off ticket!
Do you remember
what your mom used to say?
"It could be nothing."
"But it could be everything!"
Well, go ahead. Scratch it off.
Ooh!
The scratch-off game is simple.
Match any number
and win a prize.
Maybe $10.
Maybe 500.
Maybe just another ticket.
But find the elusive
"win all" symbol,
and you win all the prizes.
So, something or nothing?
We won another ticket!
Such a respected...
Joining your company
would honestly
be such a dream come true.
I have so much respect
for the work that you're doing,
and I would just be really...
excited
at the prospect of joining
such a respected organization.
Respect for the work
that you're doing,
and I'm so excited by
the prospect of joining
a valued
and respected organization.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
And I'm really excited
at the opportunity
to join your company.
Can I just say, honestly,
joining your company
would be such a dream come true.
I just-- I have so much respect
for the work that you're doing,
and I'm just really excited
at the opportunity
to join your company and grow
in such a respected
organization.
All right, great.
Um, well, your--
your rsum looks good.
Um, you put here
you're willing to travel.
Just wanna make sure
that's correct
because this job involves
plenty of jumping around.
There's conferences, meetings,
showcases.
Yes, absolutely.
I am...
very used to that.
Okay.
Goody-good.
Um...
Well, thank you for your time.
We'll be in touch.
Thank you so much.
Of course, thank you.
Take care.
Bye.
Well, well, well.
Someone's up early,
and all dressed up.
- Another interview?
- Yep.
This one is in England.
Fancy.
How'd it go?
Well, they will keep me in mind.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
Ugh, I have lowered
my salary requirements
four times already.
At this point,
I'm gonna have
to get two of these jobs
just to make ends meet.
Sweetie,...
...I think you might
need a break.
A break from being broke
and unemployed?
I don't think that's a thing.
No, I'm serious.
When is the last time
you did something fun?
When's the last time
you went on a date?
It was...
Ugh. Oh, my God, wait!
Speaking of,
how was your date last night?
Oh, well,
he's British.
And you know how I am
with those accents.
Yeah.
But then he told me
that he's a life coach.
And I can't have
that kind of judgment
in my life right now.
- No.
Look, do you even want
any of these jobs?
- Okay.
- I mean, maybe
that's why you're feeling stuck.
- Stacey.
- Hmm?
Not everyone
can have their dream job.
And I owe you for last month.
Oh, stop, stop, stop.
I will cover you this month.
You take a break.
You figure out what you want.
Let life...
reveal itself to you
a little bit.
For me. Okay?
I just wanna see you
happy again.
Fine.
Come on.
It's almost Christmas.
Good things are coming for you.
I can feel it.
Oh, that's weird.
What?
It's a job interview
and he wants
to meet in 45 minutes.
Fine. Last one.
Thank you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
All right. I gotta get going.
I'm interviewing some old lady
who found love at 90.
Boss wants the big heartwarming
Christmas story
for the website launch
this year,
so fingers crossed, I guess.
Mm-hmm.
- Oh! Happy hour at Deena's?
Are you paying?
I'll see you there.
- I love you.
- I love you.
So, I have just been
applying
to so many different jobs
and going on so many
different job interviews,
so I'm sorry if I seem
a little bit mixed up.
No. I appreciate that,
but, uh,
this isn't a job interview.
- It's not?
- No.
Well, what is it, then?
Is this a date? Oh, my God!
Um, Stacey must have signed me
up for a dating website.
She's my roommate and
she just oversteps all the time.
No, no, no, it's--
it's not a date.
Well, not yet, anyway.
I'm sorry,
that was really weird.
Um, sorry, moving on.
Uh, so the company
I work for, uh,
they actually want
to make you an offer.
An offer?
Like, a job offer?
I'm sorry, I'm confused.
No, we want to make an offer
on your house.
Still confused. I...
You must have me
mixed up with someone else,
because I can barely afford
the rent on my apartment.
Well, does the name
Jonathan Richardson
mean anything to you?
Yeah, he's my grandfather.
Can you just tell me exactly
what's going on right now?
Uh, I'm sorry. Uh...
I'm-- I'm probably
not the person
who should tell you this, but...
your grandfather
passed away about a year ago.
- Oh.
- And he left you his cabin
in Lake Peters, New York.
It's a small, small town,
just upstate.
I work for a real estate
and hospitality company,
and we'd love to take
everything off your hands.
There's, uh, an offer at
the bottom of the second page.
Clearly, you must have meant
a lot to your grandfather.
And the offer is way above
market value.
And I'm sure he would love
to know that
you've been taken care of.
But...
take your time
and think it over, you know?
You can let me know.
My-- my info's just there.
Uh, well, thanks for the coffee.
- Oh, of course.
- Yeah, we'll be in touch.
- Sounds good.
- Yeah.
Uh, just a quick thing
before you go.
Um, I hope this
isn't too forward,
but you seem like
a really nice person.
And I'm just heading up to
the area in the next few days,
so if you do decide
to check out the cabin,
let me know,
deal or no deal.
I would love to see you again.
I'm sorry, that was really
weird, and terrible timing.
Your grandfather just died
and--
No, no! It sounds good.
It's just...
It's a lot.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Oh.
Okay, that is the craziest thing
I have ever heard.
Yep.
Okay, first of all,
are you okay?
Yeah, I think so.
Um...
Oh, my God.
He's gorgeous.
Okay, just to recap--
- Mm-hmm.
- Um, out of nowhere,
one week before Christmas,
um, a hot, rich city guy
offers you not only a way out of
all of your financial troubles,
but also wants to cozy up
with you in a cabin upstate?
I think Alana Lewis might be
two steps
from living the good life, baby.
Okay, okay.
How was your interview?
Oh, swing and a miss.
I mean,
honestly,
it was a beautiful love story,
but she was pretty r*cist,
so we'll see.
