Page 35 of Christmas at the Movies

Present Day

Sitting in the cinema’s office, James looked at the list of films in his hand. Like Santa Claus, he’d made his list and was checking it twice.

It’s a Wonderful Life

The Holiday

Love, Actually

The Polar Express

Home Alone

Catch Me If You Can

Elf

Little Women

Tokyo Godfathers

An Affair to Remember

While You Were Sleeping

It wasn’t just a list of this year’s Twelve Films of Christmas, it was a love letter to his wife.

James had selected each movie to remind Sarah of a special moment in their lives.

They’d been together for so long that it had been difficult to whittle it down to just twelve movies, but he wanted Sarah to remember all the wonderful times that they had shared together.

Tonight’s movie was Love, Actually.

James hadn’t picked it because Sarah loved Richard Curtis romcoms. At least, not just because of that. They’d watched the movie together the night of his father’s funeral.

He remembered the psalm that had been read on that bittersweet day: ‘Sorrow and suffering will pass, but joy continues in spite of hardship.’

It had proven to be true. He and Sarah had had their share of difficult times, too, like any long-term relationship. But they’d got through them together, snatching moments of joy and laughter wherever they could.

A knock on the office door summoned James back to the present.

‘Hey, Dad,’ said Nick. He was still wearing his school uniform.

‘Good day at school?’ asked James.

Nick shrugged. ‘It was OK.’

James was happy to hear it. OK was progress – a few weeks ago the answer had consistently been ‘bad’ – and sometimes ‘terrible’.

Nick picked up the list of movies from the desk. ‘Are these the Twelve Films of Christmas?’

‘Yes,’ said James, taking the list back and sticking it in his pocket. ‘But you weren’t supposed to see that. They’re supposed to be a surprise. Promise you won’t tell anyone – especially Mum.’

‘I won’t. But can you tell me what day you’re showing Tokyo Godfathers.’

Tokyo Godfathers was a heart-warming anime movie about three homeless people in Tokyo who find a baby in the snow at Christmas.

James checked his calendar. ‘The sixteenth of December. Why?’

‘I might invite someone from school who likes anime.’ Nick was trying to play it cool, but James heard the undercurrent of excitement in his voice.

James grinned, thrilled that his son had made a friend. ‘That’s great, mate. What’s his name?’

‘Her name,’ said Nick. ‘Julia.’

James raised an eyebrow.

‘But I don’t know if I should invite her. She might not say yes.’

‘You’ll never know unless you ask her,’ said James.

‘But what if she says no?’ Nick pulled off his tie and shoved it into his schoolbag.

‘Then it’s her loss,’ replied James. ‘I remember how nervous I was before I asked your mother out – I thought she was way out of my league.’

‘Ew,’ said Nick. ‘I don’t want Julia to be my girlfriend. I just want her to be my friend.’

‘Same thing applies – if you want to get to know her better, you need to be brave and take a chance, even if it is a bit scary.’

‘Maybe I will.’ Settling down on the sofa, Nick took out a manga from his schoolbag and began to read.

James went into the auditorium and checked the wiring on the speakers.

‘Don’t die on me tonight,’ he bargained with the equipment. ‘Not with a full house.’

They had placed an order for a new sound system, using the first instalment of Sarah’s screenwriting fee as a down payment.

However, it was just a matter of time until something else went wrong.

The projector had been overheating with alarming regularity and those cost even more than sound systems. Sarah had been right – the cinema wasn’t sustainable. It was operating at a loss.

James looked around the crowded lobby, trying to spot his wife. The kids had both come straight from school, so Sarah could work in peace at home. Holly was chatting with Aaron behind the concession stand.

‘I dare you to sing tonight,’ James heard Aaron say.

‘No, I couldn’t,’ demurred Holly, giggling

He saw Geraldine, sitting with Pam, Vi, Olwyn and Roger, and went over to say hello.

‘What are you making?’ James asked Pam, who was knitting something with burgundy-coloured wool.

Pam held up her creation. ‘It’s a scarf for the refugee charity in Calais that Roger volunteers at.’

‘It gets very cold there in winter,’ explained Roger. ‘Most of the people there have risked their lives to try to get to safety, and they only have the clothes on their back.’

‘It’s a shame they’re not always welcome when they arrive,’ said Vi.

‘My parents were refugees,’ said Pam, returning to her knitting. ‘They fled Poland at the beginning of World War II.’

‘Omar sought asylum Paris in his twenties because it’s illegal to be gay in Morocco,’ explained Roger. ‘He hated leaving his family, but it wasn’t safe for him there.’

James knew how important the charity in Calais was to Roger.

They always supported it on Christmas Eve, the final night of the film festival, when they usually raised hundreds for the cause.

