Operation Nutcracker

The film begins with Lottie Morgan, a detail-oriented event planner for Lexington Events, being tasked by her boss Hilary to pitch for the Warby family's annual Christmas charity auction in Boston. On her flight home, she meets Tristan Warby, a charming world traveler who gives up his overbooked seat for a stranger. After a brief 'meet-cute' involving a luggage mix-up at the airport, Lottie arrives at her father's diner, only to realize she and Tristan have swapped bags again. During her pitch to the notoriously particular Erica Warby, Lottie uses a suggestion Tristan gave her on the plane—focusing on the heart of 'The Nutcracker' ballet. Erica is impressed and hires her, but Lottie is mortified to discover Tristan is Erica's son. The situation turns dire when Tristan opens the bag he thought was Lottie's, only to find it belongs to a third person: a man named Dave. Tristan's bag contained a priceless Tchaikovsky nutcracker intended to be the auction's centerpiece. Fearing Erica's reaction, Tristan and Lottie decide to find the bag themselves, naming the mission 'Operation Nutcracker.' Using clues from Dave's suitcase—including a business agenda and a limited-edition ballerina doll—they track his likely movements to a Christmas market, a bakery, and a tree lot. Along the way, Lottie struggles with her workaholic father, Jerry, who spends all his time at his 24-hour diner. Tristan and Lottie grow closer, with Tristan encouraging her to trust in fate while Lottie provides the logistical expertise to keep the search moving. They eventually create a decoy nutcracker to appease Erica, but Tristan's sister, Julia, catches them in the lie. The conflict peaks when Erica discovers the truth and fires Lottie for her lack of transparency. Heartbroken, Lottie reconciles with her father, who encourages her to finish what she started. Lottie eventually tracks Dave to the Massachusetts Pediatric Hospital, where his daughter Joey is a patient. Dave returns the nutcracker, and Lottie arranges for Joey to perform at the gala. The event is a massive success, raising record funds for the hospital. Erica rehired Lottie to lead the new Boston branch of Lexington Events, and Lottie and Tristan finally share a dance, acknowledging that their meeting was indeed fated.