Well, how about
I cheer you up with a present?
Alana, come on.
No, it's nothing. It's nothing.
But you're going to see
your family, and I just--
I don't know
when I'm gonna see you next.
You
and your scratch-off tickets.
- May I?
- You may.
- Oh, my God!
- What, what, what?
- I lost.
- Oh, my God.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
So, what are you gonna do?
Oh, I don't know.
Please don't spend Christmas
alone at the apartment.
Maybe I should go
and check it out.
There's the Christmas spirit.
And don't forget about
you-know-who.
Mm.
My boss is calling.
I will be right back.
Okay.
Lake Peters, New York,
a town hit on hard times,
now comprised of just
one grocery store,
one pub and restaurant,
and a series of broken down
fairgrounds, campgrounds,
and old abandoned
vacation rentals.
Nevertheless, heading
into that one-horse town
to sell the cabin provided
a much-needed break
for Alana,
and a chance to reconnect
with her grandpa.
Hey there!
How can I help you?
Hi. Um, yeah,
so, I was driving
to my grandpa's cabin,
and I lost GPS service.
You don't have Wi-Fi
by any chance, do you?
Well, we actually do.
If y'all look at that sign
right there,
you get all the information
that you need. Mm-hmm.
Hey, I'll tell you while
you're at it,
if you wouldn't mind giving us
one of those follows
on the internet.
Yeah, now things been
kinda slow around here,
so I'm just trying to
up the social media game.
- Yeah. Sounds good.
- Yes, yes, yes.
Hey, so where you
coming in from?
Uh, New York City, actually.
Oh, okay. Okay. Hey,
well, welcome to Lake Peters.
Thank you.
Um...
the man in that photo there,
is that John Richardson?
Yes, yes.
As a matter of fact, yes, it is.
Yeah, Johnny gave me that photo
after he got his key locked
in his car,
had to get his car towed.
Hey, wait, wait, wait.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Uh, are you
Johnny's granddaughter?
- I am.
- Get out of here!
That's amazing! Hey, I'm Jerry.
Alana. Nice to meet you.
- It's an absolute pleasure.
- Yeah.
Listen, listen, Alana,
we are so sorry for your loss.
We all just loved Johnny
around here.
- Thank you.
- Yes, yes, yes.
Hey, you know,
you're not that far away
from his cabin, by the way.
Yeah, it's just right up
the road out there,
and, uh, make the first right.
You can't miss it.
- Sounds good. Thank you.
- Awesome, awesome.
No problem, no problem.
Don't forget
to give me a follow.
Thank you.
Wow, Johnny's granddaughter.
Hello, Grandma and Grandpa.
It's been a while.
Hi, uh, this is Alana Lewis.
I'm calling from
14 Forest Road,
um, about the utilities.
I was told that...
Hi. Hi, hi, hi.
Come here, Mo!
Hi.
Come here. Come on.
I'm sorry, he's not used to
people being around here lately.
It's okay.
You're not from the real
estate company, are you?
'Cause I told them no one
lives here anymore, so--
No, no, I'm Alana.
I'm...
Johnny's granddaughter.
- Yeah.
- I'm Luke.
I've been taking care
of his place since he passed.
I live right there.
Nice to meet you.
- Um...
- Something wrong?
It's just, uh, they told me
the utilities would be on,
but it's freezing in there,
so, I have to figure out
how to turn the heat on.
It's a wood furnace.
Wood furnace.
Got it.
- Yeah.
- Give me a second.
I can grab some wood from
my place to get you started.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
The cabin was perfect,
almost as if no one
had ever left.
And what a special gift
to see that
her grandpa was surrounded
by so many friends,
so much love,
in those last few years.
And there it was.
No way.
The elusive win-all
ticket sitting there,
just out of reach
on her grandpa's coffee table.
The photo was dated
last Christmas Eve,
just days before he passed.
- Hey.
- Hi.
It's not much, but it should get
you through the night.
Great. Thank you so much.
- Yeah.
- Yeah. Come in.
- Right.
- Okay.
As far as Alana knew,
the cabin
was all her grandpa had,
which meant he either gave
the ticket to someone else,
or it was still out there
somewhere.
I see you found Johnny's tablet.
- Yeah.
- We all chipped in
and got that for him
a couple of years ago.
He loved it,
once he figured out what it was.
You know,
it looks really great in here.
Oh, yeah. Thank you.
Johnny loved Christmas.
Just couldn't bear
to take it down.
Yeah.
Cool. Um...
- Question.
- Yeah.
Did he ever mention anything
about a ticket?
Like, those corny Santa
scratch-off tickets?
- Yes.
- Of course.
He'd give everyone
scratch-off tickets
for Christmas every year.
He'd always say
it could be nothing.
But it could be everything.
Yeah.
Hmm.
Hmm.
So, um,
did anyone ever win anything
on these tickets?
Nothing big.
If they did, then they're
really good at hiding it.
We've all been struggling
around here.
Flue pipe looks clean,
so you should be all set.
That being said,
it might be a bit
before it warms up in here.
Great.
Thank you so much.
Um, you're not hungry
by any chance?
I just got some pizza
from The Bear Trap
if you wanna wait over
at my place.
Um...
yeah.
- Sure.
- Okay.
All right.
So, how's city life?
It's okay. Yeah.
I've been there
for about six years now,
kind of jumping between jobs,
and apartments,
and that kinda stuff.
I've played that game.
- Yeah?
- Yeah. I'm from Boston.
Had a bad break up,
couldn't afford the place
on my own,
so I decided to run away,
and, uh, ended up here.
And what do you do now?
- I'm a contractor.
- Hmm.
I'm-- I'm also a little
in between jobs.
Things have been pretty slow.
- Can I ask you a question?
- Mm-hmm.
Why didn't you ever come up
to see Johnny all these years?
