Hallmark Holiday Movies Recap: Christmas at the Plaza

Thanksgiving saw another Hallmark Holiday Movie premiere, Christmas at the Plaza, starring Elizabeth Henstridge (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Ryan Peavey (Unleashing Mr. Darcy) in a story about the importance of history as it relates to both the past and the future.

Jessica (Henstridge), working as an archival historian, is tasked with a project at the famed Plaza Hotel to show off the history of Christmas there. Finding the archives in disarray, Jessica nearly leaves the project because of the overwhelming amount of work it takes to find what she needs. She’s also annoyed by a Christmas decorator, Nick (Peavey), who seems put off by their rough first meeting just before Jessica accepted the project.

After help from Reginald (Bruce Davison), the head Bellman, Jessica discovers that each year the hotel has a different tree topper, except for one year.

Jessica’s boyfriend, fellow professor Dennis Park, has plans for what their lives will be like after inviting her to his home for Christmas, and he seems less than interested in her work. At a Christmas party for the school, others seem equally disinterested in what Jessica’s work means in the larger historical timeline.

After leaving Dennis to his party, Jessica returns to the Plaza, where she bumps into Nick. They have a good conversation about the value of Christmases Past and those memories that Jessica is bringing back to life with her work. As the past is more and more important to families around the world, Jessica is doing wonderful work that not enough people give her credit for.

The mystery of the missing tree topper is a larger issue once the rest of the installation is nearly set. Amanda Clark, who hired Jessica, now wants to know all about this one lone gap. Jessica finds the receipt for that topper and enlists Nick to help find out what happened that year. A trip to the store where the tree topper was purchased reveals that Reginald, the Bellman, was the designer in 1969, but he won’t reveal the design of anything about that year.

Meanwhile, Dennis invites Jessica to dinner with the intention of asking her to be his research assistant so she can leave the Plaza project behind. It’s not the grand gesture that she imagined, and she leaves feeling unhappy.

Nick then takes her to his house for a family tradition of wrapping presents with ugly sweaters and karaoke. As it becomes clear that Jessica and Nick are falling for each other, everyone’s keen to point out that Jessica might not be with the right guy. She’s avoiding Dennis more and more and looking less enthused by the idea of Christmas with his family.

Back at the hotel, Jessica and Nick share a dance and A Moment before Jessica runs away, maybe ashamed of what she’s doing with Nick. Reginald sees it all happen and then goes back to his family’s store to finish the topper from 1969 that was never on the tree.

Just before the display at the Plaza is set to go live, Jessica finally breaks up with Dennis because he wasn’t the one who wanted her to meet his family. She goes back to the Plaza to see the line for her display and Reginald has that tree topper waiting for Jessica. Reginald finally tells Jessica why he never finished the topper until then: he was prevented from marrying the girl he loved because her family didn’t think he could support her. He then shares that he finished it because of the love she and Nick are developing.

Just as Jessica is ready to tell Nick that she’s developed feelings for him, Nick’s ex, Alicia, shows up to complicate matters. Jessica sees them together, misunderstands what’s happening, and leaves before she can see Nick reject Alicia.

Jessica’s speech at the exhibit opening is very moving, as is Reginald’s old flame coming to see what could have been hers. Nick and Jessica share one final moment where they reveal that neither is in a relationship. They each think taking it slow will be wise, leaving Jessica frustrated.

Nick left one final touch for Jessica – a fully decorated home – and she meets him at the Plaza for drinks and a dance and the promise of so much more.

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