LEGAL HOLIDAY (WGAw) (A Family Christmas Dramedy)

Log Line: Ahh, Christmas!... Not the most wonderful time of year for the Thurman family, ordered by the judge to celebrate the holiday together, forcing a resentful DAVID THURMAN to travel with MINDY his daughter to Boseman, Montana, to visit his two sons who are under the care of his unforgiving ex-wife SALLY THURMAN.

SYNOPSIS:

SHORT SYNOPSIS Complying with the judge’s orders, DAVID THURMAN (42) and his daughter, MINDY (19) travel to Bozeman, Montana to visit his two sons that live with his ex-wife SALLY (39) for Christmas. He receives a cold welcome from Sally, who is zealously pursuing a lifestyle that she believes is superior to that of her former husband. Sally, nursing a bitter and unforgiving spirit, is under a lot of stress as she tries to cope with managing two rambunctious boys, CHAD (15) and BILLY (10), a new job and a cantankerous housekeeper, MABEL FLETCHER (mid- 40s). To top things off, her boss is beginning to express his personal interest in her. Mindy is intently focused on videoing everything that goes on at the family reunion to become a documentary (Titled: “A Court Ordered Holiday”) for her course at UCLA. She is immediately smitten with DAVID FLETCHER (20), the good looking younger son of Mabel. Sally takes the boys on an errand to buy additional decorations for the Christmas tree. It turns out that it’s a cover for her to locate and hire a vagrant to be her “guest” for Christmas Eve dinner… her way of proving her superiority by being more giving than David. David, still in love with Sally, tries to maneuver the conversation towards the intimate and personal things between them, but he is rebuffed. Sally doesn’t allow him to see how much she is affected. On Christmas Eve, the dysfunctional family gathers with HARRY, the vagrant, for dinner that gets interrupted by a gust of wind knocking out the electricity. In the midst of the confusion, Harry takes a secretive call on his cell, where he reveals his plan to steal from the family. Later, gifts are presented with the “hit” of the occasion being a 22 rifle that David has bought for Billy, which upsets Mindy and shocks and angers Sally. A knock at the door results in chaos when Mindy’s boyfriend of the month, a grungy hippie named CHANCE enters to collect Mindy to go with him to Vegas. When TULIP, a loud mouthed female counterpart, joins him, Mindy realizes that Chance isn’t for her and resists his advances. David’s actions and words convinces him he’d better back off. Before dawn on Christmas, Harry, loaded with loot, attempts to sneak out. He is surprised by Chad, and then Billy, who aims the 22 rifle at him. A struggle ensues. The rifle discharges, shattering a large, weird looking, goddess/Buddha lamp sitting on the mantle. Harry escapes and gets in the waiting van. Thinking his partner is sleeping it off in the back, he takes command, driving away only to get the surprise of his life when Chance sticks his face next to his. Shocked, he drives off the road and crashes. Early in the morning Mabel and Terrence arrive to find the family being interviewed by the police. They start to clean things up. Sally spies a letter resting amidst the remains of the wooden base of the lamp. It proves to be a letter from her father telling about his belief that David is the right man for her and that he has always loved her. She is overwhelmed when, upon further reading, she finds that the weird lamp was his attempt to model her figure when she was pregnant with Billy. Already contrite over her stupid mistake with Harry, her stubborn heart breaks. David is quick to forgive and be forgiven. The spirit of Christmas prevails and the family is reunited.