It's kind of a weird situation.
First of all,
I didn't know that he was here.
- Yeah.
- Oh.
My mom passed
when I was a kid.
- Sorry.
- Thank you.
And we kind of lost touch
with that side of the family
and then my dad got a new job.
Well, he got a bunch of new jobs
and started moving around a lot.
I think all the moving kinda
helped him forget about her.
- Hmm.
- Yeah.
And now he's in Europe
selling who knows what.
Oh.
Well, I'm--
I'm glad you're here now.
Honestly, when I--
when I first came here,
I was only planning on
staying a few weeks,
but this-- this place has a way
of making you feel at home.
It's getting late.
Yeah. Your place is probably
all heated up now.
Thank you for the pizza.
No problem.
So, are you just staying
for the holidays?
Um, yeah. Yeah.
Honestly, uh,
the cabin couldn't have come
at a better time.
I already have an offer
on the house.
- Oh?
- Yeah.
- Pearson & Co?
- Yeah.
Yeah, I figured I'd come up,
spend the holidays here,
and then I sell it.
All right.
Night is over.
Bye.
I'm sorry.
Is something wrong?
I just hoped Johnny left you
his place for a reason,
but I guess not.
Have a good night.
And now my wife and I
have been married
these last 16
wonderful years, yes.
Wow.
Um, that's so beautiful.
Where is your wife now?
Oh, she...
She is right here.
Say hello to the nice lady,
honey.
Oh, uh, sorry.
One sec.
- Hello?
- Hey. Can you hear me?
What? Barely.
You were supposed to call me
when you got in.
I know, I'm sorry.
It's just I got here,
and the heat was out.
- We'll just be a moment.
- A neighbor helped me out.
Um, how was your flight?
Um, well, it didn't happen.
Um, yeah. Boss decided
that the r*cist old lady
wasn't gonna cut it
for the heartwarming
Christmas story,
so he set up a few more
interviews.
Um, so I have a bit
of a situation,
and I'm not really sure
what to do about it.
Well, that's what I'm here for.
So, I found my grandpa's tablet
and I started going
through the pictures.
Oh, no.
Weird stuff.
Tell me everything.
Uh, no.
Not what you're thinking.
I found a picture
of a lottery ticket.
Like, a winning ticket.
Whoa. What?
I know. It's crazy.
It's worth like $650,000.
Wait, wait, wait. So...
So, you're, like, rich now?
Well, I have to find
the ticket first.
Oh, my God. Okay.
Okay, this is--
I mean, this is amazing.
I just saw a documentary
about this.
Lottery tickets, they...
They expire after a year.
So, assuming he got it
last Christmas Eve...
You only have three days
to find this thing.
- All right, then.
- Okay.
Oh, sh**t.
Uh, I gotta go.
My mom's calling.
Um, keep me updated
on everything.
And word to the wise,
don't tell anyone.
I mean, this is a lot of money.
You don't know
who you can trust.
I love you. Bye.
- Hello.
- Hi, Alana?
This is Henry from
Pearson & Co.
- Is this a good time?
- Hi. Henry. Yes!
Uh, how's it going?
Not too bad.
I was just wondering
if you'd decided
to make the trip up
to Lake Peters?
Uh, yeah.
I'm actually there right now.
Oh, really? Oh, that's great.
Well, I'm actually heading down
from our other resort
at Lake Placid on the 23rd.
So, I'm gonna be in--
in Lake Peters.
I'd love to see you again
if you're still there.
Yeah.
All right, perfect. Well, I'll
keep you updated, all right?
I'll see you soon.
Bye.
With no luck in her
initial search for the ticket,
Alana figured she'd take
a break and...
...enjoy the view
from her cabin,
before getting back
to her investigation.
I know, Mo.
She's pretty.
But we're not friends.
Sorry, buddy.
She wants
to sell Johnny's cabin.
- Hi.
- Hey.
I brought some more wood over.
I have plenty more, so you
should be good until Christmas.
Oh, my God. Thank you so much.
Yeah, come in.
- Yeah.
- I'm sorry.
- It's okay.
- Yeah.
Where was that?
Uh, that's Frontierville.
It's a long story.
It was one of the last times
I saw him.
Um...Look,
I wanted to apologize
for how things ended last night.
I think I miss Johnny,
and things have been
a little tough around here,
but that's not your problem,
and I shouldn't have put that
on you.
I appreciate that.
Johnny used to love skating
out there.
Yeah, he taught me
when I was a kid.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
Oh.
Did you ever go out there
with him?
Uh, no.
No, it's not really my thing.
You have been though before,
right?
- Skating?
- Yeah.
- Yeah?
- Skating?
- Yeah.
- Yes.
- Oh, my...
- What?
Oh, my gosh! You've never been
ice skating before?
- I have ice skated.
- No, you have not.
- You're talk--
- Yes, I have. What?
I have not been...
I've-- I've skate--
not in the traditional sense,
- but I've--
- What does that mean?
I'm allowed to not like
ice skating.
It's not a big deal.
- You're allowed to not like it.
You're just not allowed
to not try it.
- I choose not to skate.
- Mm. Sure.
- I can skate. I choose not to.
- Sure, sure, sure.
Then prove it.
By what? By skating?
You're not gonna drop this,
are you?
No.
See?
Told you I could skate.
You're not really ice skating.
What do you mean?
- I'm moving.
- You're walking on ice.
- What, you gotta slide?
- Yeah.
God.
Okay. That's a little more
complicated.
Okay, okay, okay.
Yeah, here. I'll show you.
Come here. Here you go.
Can we just call it a day?
I think I...
- No, no, no...
- All right, go ahead. Go ahead.
You're gonna learn how
to ice skate.
- Go on one foot.
- Uh-huh.
- Balance.
- Uh-huh.
- Glide.
- Uh-huh.
And do the same
on the other side.
