Plot Surviving Christmas

drew latham wealthy advertising executive. before christmas, surprises girlfriend missy first class tickets fiji. horrified want spend christmas away family. citing fact drew has never introduced family, concludes never serious relationship , dumps him. drew has assistant send cartier bracelet apologize. desperate not spend christmas alone, drew calls of contacts find place stay on christmas, not close enough invited.

he tracks down missy s therapist, dr. freeman, @ airport, hoping squeeze in therapy session. hurried doctor tells him list of grievances , burn them @ childhood home. house occupied valcos, wonder drew doing on front lawn. when sets grievances on fire, tom valco sneaks behind him , knocks him out shovel. after comes to, drew explains doing , asks tour of house. thrilled see old room, drew impetuously offers tom $250,000 let him spend christmas valcos. tom accepts, , drew s lawyer draws contract requires valcos pose family.

the next day, drew forces family go out , buy tree together, requiring tom wear santa cap in public. while trimming tree, eldest child alicia arrives holidays , stunned drew s presence. suggests portray maid, since unexpected addition scenario. @ dinner, drew writes script family read @ table. hires local actor play part of grandfather, whom calls doo-dah.

drew takes alicia , brother brian sledding next day. after crashing @ bottom of hill, moves kiss alicia, sneezes instead. recovering home growing colds, alicia shares childhood memory drew old tree coated in ice during storm. tom asks drew leave because planning on divorcing wife christine. instead, drew encourages couple indulge themselves. tom buys chevelle ss, had when in high school, , christine goes photographer glamour shots.

one evening, drew takes alicia old tree of childhood, has had covered in ice again. touched gesture, drew overdoes it, bringing in full pageant production surround tree. disgusted lack of restraint, alicia demands leave. meanwhile, missy won on bracelet, , when drew s assistant informed spending christmas family, missy visits valcos house parents. drew promises valcos $75,000 if play along evening, , agree pretend family.

the visit between 2 families steadily descends chaos, culminating seeing christine s glamour shots manipulated pornography on brian s computer. missy s parents storm out, , drew informs relationship over. alicia draws out of drew truth family. father left them when four, , every christmas, mother work double shift @ diner make money. spend christmas day alone , visit mom @ end of night, , give him adult stack of pancakes. repeated ritual every year until 18, , has never been in diner since. mother died when in college.

drew returns apartment spend christmas alone. tom visits him collect money, , 2 decide go watch actor played doo-dah perform in local production of christmas carol. @ play, tom , christine decide not divorce. drew , alicia make outside theater, , film closes eating in diner drew s mother worked.