Christmas at the Plaza

The film begins with Jessica Cooper, a PhD historian, arriving at The Plaza Hotel to lead a prestigious archival project. She is greeted by Reginald Brookwater, the head bellman, who introduces her to the hotel's philosophy that 'nothing unimportant ever happens at The Plaza.' Jessica's task, assigned by manager Amanda Clark, is to create a historical exhibition for the Oak Room. She soon clashes with Nick Perrelli, a professional Christmas decorator, after nearly knocking him off a ladder. Despite their initial friction—Jessica values the factual past while Nick focuses on the emotional present—Amanda pairs them together for the project. Jessica's current boyfriend, Dennis, is a dry academic who views her work at the Plaza as trivial and pressures her to assist with his own clinical research. As Jessica and Nick sort through decades of records, they discover that the hotel has commissioned a unique 'finial d'arbre' (tree topper) every year since 1907, except for 1969. This 'missing' year becomes a central mystery. Their investigation leads them to an old boutique where they learn the 1969 topper was designed by a young Reginald Brookwater, who abandoned his artistic career after a heartbreak involving a woman named Marie. Meanwhile, the romantic tension between Jessica and Nick grows during a visit to Nick's lively family home, which stands in stark contrast to a cold faculty party where Dennis fails to propose, instead asking Jessica to be his research assistant. Realizing she has been hiding in the past to avoid a stagnant future, Jessica breaks up with Dennis. In the climax, the exhibition opens, featuring the recovered 1969 topper which Reginald finished after Nick and Jessica's encouragement. Marie, having seen the event in the news, arrives at the Plaza for a tearful reunion with Reginald. Jessica decides to leave her archival work for a teaching position, and the film concludes with Nick surprising Jessica by decorating her home, where they finally commit to a future together.