- Uh-huh.
- It's super easy.
Okay.
I got it, I got it. I got it.
- There you go.
- Don't go anywhere.
- Okay.
- Don't go, come back.
- Look.
- Okay. Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Glide.
I'm fine. I'm fine.
Okay. Stand up.
You got it. You got it.
You're good. You're good.
You're good.
All right.
We're gonna try again. Okay?
- One side.
- Yeah.
Step. Glide. Super easy.
Now the other side.
Yeah. Look, you just--
Don't-- wait. Hold on.
Come back, come back.
I'm okay.
You're good.
- Ready?
- Yep.
- All right.
- You're doing it!
You're doing it.
- Look at you!
- Yeah.
- How you doing up there?
- Good.
- Yeah?
- Look at that.
- So, can I ask?
- Hmm?
What's the big deal
with Pearson & Co?
Oh, what?
Besides the fact
that they've pretty much
destroyed this town?
Three years ago,
they started buying property
in a town about 20 minutes
from here
to build The Celestial,
a luxury ski resort.
You know, one of those gross,
soulless, five-star hotels
for rich people to try
on their new jackets
and claim they went camping.
The resort ended up driving out
every other business
with a half-hour drive.
This town used to be a charming,
modest, lively spot.
We'd have tons of people visit
the whole year.
Fishing, camping, skiing.
Real memories being made,
for everyone.
Now, I feel like it's getting
picked off, little by little.
Well, you can't really blame
someone for wanting to cash in
and make some money.
You've been in the city
too long, haven't you?
Yeah. Well, I...
I gotta get going.
Yeah.
Uh...
Some friends are holding
a Christmas party
at the local tavern.
Welcome to come if you'd like.
At the very least,
you might hear some good stories
about your grandpa.
Now, going to a party
with a bunch of strangers,
not usually Alana's cup of tea.
But Luke was nice,
and what better chance
to gather some info
than to chat it up with
some of the locals at the party?
Where did you come from?
Stacey.
You're gonna be all right here
for a couple hours, Mo?
Not true, Mo.
I always use cologne.
Okay, fine.
Don't be like that, Mo.
Come in!
I just need two more
seconds, and then I'll be down.
Sure. Take your time.
All right, I'm good to go.
What?
Nothing.
Uh, ma-- I mean, nothing.
You look great.
Thanks.
So do you.
Thanks.
Well, I guess we should
get going.
Uh, yeah.
Let's go.
The Bear Trap was
a Lake Peters staple,
founded by
Martha and Burt Townsend,
and the place was
absolutely beloved by everyone.
Especially Grandpa Johnny.
- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.
Hey, how you doing?
- How are you?
- Yeah, good, good.
How you doing?
- Hey.
- Hey, Martha.
This is Alana.
Johnny's granddaughter!
Oh, God. Jerry said
you might be coming by.
So nice to meet you.
Oh, this is my husband, Bert.
Hi, there.
Hi, nice to meet you guys.
Uh, Luke, did you get
my message about the--
Right, you said you were
having trouble with the cooler.
- Yeah, yeah.
- Yeah, I'll take a look.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Have a drink.
It-- that can wait.
Come on, I'm here,
I'll take a peek.
Five minutes.
I'll be right back.
Would you like a cider?
- Sure. Yeah.
- Okay.
It's the friendliest people
you'll ever meet here.
Oh, that's, um, Dana,
and Chris, her husband.
And actually,
it's their first night out
since their baby was born.
Um, and you've met Jerry.
Careful with Jerry.
He will chat your ear off.
Okay, got it.
This here was Johnny's spot.
- Really?
- Yep.
He loved the wobbly table.
Made sure Bert
and Martha never fixed it.
He liked flawed stuff.
Damn.
Ah, can't get up like I used to.
Let's see here.
Hey, uh, hello?
Can everybody hear me?
Everybody good? All right!
Good, good, good, good.
All right.
All right, listen, listen.
I just wanna thank the--
the wonderful
and amazing Martha and Bert
for hosting all of us.
You know, it's just,
it's so beautiful to see
all of your glorious faces
and everything,
and you know, I just--
I just wanna make a toast.
Okay? So, listen.
And I know
it's been a rough year.
And, uh, most of us have faced
some hardships...
Jerry's a talker.
And been tested in
ways that we didn't expect--
...and I think
I'd rather be rich
with a bank full of memories
than rich with a bank
of cash.
Even though there's
nothing wrong with cash.
I love cash.
So, with that,
as we're partying tonight,
surrounded by our friends
and family,
let's remember what Christmas
is all about, okay?
So, to healing,
to hope, to love,
and to the future,
and to a brighter day.
All right? Love you all.
Yeah, we love you, Jerry!
Listen, listen, now listen,
listen, listen.
Now your grandpa, listen,
the nicest guy in the world,
I'm trying to tell you,
but, boy oh, boy,
could he forget stuff!
- Oh, Jesus.
Listen,
I've never seen
a man lose his keys
as many times as Johnny did,
huh?
- Yeah.
- Yes.
Alana, dear,
I'm trying to tell you
the many times we had to get
that man's car towed
for one reason or another.
It's unbelievable!
A couple of summers ago,
your grandfather and I decided
we're gonna go fishing.
We're out in the lake,
I lose my wedding ring
over the side of the boat.
So, I dive in.
Johnny being Johnny,
he jumps in right after me
to help find it.
What happened?
Well, we did find the ring.
But Johnny being Johnny,
uh, he dove in,
but he did not drop the anchor.
So, we came up,
we spent the rest
of the afternoon
swimming after that boat.
Oh, I'm trying to tell you.
That's just who he was,
right? Huh?
Every single time with this guy.
Listen, it's also funny.
Last year, not too long
before he passed,
I remember he was telling me
that he, uh,
he thought he lost his wallet
walking around Frontierville.
