The Christmas Listing 2020

Melody Parris is a 35-year-old skilled perfume clerk living a somewhat flavorless life in Seattle, stuck in a cycle of a pompous, pushy boyfriend named George and an overbearing mother who is right next door and obsessed with her getting married. Her days drift by in a soft grey routine, until a small spark of possibility begins to flicker. On a bus ride home, her best friend Naomi nudges her to compose a Christmas list, not for practicality but for selfish fun, a reminder that she deserves a touch of whimsy. The moment feels innocent at first, but life soon tosses in a handful of unraveling surprises: a late-night call from George, who is already on a flight home from a business trip, and a quiet discussion with her mother about trying a Dickens-Style Christmas, a notion her mother initially resists.

Melody’s work life offers its own tensions. She is passed over for a promotion to lead the perfume department in favor of a younger, less experienced colleague named April May, whose primary aim seems to be selling rather than serving. The sting of the setback nudges Melody to focus more intently on finishing her Christmas list, a list that feels like a private map to happiness she has denied herself for too long. When she finally brings the list to work, Naomi helps tuck it into Santa’s Mailbox in the department store, adding a dash of playful mischief to what could otherwise be a dreary routine. This moment becomes a catalyst, because soon a chain of chance encounters alters the course of Melody’s year.

Enter Danny Skylar, a hopeful and earnest young man who wants a perfume that captures the scent of his late mother. He cannot pay the full price, so Melody lends him the money, and in return he suggests that their names be placed on the entry form for a store sweepstakes to win a new Ford Mustang convertible. What begins as a small act of generosity grows into something more complicated when Danny drags his father, Dr. David Skylar, to the drawing. The family’s luck shifts in an unexpected direction: Melody and Danny win the Mustang. Yet, because store policy forbids employees from entering drawings, Danny explains the mix-up to the organizers, and a compromise is struck—Melody will loan the car to the Skylars until the father can drive it himself. This simple gesture tangles Melody’s fate with the Skylar family in a way she could not have imagined, and she finds herself increasingly drawn to Dr. Skylar, a man with a calm, steady presence who seems to understand her longing for real connection.

That same night brings a magical, almost surreal moment: a tree mysteriously appears in Melody’s apartment, and her mother undergoes a subtle transformation, becoming warmer and more nurturing, as if the Dickens-style Christmas has already begun to work its quiet magic on the family. The holiday spirit begins to knit them closer, and Melody’s door opens to new possibilities. For a moment, the old life—George’s clumsy expectations and the pressure to meet her mother’s standards—feels distant and less pressing. The pairings and alliances start to shift as Melody’s heart recruits new allies: the Skylar family, particularly Dr. Skylar, and the possibility of sharing not just a car but a future.

A chance lunch with Danny’s father changes the rhythm of Melody’s days. George appears, inviting himself into the meal, and a humorous but telling clash unfolds when Melody and George get into a heated conversation that ends with her pouring creme brulee onto George’s lap. The moment marks a turning point: the façade of harmony with George dissolves, and Melody is forced to reckon with what she truly wants. Meanwhile, a woman named Faith, who is dating Dr. Skylar, attempts to eliminate any competition by devising a fake engagement to him—buying a fake ring and bragging about it to Melody. The deception adds tension, but it also clarifies Melody’s feelings about what she values most.

In a decisive turn, Melody chooses to relinquish the Mustang to the Skylars, hoping to protect the fragile bond she is forming with them. When Faith’s treachery becomes evident, Dr. Skylar ends their relationship, and a crucial moment arrives: he and Danny travel to Melody’s apartment building, where David proposes to Melody. The sincerity of his offer and the warmth of a genuine future push Melody to accept, and Danny’s blessing only deepens the sense that something meaningful is finally taking root. The proposal signals a new family dynamic taking shape, one that includes Melody, Dr. Skylar, and Danny—and perhaps a future child as well.

As the story unfolds, Melody continues to check items off her list, not merely to satisfy a whim but to fill in the emotional gaps that have long haunted her. She discovers that the things she thought would bring happiness—fuzzier slippers, a grand Dickens-style celebration, and material rewards—do not automatically heal the loneliness she has carried. The list becomes a mirror, reflecting a truth she begins to accept: what you want is not always what you need. Yet the journey is not about renouncing desire; it’s about realigning it with what truly matters—family, connection, and a sense of belonging.

By the end, Melody’s life has expanded beyond her earlier constraints. She embraces a life with David and Danny, and the story hints at the joy of an expanding family, with the possibility of a new baby joining their circle. The Dickens-style Christmas, once a distant dream, has become a living tradition that stitches the family together in warmth and shared purpose. The film lingers on the idea that happiness can be found not in perfect moments or flawless plans, but in the messy, affectionate realities of choosing to grow, to forgive, and to open one’s heart to new beginnings. Through Melody’s journey, the movie invites viewers to consider how small acts of kindness—like loaning money, sharing a car, or simply choosing to be present—can cascade into a richer, more connected life.

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Note: In this summary, the character Donna Erickson is referenced with a link to her actor page. If you’d like me to add more actor-linked names from the cast, I can weave them in a few spots where those characters appear on screen.