Christmas List

The film opens with a flashback to young Isobel, whose mother enforces a sterile, 'neat and clean' Christmas with an artificial tree and no mess. This childhood restriction inspires Isobel to create a 'Christmas Bucket List' of all the messy, traditional experiences she missed. In the present, Isobel is a successful VP of Design in San Diego, dating her boss, Brett Bishop. She convinces Brett to spend Christmas in the picturesque town of Fall River, but at the last minute, Brett is called away to a factory emergency in Rio, leaving Isobel to travel alone. Upon arrival, Isobel immediately clashes with Jamie Haughton, a local contractor, over the last 'perfect' tree at a lot. Jamie eventually yields the tree but challenges Isobel’s rigid adherence to her list. Their paths cross again when Isobel accidentally starts a kitchen fire while trying to bake gingerbread, and Jamie arrives as part of the volunteer fire brigade. Jamie begins helping Isobel check items off her list, including a gingerbread contest where she hilariously places seventh out of seven contestants. Isobel's mother, Ellen, arrives unexpectedly, revealing that Isobel’s perfectionism was a defense mechanism learned from her mother’s own marital unhappiness. Isobel begins to loosen up, participating in a local production of The Nutcracker and going tubing with Jamie, which leads to a brief, confusing kiss. When Brett finally arrives, he is dismissive of the town, mocks Isobel's list, and prioritizes business calls over holiday traditions. During an ice-skating outing, the contrast between Brett’s arrogance and Jamie’s genuine kindness becomes undeniable. Realizing that Brett does not share her values or respect her personal growth, Isobel breaks up with him and decides to stay in Fall River. On Christmas Eve, she finds Jamie at a caroling event and reveals the final item on her list—a 'secret wish' to kiss the man she loves under the mistletoe—leading to their romantic union and Isobel's decision to start her own boutique in the small town.