- Yeah, he did.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You know, he was--
he was planning on going back
up there for it, but, uh...
Um, you know?
- To Johnny.
- To Johnny.
- To Johnny.
Yes, indeed.
- That anchor.
Alana knew that ticket
could easily be in the wallet,
but she was gonna need
Luke's help to find it.
Um,
do you wanna come
inside for a drink?
Um, sure.
Mind if I walk Mo first?
Yeah.
Uh, no. No, not at all.
- Okay.
- Yeah, okay.
Okay.
I heard
that you were looking for
the most heartwarming
Christmas story ever.
Yes, thank you.
That was me and my wife...
...before the aliens came.
- You see, it all--
- Oh, I'm so sorry.
I have to take this.
Hey, sweetie.
Hi. So, some
developments have happened.
Uh, turns out country boy
next door, really cute,
really nice,
took me out on a date.
I met everyone at this bar
that my grandpa used to go to,
and now he's coming over
for wine in, like, two seconds
and I wanna tell him
about the ticket.
No.
No, you can't tell this guy.
Alana, you've been handed
an amazing opportunity.
You can't squander it.
How do you even know
you can trust this guy?
'Cause he's a really nice guy!
And he was friends
with my grandpa.
So, he'll think that he's
entitled to the money, hmm?
Oh, oh, oh, uh,
he's here. He's here.
Okay, uh, look, do what you have
to do to find the ticket,
sell the house, and--
and then run off
with your Prince Henry.
You are a princess.
You're Cinderella.
You're a Christmas princess.
That's it.
Yeah, okay, gotta go.
I love you. Bye.
Okay, love you.
Okay, um,
I think we have enough.
- Cheers.
- Yeah.
How's Mo?
- Happy as ever.
- Hmm. Good.
Thanks for coming tonight.
I think everyone enjoyed
meeting you.
Yeah, thank you
for talking me into it.
You know, I think I'm finally
starting to get it.
- Mm-hmm.
- Like,
why my grandpa
was so happy here.
Is something wrong?
It's nothing.
I just, uh,
I heard Martha and Bert
are thinking of selling.
Jerry can barely make
payments on his store.
I'm just worried all this
might be coming to an end.
So sorry, I'm being a buzzkill.
No, no, it's fine. Don't worry.
Can I ask you something?
How did you and
my grandpa get so close?
I don't know.
He had this ability
to know exactly
when someone needed help.
You know what I mean?
Yeah.
My mom had that.
Well, the next thing you know,
we're hanging out all the time.
He's telling me
all these stories.
He wondered about you.
It wasn't
until he got the tablet
that he was able
to find out anything about you.
He wanted to reach out.
He just...
Oh, I guess,
he didn't wanna ruin
the good thing you had going.
It is crazy how the internet
can be so wrong about things.
Um,
so Jerry mentioned
something earlier.
Uh, he said that my grandpa
lost something at Frontierville.
Yeah, his wallet.
He lost stuff all the time.
Uh, what is that Frontierville?
Like, do you think
it's still there?
His wallet?
Uh, maybe.
What are you up to tomorrow?
So, the reason I came to
Lake Peters in the first place
was 'cause I'd actually
been here before.
My family used to come
when I was a kid.
These were all storefronts.
There were people dressed up
working in the stores.
That was a church over there.
People would stay in the cabins.
I've been here before.
- Really?
- Yeah.
My grandpa would take me
when I was a kid.
I loved it here.
Wow.
Well, the owner left
a long time ago.
It would take some money,
but Johnny and I always talked
about fixing it up.
You know, make the town
the opposite of the Celestial.
A place where vacationing
isn't just for rich people.
So, how do we wanna do this?
Do we have a system
or do we just
aimlessly walk around?
Do what?
Johnny's wallet.
That's why we're here, right?
Right.
Um, that's gonna be impossible.
I don't know...
I think your grandpa
would have said otherwise.
Don't know if we don't try.
Still I couldn't help
Alana couldn't
help but feel guilty.
Her grandpa clearly cared
a lot about this place,
but any chance of helping it
was gone with his wallet.
Bringing back memories?
Yeah.
Uh, to be perfectly honest,
we don't really know it's here.
Knowing Johnny, he could have
easily left it anywhere.
Yeah, I guess so.
Come on, Mo.
This is cool.
It feels like
we're helping Johnny
with some unfinished business,
right?
I suppose.
No way.
Hold Mo.
What? What is it?
Yeah.
It's frozen.
All right.
So, I doubt there's much more
than a driver's license
and a milk card.
Okay.
Okay, so,
tell me.
You take over Frontierville.
What then?
Oh, I don't think
it would take much.
We need to fix up the cabins.
Jerry already said
he'd run the food.
Hey, Luke.
Yeah.
Thank you for being
such a great guy.
I'm really happy that my grandpa
had you as a friend in the end.
- I think it's thawed.
- Let's see.
Yeah.
- You do the honors.
- Okay.
Hmm.
All right.
About what I expected.
Something wrong?
No, I'm just...
I'm just thinking.
What do you think the key's to?
I have no idea.
The chances of
even finding the wallet
were one in a million,
but still,
no ticket, nothing.
Well, that was fun.
Yeah, that was.
You know,
Johnny would have really liked
to have talked to you.
You think so?
What's not to like?
You're cool, smart,
funny,...
...pretty.
Just being objective.
He would've been psyched.
Oh, oh, oh
Um...
Good night.
Um,
any interest in grabbing
breakfast tomorrow?
Um...
Yeah, that...
That sounds great.
Okay, I'll see you then.
See you then.
In true Grandpa Johnny fashion,
Alana had completely forgotten
about Henry's visit.
Hi, Alana!
I'm here, as promised.
Henry!
Hi!
Sorry, I tried texting you,
but the service up here
is absolutely terrible.
- I can come back.
- No, no!
