Page 53 of Christmas at the Movies

Present Day

The church bells rang out over the village square at eight o’clock. James had had enough. He could feel the muscle in his cheek twitching. He ducked under the yellow tape that had been erected to keep the onlookers off the set.

‘Hey,’ said an assistant in a hi-vis jacket. ‘Only cast and crew are allowed on set.’

Ignoring him, James marched over to Noa. ‘It’s eight o’clock. You need to wrap things up here. Our film festival screening begins at nine.’

‘We’re done when I say we’re done,’ said Noa, not looking away from the footage he was reviewing on a monitor. ‘I’m filming a major motion picture here, OK? People can watch an old movie any time.’

‘No,’ said James, fighting to keep his voice even. ‘I’m afraid that’s not OK. We had an agreement and you have violated it. You and your crew need to leave.’

He couldn’t stop Noa from luring his wife to Hollywood. It was no competition – hands down Noa could offer her more than James ever could. Nor could James stop the director from being mean to nice old ladies, or being a jerk to his cast and crew. But he could sure as heck kick him off his property.

‘I think you should show me a bit more gratitude, Jim.’ There was a warning in Noa’s voice, despite the phony smile on his face.

He gestured at the choir. ‘I let your wannabe daughter be in the film – but I can just as easily cut her out. I threw your wife a lifeline and rescued her failed career – but I can make sure she never works in this industry again.’ Noa took a step closer so he and James were practically nose to nose.

‘And I saved your pathetic little cinema from going bust. So I’ll keep filming here for as long as I damn please.

NOW GET OFF MY SET.’ The threat in the director’s voice was no longer veiled.

‘No,’ stated James calmly. He gestured at the crowd of spectators. ‘These people have come to see a movie and I’m not going to let them down.’

Noa laughed mirthlessly. ‘I have two Golden Globes. I’m not going to let a loser from a nothing little town tell me what to do.’

James stood his ground, ignoring Noa’s insult. He had something far more important than any award: friends.

‘He is not a loser,’ said Geraldine, coming out of the city followed by Sarah. ‘And this isn’t a nothing little town. It’s a community.’ She ripped the yellow tape down and marched forward onto the set.

‘Get off my set, you old bat!’ shouted Noa.

‘We don’t have Golden Globes, but we’re the Golden Oldies,’ said Roger, joining Geraldine in solidarity with James. ‘And we love the Picture Palace.’

Linking arms, Pam, Vi and Olwyn stepped forward as well.

‘Come on, everybody!’ shouted Geraldine, turning to the rest of the onlookers. ‘Are you going to let this Hollywood big shot push us around?’

‘Let’s go!’ said Nick, pulling the twins onto the set.

Iris and Sam downed their glasses of mulled wine and crossed the barrier too.

‘Get those idiots out of here!’ Noa shrieked at his crew.

‘That’s your audience,’ said James. ‘Or have you forgotten who you make movies for?’

‘I don’t make movies!’ said Noa. ‘I make ART.’

‘Well, you’re going to have to make art elsewhere,’ said James. Then he walked over to the generator and pulled out the plug. Suddenly, all the lights on the film set went out.

Noa let out a bellow of fury. ‘I’m going to kill you!’ He charged at James, his perfect white teeth bared in a furious grimace.

‘Dad!’ shouted Holly.

‘James!’ he heard Sarah cry.

Out of the corner of his eye, James could see his son running towards him. ‘No, Nick!’ he called out. He didn’t want his son to get hurt.

Noa drew back his arm to punch James, but before he could land a blow the director suddenly pitched forward and face-planted onto the pavement, right at James’s feet.

‘Oops,’ said Nick, holding up the end of the cable he’d just tripped Noa up with.

‘I told him those were a trip hazard,’ said James, winking at his son.

Noa staggered to his feet, blood streaming from his nose. One of his front teeth had chipped in the fall. His perfect smile was gone.

‘Get my car brought round!’ he screamed at Aaron.

‘Get it yourself,’ Aaron fired back. ‘Holly is no wannabe – she’s going to be a star.’

Noa sneered. ‘You ingrate. If you’d played your cards right, I might have hired you one day.’

‘I don’t want to work for you,’ said Aaron. ‘You’re a bully. I’m going to tell the whole world how badly you treat your cast and crew.’

‘You wouldn’t dare,’ said Noa, wiping blood off his face with the back of his hand. ‘I will destroy you.’

‘It would be worth it,’ replied Aaron, coming over to stand by James.

Mia Winslow stepped forward. ‘I’ll speak out too,’ she said. ‘I’ll tell people how you forced me to take my top off at my audition. And how you’ve been harassing me ever since we started filming all because I refused to sleep with you.’

