Mystic Christmas

The film begins with Juniper Jones giving a lecture in Amsterdam about the importance of not getting emotionally attached to the animals she rehabilitates, reflecting her own nomadic lifestyle. Her best friend Candace, who runs the Mystic Aquarium, calls her with a plea for help: a harbor seal named Peppermint is refusing to eat, and the center's head of rescue has just quit. Juniper agrees to come but insists she must leave for a gig in South Africa immediately after Christmas. Upon arrival, she has an awkward reunion with Sawyer, Candace's brother. Ten years ago, they had a magical weekend at Candace's wedding, but Juniper believed Sawyer never replied to her follow-up email, while Sawyer believed she ghosted him. It is later revealed that Juniper's email was 'celestially' over-the-top and Sawyer's reply was stuck in his drafts. Juniper takes charge of three interns—Peter, Eric, and Theresa—and implements a foraging program for Peppermint. Despite her introverted nature, she begins to integrate into the Mystic community, participating in a Boat Parade and a 'Lantern Tour.' Sawyer, known as the town's 'sugarplum' because he does favors for everyone, struggles with his own stagnation; he hasn't traveled or finished a book in years because he is too busy being helpful. The romantic tension between Juniper and Sawyer builds during a 'questions game' over pizza, but they clash over their lifestyles. Sawyer views Juniper's constant traveling as a fear of attachment, while Juniper views Sawyer's refusal to leave Mystic as a fear of finding out he isn't needed. The plot reaches a crisis when Peppermint develops a mysterious fever. Juniper stays at the aquarium for 48 hours straight, canceling a date with Sawyer. A miscommunication involving a 'thumbs-up emoji' leads to a heated argument where Candace labels them both 'cowardly little mollusks' for avoiding confrontation. Juniper eventually discovers Peppermint has a deep ear infection after a frantic trip for a CT scan. The seal is successfully treated and released back into the wild. Inspired by Juniper, Candace's shy daughter Louisa performs a poem at the Christmas Eve party. Juniper realizes she wants to stay in Mystic and accepts the permanent Chief Veterinarian position, while Sawyer finally decides to trust his staff to run his restaurant so he can travel the world. The film ends one year later with Sawyer returning from his travels to reunite with Juniper in Mystic, both having found a balance between adventure and home.