It had always seemed fitting. After all – Mary and Joseph were refugees, too, when they fled to Bethlehem to escape Herod.

‘I can’t knit,’ said Geraldine. ‘But maybe we could hold a coffee morning at Valley Vistas to support the charity?’

‘Oh, that’s a wonderful idea.’ Roger beamed gratefully.

James smiled to himself. His mother-in-law would be in her element, organising her new friends. He suddenly remembered why he’d come over in the first place.

‘Did Sarah drive you here?’ he asked his mother-in-law.

‘No, we all got a lift in the Valley Vistas minibus,’ said Geraldine.

James hoped Sarah hadn’t forgotten about the screening. His grand romantic gesture would be futile if she didn’t see all the movies.

Fortunately, just before the film started, Sarah hurried into the auditorium. ‘Sorry I’m late,’ she whispered, sitting down next to James in the seat he’d saved for her. ‘I was reworking a tricky scene.’

When Hugh Grant’s voiceover began over the opening scene of Love, Actually, Sarah gave a little squeal of delight. James smiled in the dark, gratified that he’d pleased her.

After the movie finished, people milled around the lobby drinking hot chocolate and chatting about the film and their plans for the holidays.

Aaron and Holly passed through the crowd, wearing Santa hats and holding charity donation buckets for tonight’s charity, which provided respite care to families with very sick children.

James spotted Ian talking animatedly to Hermione from the candle shop. He and Sarah went over to join them.

‘I know it’s a bit dated,’ Hermione was saying to Ian, ‘but I do love that movie. It’s so romantic. It almost made me believe in love again.’

‘It’s a bit silly, though,’ said Ian. ‘And are we supposed to believe that Italian gal falls in love with Colin Firth even though he can’t speak a word of Italian?’

‘Well …’ said Sarah and Hermione at the same time. And then they both burst out laughing.

‘I mean, it’s Colin Firth,’ said Sarah. ‘Mr Darcy himself.’

Ian caught James’ eye and they both shook their heads in despair as the wosmen giggled.

‘Anyway, did the movie help you find your Christmas spirit?’ Ian asked Hermione.

Hermione pursed her lips. ‘Well, I suppose I’m starting to feel a bit Christmassy …’

‘Let me get you a glass of mulled wine,’ said Ian. ‘That should do the trick.’

Putting his arm around her, Ian steered Hermione through the crowd over to the refreshment stand.

James nudged Sarah. ‘I think love might be in the air,’ he murmured.

Listening to Ian and Hermione talk about the movie reminded him of the first time he and Sarah had met.

Sparks had flown as they’d discussed the film they’d just seen.

By the end of that night, he’d been head over heels in love.

So maybe Love, Actually wasn’t so silly after all.

As he watched Ian hand Hermione a glass of mulled wine, James remembered that exhilarating first flush of love. The heady passion he and Sarah had felt back then. What they had now was a different sort of love – more worn in, like a comfortable pair of jeans.

A very frayed pair of jeans, with more than a few holes in the fabric.

Just then, Aaron whistled to get everyone’s attention. ‘Tonight we’re raising money for a really important cause. If everyone digs deep and donates as much as they can afford, Holly says she’ll sing for us.’

Holly blushed, but she looked pleased as people came forward to put money in her bucket.

‘Go, Holly!’ called Ian, raising his glass of mulled wine.

‘Holly! Holly!’ chanted the crowd.

Holly held up her hand for silence and a hush fell over the lobby. Taking a deep breath, she launched into a solo rendition of ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’, which had featured in the movie they’d just watched. As her powerful voice rang out across the lobby, James got goosebumps.

‘That’s our girl,’ Sarah whispered in James’s ear as Holly hit the final high notes.

‘Bravo!’ cried a man in a cashmere coat, clapping his hands. He took out his wallet and stuffed a wad of bills into the donation bucket.

‘Noa!’ exclaimed Sarah. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘I’m guessing this talented young lady is your daughter,’ said the director. He was accompanied by his assistant, a young woman with trendy retro-style glasses and a very short fringe.

‘Yes, that’s Holly,’ said Sarah. ‘And this is my husband.’

The director gave James a dazzlingly white smile. If he hadn’t opted for a life behind the camera, Noa Drakos could have easily worked in front of it – he was ridiculously handsome.

James extended his hand to the director. ‘Nice to meet you.’

‘Hi, Jim.’ Noa shook James’s hand with a firm grip. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’

Jim? Clearly Noa hadn’t heard that much about him. Nobody ever called him Jim.

‘Your wife is incredible,’ said Noa. His hand rested on Sarah’s back.

‘Yes, I know,’ replied James.

‘She’s been working miracles on my script.’