Reunited at Christmas

The film opens with Samantha Murphy, a rising author in New York City, being tasked by her publisher to write a heartfelt Christmas book. Samantha is hesitant because she hasn't felt the 'Christmas spirit' since her parents' divorce years ago. Her boyfriend, Simon, a television news reporter, suggests they spend Christmas in Aspen, but plans change when Samantha receives a letter from her late grandmother's lawyer. Nana has arranged for the family to spend one last Christmas together at her home in Cedar Ridge, providing a list of mandatory family traditions to complete. Samantha, Simon, her sister Annie, and her divorced parents, Bill and Claire, all converge on the old house. Early in the trip, Simon proposes to Samantha. Though she says yes, she immediately panics due to the trauma of a previous fiancé, Paul, who left her days before their wedding, and the cynical view of marriage she developed after her parents' split. She asks Simon for a 'long engagement' and they decide to keep the proposal a secret, but the family quickly finds out, forcing them into a 'fake engagement' charade where they pretend to be blissfully planning a wedding. As the family checks off Nana's list—including ice skating, making gingerbread, and taking a family photo with Santa—Bill and Claire begin to reconnect, realizing they drifted apart without a clear reason. Meanwhile, Simon covers a local news story about a couple who reunited after 40 years, which serves as a catalyst for Samantha to examine her own fears. The tension peaks at the Cedar Ridge Christmas Dance when the family's constant wedding talk causes Simon to realize Samantha is only going through the motions. Simon decides to leave for the city, telling Samantha she needs to 'write the ending' to her own story. After he departs, Samantha has a heart-to-heart with her mother, who explains that even though her marriage to Bill ended, the years they spent together were a beautiful and necessary part of their lives. Realizing she is letting fear dictate her future, Samantha chases Simon down and proposes to him for real. The family finds Nana's missing Christmas star, completes the list, and Bill decides not to sell the house, promising many more family Christmases to come.