The Christmas List 1997

Melody Parris [Mimi Rogers] is a 35-year-old skilled perfume [perfumer] in Seattle who finds her life increasingly flavorless. Her days are shaped by a pompous, pushy boyfriend named George [Jano Fransen] and an overbearing neighbor mother who lives just next door, relentlessly pushing the idea that Melody should be married. The routine feels stifling, and Melody longs for something more meaningful to happen in her life.

On a particularly ordinary bus ride, Melody’s best friend Naomi [Enuka Okuma] urges her to draft a Christmas list for selfish fun. She starts the list, but the call from George, who is returning home from a business trip, interrupts the moment and nudges the day into a new direction. That evening, Melody discusses with her mother the idea of celebrating Christmas Dickens-style, though her mother hesitates, unsettled by the changes it would bring. The gossiping buzz around Amber Mottola, a supermodel neighbor daughter, and complaints about Melody’s unmarried status fuel a sense of pressure, and Melody’s longing to please her family grows more complex as she feels a tug between tradition and her own happiness.

Back at work, Melody faces disappointment when a promotion to head of the perfume department goes to a younger, less experienced coworker, April May [Madison Graie], who seems more focused on selling than serving. Frustrated but determined, Melody resolves to complete her Christmas list, and Naomi helps by placing it inside Santa’s Mailbox at the department store. This decision leads to a life-changing encounter: Danny Skylar [Bill Switzer], a boy who wants a scent reminiscent of his late mother, borrows Melody’s generosity by asking for help. When he cannot pay the full price, Melody loans him the remaining amount, and in return he helps her enter a sweepstakes for a brand-new Ford Mustang convertible by putting both of their names on the entry form.

Danny drags his father to the drawing, and the moment they discover they’ve won, Melody finds herself in trouble because store policy forbids employees from entering drawings. Danny explains the mix-up and promises to make sure Melody can enjoy the prize until he learns to drive. This twist of luck ignites a surprising attraction: Melody begins to feel drawn to Dr. David Skyler (the father of Danny), who is a doctor by trade and becomes a source of warmth and possibility outside the life she’s known. To complicate matters, the Mustang becomes a shared gift that allows Melody and the Skyler family to form a tentative bond.

That same night, a mysterious Christmas tree appears in Melody’s apartment, and her mother undergoes a subtle transformation, becoming more maternal and uplifting, suggesting a family-wide shift toward embracing joy and pride. As Danny visits to make another payment toward the perfume, he invites Melody to lunch, though George accompanies them and the tension between Melody and her boyfriend quickly escalates. A woman named Faith [Marla Maples], who is dating Dr. Skyler, schemes to remove any competition by faking an engagement to him—buying a fake ring and bragging to Melody about the upcoming marriage. Upset, Melody decides to return the car to the Skylars so they can enjoy the gift, a move that shocks George and unsettles the social dynamics around her.

George’s clumsy proposal is met with a cool rejection from Melody, and her mother’s reaction is revealing: the tree in the apartment and her renewed warmth are signs that she truly wants her daughter to be proud and happy. David finds out about Faith’s deceit and ends the relationship with her, while he and Danny race to Melody’s building, where David finally proposes. Melody accepts, much to Danny’s delight, and the two men share a relieved, approving smile as Melody considers the future with them.

As the story unfolds, Melody begins to accumulate more of the things on her list—soft slippers, a warm home, and the sense that her family could celebrate Christmas Dickens-style together. Yet the narrative makes clear that pursuing every wish doesn’t always yield what one truly needs. With the list gradually fulfilled, Melody discovers that fulfillment comes not from simply having more, but from weaving a new life around love, connection, and shared moments. The final chapters hint at a hopeful future where Melody, David [Dr. Skylar], and Danny form a close, blended family, and where the pursuit of happiness takes on richer, more meaningful dimensions than a single wish could ever express.