Mateo went over to his co-star. ‘I’m sorry, Mia. I had no idea that was going on.’ He looked at the director with contempt. ‘People like you give this industry a bad name.’

‘Might I remind you that every single person on this set has signed an NDA,’ said Noa. ‘I have a team of lawyers on retainer and will sue anyone who speaks out.’

‘I didn’t sign anything,’ said Pam. ‘And silly old me – I seem to have been accidentally filming this the whole time.’ She held up her phone.

‘Now, as you saw earlier, I’m not very good with technology, but James is.

I’m sure he can show me how to send my little movie to journalists who might be interested in how you treat your cast and crew. ’

Noa went to grab the phone, but Pam’s friends formed a protective circle around her.

The director spun around to glare at his leading actors. ‘I’ll be in touch with your agents – don’t think you’re going to get away with this.’

‘Pari will look forward your call,’ said Mateo.

James knew Pari, more than most, would relish taking down a bully. She’d certainly encountered plenty of them during her comedy career.

‘Without me, there’s no movie,’ said Noa threateningly.

‘Don’t be so sure about that,’ called Kirsty from behind a camera. ‘I’m sure I can finish making Ex-mas Eve. I’ve been doing most of the hard work anyway.’

‘You can’t do this!’ howled Noa, as more blood trickled out of his nose. ‘I have an Oscar!’

‘Yes, that’s true,’ said James. ‘But it would appear that you no longer have a cast or crew.’

Looking increasingly desperate, Noa tried a different tack. ‘OK, I get it,’ he wheedled. ‘I know I’ve been tough on everyone. To show you what a good guy I am, I’ll give you all a Christmas bonus if you carry on working. Who’s with me?’ He looked around expectantly.

Nobody stepped forward.

Noa let out a scream of frustration. ‘You’re all making a huge mistake!’

Everyone cheered as he stormed off the set.

Holly ran over to Aaron. ‘That. Was. Epic.’

James smiled as his daughter threw her arms around Aaron’s neck and kissed him.

‘That’s a wrap, folks,’ called Kirsty as everyone cheered.

‘Come on inside.’ James beckoned everyone into the cinema. ‘It’s time for the movie.’

Laughing and talking, everyone with tickets for the screening started making their way into the cinema as the crew began packing up their equipment.

James started to follow the crowd inside, when someone tugged lightly on his arm.

‘Can we talk?’ Sarah asked him.

The cinema was packed with people, so James and Sarah went up to the projection room to get some privacy. There wasn’t much in the tiny room apart from the projector and the new sound system, which had been installed days before.

‘That was so brave of you,’ said Sarah.

‘You’re not upset about what I did?’ asked James.

‘Not at all.’ Sarah shook her head. ‘I only wish I had seen through Noa’s charm sooner and called out his bad behaviour myself. I let myself be swept away by the excitement of writing again.’

Sarah had met plenty of people like Noa at the Beeb, who abused their power just because they could. It was depressing that that sort of behaviour was still going on in the entertainment business.

‘I’m sorry it took me so long to notice how much you missed writing,’ said James. ‘I didn’t realise because I’ve been so wrapped up in the cinema. I didn’t want it to be a failure because you put all your faith in me. I was desperate for it to be a success.’

‘It is a success,’ insisted Sarah, taking his hand. ‘People love this place – you heard them tonight.’

James looked down at the audience filing into the auditorium. ‘Yes, but it hasn’t been worth it if it’s been making you unhappy.’

‘I was unhappy,’ admitted Sarah. ‘I’d been feeling lost, what with menopause and the kids growing up. I wasn’t sure of my place in the world any more, and felt my life and dreams slipping away from me. But one thing has never changed: I’ve never stopped loving you, James.’

‘I thought I’d lost you,’ said James. ‘I thought you were going to leave me and go live in LA with Noa in some massive mansion with a swimming pool and a private chef to make you both kale smoothies and quinoa salads on demand.’

‘You know I hate kale.’

James laughed. He stroked the back of Sarah’s hand with his thumb. ‘I would understand if you wanted to take the job, you know. He’s a jerk, but he can open doors for you.’

‘Are you kidding? I don’t want to work with Noa,’ said Sarah. ‘Even before tonight, I’d already decided that.’

She placed her hand tenderly on her husband’s cheek and stroked it. ‘I love writing movies – but I want to tell my own stories, not somebody else’s.’

‘That’s why I was considering selling the cinema,’ said James. ‘To make that possible. To free you – us – from the burden of running it.’

‘You’re not the only one who loves this place, James,’ said Sarah, the golden flecks in her eyes glittering with emotion. ‘Plumdale needs the Picture Palace, and so do we.’