Uh, come in, it's cold.
- Well, if you insist.
- Yeah.
Ah.
Nice place.
Yeah. Uh...
Can I get you something?
Like coffee or...
Oh.
I would love a coffee.
Yeah? Okay.
Oh, you've got the lake
and everything.
Yeah. Hold on.
So, I'm gonna just pop
into the bathroom super quick.
You stay here.
Don't steal anything.
- I will be right here.
- Okay.
Oh.
Hi!
I was just about to call you.
I have great--
Um, he's here.
- Who?
- Uh, the--
the fancy real estate man.
Like, he's-- I-- I was sleeping
and I forgot he was coming.
and now he's here.
- Wait.
Sweetie, I can barely hear you.
Okay.
One second, one second.
- Now?
- Oh! Oh, right there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Don't move a muscle.
So I talked to my boss
about your whole situation.
- Um...
-And he loves
the princess angle.
So, we get to spend
Christmas together.
Uh... Stacey, Stacey, Stacey,
so-- that's great.
Um, so there have been some
developments.
Uh, my neighbor, Luke,
he, um...
Hello?
He's here.
Alana, are you up?
Wait, wait, wait.
What do you mean he's here?
Uh, like-- like, they're...
They're both here.
Okay.
Um...
Uh...
Uh, Alana,
I think there's someone
at the door for you.
- You want me to get it?
- Uh, sure! Thank you!
Um, Stacey,
um, I'm stuck.
Oh, sweetie.
Honey, I know it can feel
like that,
but it's really just
a multitude of options.
No, like, I am--
Yeah, I'm actually, literally,
physically stuck.
Oh.
Hello there!
Um, hey.
Hi.
I'm sorry, who are you?
I'm Henry.
- Is Alana around?
- I'm not sure.
Okay, he's inside.
Alana?
Uh, yeah. Hi!
Luke, I'll be right there!
Just one second!
She was making us coffee.
Yeah, I see that.
You know, just remember
that if you
play your cards right,
you're two steps from living
the good life.
You know, or...
or you're broke in a cabin
in the middle of nowhere.
Okay, thank you so much, Stacey.
I really have to go right now.
Would you, uh, care to sit?
Okay. Okay. Okay.
I'm sorry about that.
Um, Henry, Luke.
Luke, Henry.
Henry's from
the real estate company.
Guilty as charged.
Uh, and-- and Luke, uh,
lives next door.
Oh, that's adorable.
A tiny little cabin.
Well, this is actually perfect
because I came to invite Alana
to breakfast at the Celestial.
You ever been?
No.
Didn't think so.
Would you love to join us?
My treat.
Your treat?
Can I invite a couple friends?
I'll tell you something,
this place
is a whole lot bigger
than the pictures.
- Huh?
- You sure this is a good idea?
Let him wine and dine us.
Take him for all he's got.
Hey there. For me?
Oh, well, oh, thank you.
- Thank you, thank you.
- Oh.
- Hmm.
- How about that, huh?
- Yeah.
- Instant service.
Ooh, oh, Lord.
- Oh, that's good.
- It tastes damn good.
That is good.
Might as well sit down and
enjoy ourselves, huh?
You bet.
- You all right?
- I'm fine.
How are you?
We didn't have to come here.
Whatever.
What's the worse
that could happen?
Okay. Uh, uh, um, what's
the name of this drink here?
I tell you,
this is flipping amazing!
- Oh, yeah.
- Ooh!
Listen, crazy question.
Can I have another one of these?
All right.
You're mad at me.
I'm not mad. Confused.
I just--
I can't put my finger on--
I can't put my finger on you.
You're one person one sec,
and then you're someone else
another.
Welcome, everyone!
Thank you so much
for joining us.
And look what a fantastic idea
to invite everyone.
Now, I would love to introduce
you to our junior VP
and the regional agent
to this resort,
Mr. Tyler Walton.
First of all, call me Ty.
All my friends call me Ty,
and I want you guys
to do the same.
Secondly, honest to God,
we love Lake Peters.
- Yes, we do.
- It's paradise.
- It's paradise.
- And w-- hey,
we're not here to mess
with any of that.
- No, we won't.
- Now, our team
was able to quickly
throw together
a customized package
for each of you.
So, as Henry passes that out,
go and flip on over to page two.
You'll see our offers.
Oh, Lord.
Oh, my.
I appreciate it, Henry, Ty.
But as we told your company
before,
we're not interested.
We take a lot of pride
in our town,
and we don't want it
to turn into this.
Yeah, who would, uh,
who-- who--
who would want this?
Yeah. Yes, uh, like--
like Luke just said right there,
we are--
we are not interested at all.
- Thank you, but no thank you.
- Of course.
I understand
your hesitancy.
- I-- I get it. We both get it.
- We do.
But please let us take you
on a tour.
Just a walk around.
I'll get you another drink.
- Drink was kinda good.
- Perfect.
- Come on over, sir.
- Uh, yeah. Yeah.
And here in our main foyer,
you can see all
of our amenities.
Around the corner,
you've got our bistro,
and downstairs, of course,
got the gym.
Look, I get it.
The pride, the history
of Lake Peters.
And honestly, we love it.
That's what we love about it.
And we'd wanna respect that
while also upgrading it.
What do you mean by that?
Henry.
Well, imagine the Bear Trap,
same name, same location,
with a five-star chef.
People coming from miles
around to see the new
and improved Lake Peters.
You're gonna price out
a lot of people
from being able to come here.
Well, that's the best part.
We can use your existing
infrastructure
to make Lake Peters
the more economical,
more affordable
sister destination.
Now, you don't have
to answer right now.
I understand how difficult
this decision will be
for each and every one of you.
But we would love
to know by...
tomorrow?
- Tomorrow.
Christmas Eve.
Nothing really gets done
for a while after that.
Sound good?
