One of the side-effects of being confined to my "remote recliner" while my fractured ankle mends is that I have seen a copious number of Christmas movies. I'm not talking about the classics such as "Miracle on 34th Street," "It's a Wonderful Life" or "National Lampoon's Chistmas Vacation." I do enjoy those movies, and look forward to seeing each of them every year. Probably my favorite among those is the movie where the kid wants the BB gun, and of course everyone tells him, "You'll shoot your eye out." You know the one I'm talking about, I'm sure. The name of it is "A Christmas Story." No, as good as those movies are, I'm talking about those movies one sees on a channel dedicated to a certain greeting card company.
As I have watched these movies, I have begun to notice a certain common thread. First, it seems that they are always set in some small town in the mountains where it snows all the time. Not nasty, muddy, dirty snow; but clean, fluffy, happy snow. The kind of snow that, if it lands on your head, it doesn't instantly melt and turn your hair wet and matty. No, Christmas movie snow simply stays lightly on your hair until you gently brush it aside. The only time Christmas movie snow might cause you problems is it might cause your car to be stuck in the small, idyllic town named "Mistletown," or "Santaburgh" or something along those lines.
I think I have seen enough of these movies that I can write my own movie. In our town of "Santaburgh," there's a small diner, that, for years, has been run by gentle Grandma Sue. Everyone loves Grandma Sue, especially her gingerbread spice cookies. (Of course, she always makes them in the shape of Santa's and reindeer.), remember, this story takes place in Santaburgh. Well, Grandma Sue's health isn't as good these days and she falls ill, just weeks before the big "Santaburgh Christmas Program" at the youth center. (Grandma Sue has been directing the Christmas program as long as anyone can remember.) Grandma Sue's grand-daughter, Sally, comes back to Santaburgh from the big city, where she is a successful movie star, in order to help Grandma Sue. Sally and Grandma Sue are the only ones who know the secret recipe to Grandma Sue's gingerbread spice cookies. As soon as Sally comes back to Santaburgh, she encounters her old high school boyfriend, Billy. Billy is now the Sheriff of Santaburgh and he never passes up an opportunity to stop by the diner for a cup of coffee and Grandma Sue's famous cookies. Billy and Sally begin to reminisce and, predictably, they begin to fall for each other again. One problem is, Sally is engaged to Rob, a very successful (and quite rich) real estate guy in the big city. Rob and Sally could not be more poorly matched, as anyone except Sally can see. All Rob seems to care about is making a bigger profit, especially at Christmas time. He visits Santaburgh and instantly decides it would be good to turn the entire town into an upscale ski resort. He immdeiately makes plans to turn the youth center into a welcome station and Grandma Sue's diner into an upscale coffee place that sells everything but a simple cup of coffee. He plans to tear down the youth center right before the Santaburgh Christmas Program. Just in time, Sally discovers Rob's plan and tears up the contract Rob has drawn up to purchase the diner. Sally and Billy declare their love for each other after Billy shows up at the youth center in the guise of Santa. Grandma Sue is convinced by Sally to sell her cookies online and they become an instant hit. Rob goes back to the big city and falls for an international super-model. Sally decides that Santaburgh is the place where she really belongs and decides to stay and be with Billy. In the final scene, Sally and Billy share an embrace at the town square gazebo, as Christmas movie snow gently begins to fall.
It's still a "work in progress." I need to find a way to work an obligatory "miracle" into the story. I also need to come up with an appropriate title. Something like "Brew Christmas," or "A Jolly Gingerbread Christmas." Stay tuned and check your local listings. Until then, have a wonderful holiday season; here on the "sunny side."