The Holiday Sitter

The film opens with Sam Dalton, a high-net-worth business manager in the city, on a lackluster date with a doctor. Sam is a self-proclaimed workaholic who avoids children and is planning a solo Christmas getaway to Hawaii to escape the holidays. Meanwhile, his sister Kathleen and her husband Nate receive a call that their birth mother is in labor two weeks early. With their parents out of the country and no other options, Kathleen 'calls in the Calvin Card'—a 22-year-old favor—to guilt Sam into coming to the suburbs of Brayden to watch their children, Miles and Dania. Upon arrival, Sam is immediately overwhelmed by the suburban aesthetic and a barking dog. He meets Jason DeVito, the neighbor and contractor who was temporarily watching the kids. Jason is the youngest of seven and deeply family-oriented, currently saving up for a retainer fee to start his own adoption process as a single father. Recognizing his own incompetence with children, Sam hires Jason as an 'uncle consultant' to help him follow Kathleen’s rigid schedule. The two bond over various suburban challenges, including making vegan pancakes and navigating a neighborhood 'lights walk.' A subplot involves Miles, who is nervous about auditioning for the lead role in the local Christmas play to impress Jason's niece, Arabella. Sam uses his own college speech training to help Miles find his confidence, while Jason helps Dania connect with her new role as a big sister. As the week progresses, the 'transactional' relationship between Sam and Jason turns romantic, though Jason remains wary of Sam’s tendency to 'run' from commitment. When Kathleen and Nate return on Christmas Eve with the new baby, Angelica Samantha, Sam prepares to leave for his delayed Hawaii flight. However, after a heart-to-heart with his sister and a realization that he loves the 'bubble' of family life he created with Jason, Sam cancels his trip. He finds Jason at his home and confesses his feelings, admitting that while he can't guarantee 'forever,' he wants to stop running. The film concludes with the two men kissing under the mistletoe and joining the DeVito family for Christmas brunch.