Sounds good to me.
- Okay.
- Hey, swing by.
- Well, swing by. Yeah!
- Oh, yeah.
I really appreciate your time.
Uh, I'm sorry.
I'll be right back.
Hey, Alana?
Uh, there's actually something
I'd love to chat with you about.
Are you free
for a quick drink?
Um...
I can get you a car back.
Yeah, just give me a second.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Um, so Henry wants to talk
to me about something.
- Just real--
- Say no more.
I'll see you tonight?
Sure.
Okay.
Hey.
How'd it go?
Martha, that place
was super fancy.
Let me fill you in.
What do you think, Jerry?
Well, if I'm being honest,
Luke,
I don't know.
I'm kinda torn.
Listen, I know we all want
things to go
back to the way they were.
But, uh, I don't know, maybe,
I think it's a good time
for a change, you know?
Now, they said they'd keep
the spirit of the town intact,
and I wanna believe them.
I gotta be honest, man. Listen,
making payments on the store,
it's been pretty tough lately.
There's just not enough traffic.
But...
I'll follow your lead, Martha.
Whatever you wanna do,
it's up to you.
I don't know.
We've had this place
for so long.
It's our home.
I cannot believe
you've never been.
It's the best caviar
in the city, hands down.
Okay, well,
we will have to change that.
There is a whole other
amazing side to the city.
Yeah, if you can afford it.
Sorry.
Oh, would you look at that?
Your friends are selling.
Really?
Yep, they are signing tomorrow.
Yeah, wow.
Oh, we've just been
so busy talking
that I haven't even talked
about your house.
Yeah, um...
It's fine.
We can talk about it later.
Hey, um...
...you're not taking advantage
of them or anything, right?
Of course.
Um, it is a very good deal.
Hey, thanks again for the ride.
Yeah, of course.
See, Alana stayed back.
Yeah, she's, uh,
she's got a date, I guess.
Oh, a date?
- Yeah.
- Oh.
Listen, I had a really
great time tonight.
I hope this isn't too much
too fast,
but I'm actually going up
to Vermont
to one of our other resorts,
just a few days after Christmas.
Would you...
Would you possibly be
interested in joining me?
What's going on
between you two, huh?
Nothing.
Uh, come on now, Luke.
I ain't known you all my life,
but I known you long enough.
I see how you two
go back and forth.
Yeah, that smile.
Yeah, you can't hide it.
You tell her how you feel?
I understand.
Well, take it from me.
If you're feeling anything,
don't wait another second.
Go for it before it's gone.
You understand?
Look around you, Luke.
Most things don't last forever.
Thanks again for the ride.
- Have a good night.
- You, too.
Selling out was
the right move for them.
It had to be.
It was logical, pragmatic, safe.
But then again, maybe it wasn't.
Maybe there was still hope.
I need to tell him.
Alana!
Oh, hey.
I saw the woodstove burned out.
It was getting cold,
so I brought some wood in
to get it going again.
It was just sitting there
with the photo up.
- Luke, I am so sorry.
- Stop.
When did you learn
about this ticket?
The first night I got here.
- I was gonna tell--
- I know why you didn't tell me.
I would never...
He's your family, not mine.
I just...
You used me.
Frontierville.
The party?
Did any of that mean anything?
I didn't mean to use you.
Yeah, I don't-- I don't know
what I was thinking.
You made yourself clear
when you got here.
I just...
I thought something
might have changed.
- Something did change.
- Really?
Because up until
this very moment,
you've been lying to me.
Okay, I know, I know.
I just thought if we find
the ticket,
then we can save everything,
and then--
And if we can't, what then?
Don't go, please.
What do you want, Alana?
With or without your ticket.
Hey, uh, you mind running
things for a little bit?
Right. Back in a minute.
It was a good run.
We'll be all right.
This will still be our place
forever.
No matter what.
It's all right, buddy.
We'll find something new.
Ah! There's my beautiful
rags-to-riches girl.
Oh, boy!
Hi, sweetie. One sec.
Thank you.
Do you have any cash?
I took the bus up,
and then a really sweet guy
offered me a ride
the rest of the way.
But you know what? I got it.
Um, can I get you
on the way back?
Collateral. Thank you!
- Let me help you.
- Oh, no, no.
Wow! Oh, my God,
this place is adorable.
Oh, all right.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah. Oh.
When do you head to Vermont?
Uh, day after tomorrow.
We have a lot to catch up on.
Do you have wine?
- No.
- Ooh.
I don't.
We're gonna need wine.
Yeah.
All right.
Let's try to make this quick.
Get back to modern civilization.
Got another meeting
to get to at noon.
Uh, yeah, of course.
Uh, really quick,
has the objective
of the acquisition changed?
Because I heard you talking
yesterday
and I'm just really confused.
Oh, yeah. About that...
Thank you.
I can't believe it.
I can't believe I'm out
of the city.
I can't believe
the perfect story
was sitting right in front of me
the whole time.
I mean, my best friend
meets Prince Charming
and gets swept away.
Yeah, it's so exciting.
Oh, sweetie.
What's wrong?
I just...
I wish I could have
found the ticket.
I'm sorry.
Maybe it's-- it's for the best.
You--
Just try to enjoy this.
- Hey.
- Hey, Luke.
Hey, Luke.
- That'll be $42.50.
- Oh, okay.
I got it.
- Here you go.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
Oh, cute.
Ooh, there's a picture.
"To the bravest girl
in the whole world.
I hope your day is filled
with love
and magic.
What am I doing?
Alana!
I was wrong.
I was wrong about everything.
- You were wrong.
- Okay, I just saw this.
First of all,
you didn't tell me
how hot country boy is.
And second of all,
I haven't seen you look
this happy
in a long,
long time, if ever.
Yeah, you're right.
You're right. I was--
I was-- This is all wrong.
You...
