A Tale of Two Christmases

The film begins with Emma Peterson, a junior architect in Chicago, struggling to finish a model for a Miami golf clubhouse. Her perfectionism causes her to be late, and a mishap with 'sticky' fake snow ruins the model just before a pitch to her demanding boss, Mr. Heaton. In the aftermath, she has a meet-cute with Max Bancroft, a handsome environmental lawyer, who invites her to a Christmas Eve party. Emma is torn between staying for the party/work and flying home to Vermont. After a brief encounter with a mysterious Santa who tells her to 'just believe,' Emma oversleeps. The narrative then splits into two parallel timelines. In the 'Missed Flight' timeline, Emma stays in Chicago, re-works her model, and spends Christmas Eve helping Max prepare for his party. She attempts to fit into Max's sophisticated world, drinking plain cocoa and wearing designer clothes, but feels out of place. She eventually learns that even if she wins the Miami project, she will be relegated to office work rather than field design. In the 'Made Flight' timeline, Emma returns to Vermont and is picked up by Drew, a childhood friend and ski lodge manager who used to tease her with the nickname 'Perfect Peterson.' She is thrust into family traditions, including wearing a humiliating elf costume and making gingerbread houses. Mrs. Roberts, the lodge owner, offers Emma a chance to design a major renovation, a project that would allow her to work 'boots on the ground' with her contractor father. Drew confesses he has always had a crush on her, challenging her to stop trying to be perfect and start being herself. The timelines converge when Emma realizes that her 'perfect' city life is a facade. She wakes up back at the airport, realizing the dual experience was a visionary gift. She chooses to turn down Max, flies home to Vermont, resigns from her corporate job to start a firm with her father, and finally confesses her love to Drew at the ski lodge.