Making Spirits Bright

The film opens with Grace Ryan, a talented home stager in Richmond, whose business 'Upstaged' is on the verge of landing a reality TV show. Returning home to Ashland Falls for the holidays, she accidentally drives into a ditch and is rescued by Tony Scotto, a childhood friend and the son of her father's bitter rival. Their fathers, Bill Ryan and Frank Scotto, were once best friends and partners in a decorating business called 'Making Spirits Bright' until a falling out twenty years prior led them to form competing companies: 'Deck the Halls' and 'Good Tidings.' Both families enter the 'Bright Nights' competition, which features a $50,000 prize and a prestigious municipal contract. They face a formidable opponent in Wade Edwards, the owner of 'Glowscapes,' a high-tech decorating firm that uses modern LED synchronization and aggressive marketing. As Grace and Tony spend time together, they discover that their mothers, Arlene and Carla, have been secret friends for years, even taking vacations together behind their husbands' backs. Tony, an MBA graduate struggling with his own career setbacks, helps Grace analyze her father's failing furniture store finances, suggesting a shift toward furniture refurbishing. Realizing that neither family can beat Glowscapes alone, Grace and Tony orchestrate a plan to have the families collaborate. After a heated confrontation where the fathers air their grievances—Bill's focus on profit versus Frank's obsessive perfectionism—they agree to a temporary truce. They combine their teams to create a 'Ceppo,' a traditional Italian 'Tree of Light.' Disaster strikes when Frank is injured in a fall and a technical glitch threatens the display's power right before the judging. However, the families work in harmony to fix the issues. The display is a triumph, winning them the competition and the grand prize. The film concludes with Bill and Frank officially reconciling, Grace and Tony beginning a romantic relationship, and Grace's home-staging TV show premiering with a special episode featuring the families' joint work.