Yeah, Johnny gave me that photo
after
he got his keys
locked in his car,
had to get his car towed.
This here was Johnny's spot.
Really?
He loved the wobbly table.
Made sure Bert
and Martha never fixed it.
- Oh, my God.
- What?
Hey, do you know where Jerry is?
Uh, he went to meet everybody
down at the Bear Trap.
Oh, no. They're selling today.
Wait, wait, wait, wait!
What is happening?
I know where the ticket is.
Oh, this story just gets better
and better.
Oh!
It's not that we're lying.
We're closing.
There's a difference.
Corporate thinks they can
up traffic by 20%
if they can get
that freeway in there.
Atta boy.
Okay.
Okay. Okay.
- Got it.
- Let's go! Let's go!
And then you show them
the ticket,
you save the day,
everybody's excited,
and then you say I love you.
Everybody would be happy,
and excited,
and-- and endorphins
are kicking.
- Yeah.
- I like this plan.
This feels good.
This feels really good.
Whoa!
Are you okay?
I'm fine.
Okay.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Hello.
Merry Christmas Eve, everyone.
We don't wanna waste
anybody's time.
So, here are the contracts.
Nothing new.
Just need a few signatures.
I wanna make sure
that we're sure.
Hey, hey, hey, look.
We're-- we're not
the bad guys here.
We have friends
at the banks, guys.
We are well aware
of how tough it is for you guys
to pay the rent
from each month to month.
This is your only option.
He's right.
It's time.
Um, how far is this place?
It's right across the lake.
Honey, I'll be right behind you.
Go.
Well,
who goes first?
Okay, I'll do it.
You know, but first, uh,
I'd like to say a few words,
if you don't mind.
You know, it's funny.
I remember
when I first arrived
from the south...
I'd honestly never really seen
snow before
or seen people celebrate
Christmas in it.
And I-- I just--
I just hope that
there's a future here.
You all are like family.
You know?
This town, this place...
it's been our home for so long.
And-- and-- and luckily
you all seem to understand that.
And, uh, are willing to--
to keep that spirit alive,
keep it going.
So, thank you, Henry.
I truly appreciate that.
We're grateful.
Cheers to you.
All right, here we go.
Wait!
Wait!
I'm sorry. I'm sorry
I lied to you about the ticket.
I'm sorry I used you.
I just...
I don't know what this is,
but this is your way out, guys.
You're broke.
Hold on.
What if they weren't?
What are you talking about?
Okay.
What-- what is that?
Oh, my goodness.
He won!
He won. Joh--
Johnny got the winning ticket!
What? What?
My grandpa wanted
you all to have it.
That's why he left it here.
I'm sorry. The deal's off.
Wait, wait.
Don't sh**t the messenger,
but...
that ticket expired.
- What?
Yeah, about 45 minutes ago.
Okay.
So, now that that's over,
we can move on.
Look, this is a good deal,
guys, okay?
And honestly, I get it.
The spirit, the family vibes,
and it's--
Seriously, what now?
Sorry.
Hi.
Stacey, um, um...
Best friend.
Like I was saying,
we're not gonna touch
any of this, okay?
We just wanna give you guys--
He's lying to you all.
What are you doing?
You did not say
he had an accent.
Shh.
I'm sorry. I just...
You all seem like really
lovely people, and...
I'm not interested
in tricking you on Christmas.
They're planning on Fl*ttening
the whole town
to build a freeway.
Guys, if you say no
to this deal,
we'll probably just buy it
from the banks
when you all foreclose
in a couple months.
Can I just say something?
When I got here,
I thought I knew
what I was looking for.
And I was wrong.
I'm sorry.
You showed me that.
You all showed me that.
And before this,
I-- I didn't know
what a home really felt like.
And now I do.
Don't sign.
Please.
I want to be here with you.
With or without the ticket.
You know what?
I think we'll take our chances.
Good luck with that, Auntie Em.
This doesn't change anything.
I'll be back.
You, this is goodbye.
You're most likely fired.
Ah. I mean...
All right, guys.
There's something else in here.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Hey, guys, look at this.
Now this is a receipt.
It says here this ticket's
already been cashed.
Well, then, where's the money?
The wobbly table.
The wobbly table.
The key!
That's what he wanted
to go back for.
He's your grandfather.
You do the honors.
Are you seeing this?
Are you seeing this?
Oh, man!
- Oh, h*, h*!
- Merry Christmas, everybody.
Oh, man!
My main man, Johnny!
You gotta be...
Henry, right?
I'm Stacey.
- Hi there.
- Hi.
You are perfect.
Sorry, what was that?
Your shirt is nice.
Oh, thank you. Um...
Has anyone ever told you
that you have
the most beautiful eyes
that I've ever seen?
I'm so sorry.
That was so forward, but--
No, it's working. It's okay.
Would you like to stay
for a drink?
That sounds really good.
I'm the princess.
Sorry, what was that?
Hey.
Did you mean what you said?
You wanna be here?
- With me?
- Mm-hmm.
With or without
that pile of cash over there?
Yes.
And I know that we just met
and it-- it could be nothing.
But it could be everything.
And that's worth something.
Right?
So, there you have it.
Your big old happy ending.
After settling all their debts
with the bank,
the rest of Grandpa Johnny's
prize money
went into a Lake Peters
Town Restoration Fund,
with its first priority being
rebuilding Frontierville.
As for Henry and me,
we're taking it slow.
But he is unemployed now,
and Alana's moving out,
so it probably just makes sense
to move in together.
Speaking of Alana...
Okay, everyone,
you can go ahead.
Here we go, here we go.
...she's finally
home this Christmas,
all thanks to a little thing
called love.
And a couple of miracles.
Oh, oh, oh, wait a minute,
hold on now.
- Dang.
- Hey!
I won myself another ticket.
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Christmas Ticket, The (2025)
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