A Timeless Christmas

The film begins in 1903 with Charles Whitley, a wealthy and successful inventor who is more focused on his milling machines than the Christmas season. Despite the pleas of his fiancée, Eliza Parker, to attend a high-society party, Charles remains at home to repair an antique clock he purchased at an auction. The clock is engraved with the phrase: 'Wind once at Christmas moon, true love will find you soon.' When Charles winds the clock under the light of a rare 'Christmas Moon,' he faints and wakes up in the same room, but in the year 2020. His home is now the Whitley Mansion Museum, and he is immediately confronted by Megan Turner, the museum director, and a group of tourists. Because the museum employs actors to play historical figures, Megan assumes Charles is the new replacement actor from a talent agency. Charles is baffled by modern 'flying machines' (airplanes), electric lights that produce no heat, and 'pizza.' Megan eventually begins to believe his impossible story after he reveals the location of a secret compartment under his study floor containing a private notebook, and she notices a specific horseshoe-shaped scar on his hand that was never documented in portraits. As Megan helps Charles adjust to the 21st century—introducing him to the internet, smart phones, and casual wear like 'dungarees'—the two develop a deep romantic bond. Charles initially intends to return to 1903 to save his business and marry Eliza, but his perspective shifts when Megan shows him historical records revealing that after his disappearance, Eliza eventually married his rival, Harold Moran. He learns that Eliza lived a long, happy life with children and grandchildren, realizing that his 'disappearance' actually allowed her to find a more suitable love. When the museum's assistant, Kenny, locates the original magic clock at a local university, Charles is presented with the opportunity to return home during the next Christmas Moon on Christmas Eve. However, during the museum's annual gala, Charles gives a moving speech about embracing the present. He decides to stay in 2020 with Megan, realizing that she is the 'true love' the clock promised. The film ends with Charles and Megan dancing, looking forward to a future together.