All I Want For Christmas

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‘ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS’

SYNOPSIS

Sara Armstrong, 38, wakes from a bad dream, one that reminds her about the stress that responsibilities place on her life.  She’s convinced herself that she has no time for a relationship, but the fact is she’s barely dated since her husband, a police officer, died seven years ago. Shaking off the cobwebs, she wakes her nine-year-old son, Jesse, to get ready for school.   

Later, Sara reports for work at the Armstrong Community Center – named for her late husband and purchased with his pension money – where she and her colleague, Lily, get the building ready for the City Inspector’s visit the next day.  Things are doubly stressful, as the owner is considering selling the property to a company that would demolish the center in favor of condos. 

Jesse gets home and visits his neighbor and longtime family friend Ben Grant, 35, a writer.  Ben is Jesse’s sitter, Jr. Ranger troop leader and all-around pal.  With all the time Jesse and Sara spend with Ben, there may be chemistry between him and Sara, but he’s spoken for: he’s seeing Amber, a straight-laced lawyer who wishes Ben would aim higher than a community newspaper.

The next afternoon, Jesse and Ben see a commercial from Toyco Toys, touting their “All I Want For Christmas” contest, where one child will get their ultimate wish fulfilled.  Inspired, Jesse announces that he’s going to enter and ask them to find his mom a new husband!  He wants his mom to be happy; she’s always too busy to worry about herself. 

A few weeks later, Jesse receives a call: he’s won the contest!  Soon, he, Ben and Toyco exec Erin Davis show up at the Community Center – with a full camera crew – to “surprise” Sara.  Soon, the story is national news.  Thrilled, Toyco CEO Arthur Nelson puts his son, Roger, in charge of the bachelor search.  Although not nearly as thrilled, Sara agrees to go along for the ride, but realizing how much money Toyco will make from her story, she has a demand of her own: she wants Toyco to put up the money to save the Community Center.  Erin agrees to look into it.

Oblivious to the chemistry she has with Ben, Sara asks him to look over some bachelor tapes with her, but she gets frustrated, noting you can’t tell chemistry through a TV.  Over the next several days, a post-makeover Sara embarks on some dates, with cameras following every move.  Unfortunately, the only man who is around for more than one date is Roger, but he’s just her Toyco chaperone.

Sara tries to retain her normal life, but her friends at the Center notice she’s preoccupied.  Even Jesse laments that he’s not seeing his mom much these days.  As Roger picks her up to attend another date, Sara admits she’s run down, and they ditch her dinner date for their own, opting for a diner instead of another snooty restaurant. 

Over their meal, there is immediately more electricity in this spontaneous date than in any of the pre-selected ones.  So much so that the night ends with a kiss, but Roger quickly notes that he needs to discuss things with his father before he can get to know Sara better…which is exactly the same moment a photographer catches them!  Arthur Nelson is furious when the story of this romance breaks, and fears America may feel cheated, but Erin thinks they can spin it as the perfect, unexpected Christmas romance.  Roger takes Sara and Jesse to dinner, but Jesse, angry at missing a planned dinner with Ben, acts out at the restaurant.  Seems Jesse is used to having Ben around and not Roger.

On Thanksgiving eve at the Community Center, everyone is part of the volunteer crew, even Arthur Nelson (in a nice bit of televised publicity).  Roger tries his best to assist Ben with food prep, but it’s obvious he isn’t cut out for this line of work.  As they talk, Roger begins to pick up on the feelings that Ben has for Sara.  During dinner, Arthur announces Toyco’s donation to the center, which will keep it from being sold.  As Roger and Sara share a congratulatory kiss, Ben and Jesse sulk in a corner, united in their dislike of Roger.

A few nights later, as Amber and Ben are decorating his Christmas tree, Sara and Jesse’s names inevitably come up, and Amber’s had enough.  She challenges Ben to say he doesn’t care for Sara.  Finally realizing the truth, Ben can’t say it.  Amber says her final goodbye to him, but warns that he doesn’t even know if Sara feels the same.  Things are only slightly better next door, as Jesse again rebuffs Roger, who wonders aloud why Sara doesn’t feel that Jesse spends too much time with Ben.

As Sara and Roger share a special dinner (Roger bought out an entire restaurant), Jesse finally asks Ben why he never told his mom about his feelings for her.  Ben says that she has Roger and he has millions. But, Jesse argues, his mom doesn’t care about Roger’s money, and that she can’t make a fair decision unless Ben tells her he cares. 

The next day at Toyco, Arthur decides that they haven’t had enough press, and he and Erin decide that Roger should propose to Sara and get married in two weeks on Christmas!  Helpless to stop them, Roger looks on speechless.  He does care for Sara, but an engagement already? 

Roger shows up at the Center and is drafted to help with dinner service, but it becomes obvious that the homeless make him uncomfortable.  He’s glad to sneak away from the line – and Ben – when Erin and his father arrive and push him to make his move.  In front of the volunteers, diners (and ever present camera crews), Roger proposes, and a stunned Sara accepts.

Jesse insists that Ben come clean to Sara, regardless of the engagement.  He admits that he doesn’t want to lose Ben, who is the closest thing to a real father he’s ever had.  Ben finds Sara, and she admits that it’s all moving a little fast.  But, she reasons, it’s for the best because now Jesse will have a real family.  Ben argues it means nothing unless she loves her new husband as well.  Lost in the moment, the two finally share a kiss, and although Sara pulls away, there’s no turning back for Ben.  He admits he loves Sara and that he wants to be a father to Jesse and the husband she deserves.  A confused Sara runs off.

She may be a bit unsure, but Sara is still going along with the wedding.   Arthur’s vision is too over-the-top for her, with the ceremony at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and reception at Tavern on the Green.  As a team of gown stylists turn the Center into a fitting room, Sara and Ben have an awkward encounter as they try to fix a leaking pipe.  Rogers shows up and is mortified to see that Sara is getting a $25,000 gown wet, but Sara dismisses him to focus on the work, and they make quick arrangements for dinner.  Roger suggests that Ben babysit Jesse, but Sara insists that Roger actually spend a little time getting to know his future son.  The differences between them are starting to become more apparent.

At home, things don’t go much better over dinner.  Jesse sulks before going to bed, and Roger stuns Sara with the news that he’s gotten Jesse into the boarding school he went to, to ‘make him a better man.’  Sara is furious and suddenly laments about the school, the lavish wedding, all of it.  She hands the engagement ring back to Roger and storms off to talk to Jesse, leaving Roger dumbfounded at what he’s done wrong.

Alone in his room, Jesse and Sara have a heart to heart.  Sara’s sorry that it will just be the two of them again, but Jesse points out that there’s always been a third person around: Ben.  Jesse convinces his mom to go talk to Ben, and when she comes out of his room, Roger and the engagement ring are both gone. She goes to Ben’s apartment, but he won’t answer the door.

Sara gets back to business at the Center, planning Christmas dinner.  Thankfully, she gets to keep the money Arthur donated, since a toy company can’t be seen ruining Christmas for so many people.  But everyone is a little down that Ben appears to be ‘taking some time off.’ 

As Sara and Jesse attend midnight mass, Ben suddenly joins them in the pews.  Sara admits she’s missed him and that she shouldn’t have accepted Roger’s proposal.  She’s ready to listen to her heart, which tells her she wants to be with Ben.  Ben produces an engagement ring he bought before Roger proposed, and the church bells chime as he slips it on her finger. 

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