Childhood friends, a waitress/writer in a historic hotel, and a bookworm history professor can’t reconnect over the Christmas holidays without a little help from Mark Twain’s ghost in Virginia City, Nevada.

SYNOPSIS:

BECCA (28), a waitress/writer at a struggling historic hotel in Virginia City, Nevada, and TOM (28), a history professor in Reno, were childhood friends who played along the Truckee River like a couple of Mark Twain’s characters until Becca moved away at age eight. Becca invites Tom to the hotel for Christmastime dinner party where, unbeknownst to Tom, the handsome-hunk hotel owner, HANK (30s), will propose to her. Becca hopes to console her Best Friend Forever, Tom, before the party. Several obstacles stand in their way, one of which is the GHOST of Mark Twain (70s), who can’t be seen or heard, but who makes insightful observations about human nature for the audience.

A storm hits trapping them all in the hotel and saloon, and the prospect of millions changes people. Enter JIMMY (20s), a heavily tattooed ex-con and busboy who takes over catering the engagement dinner when the chef can’t make it. Hank has gold fever and big city dreams with Christie now making a play on him. Becca is happy with her life in the historic mining town and sees Tom as a satisfied professor with doting students in Reno, and Jimmy plots to steal the stock certificate. Hank’s impulsive announcement to marry Becca on the local tourist train the next day surprises everyone.

The engagement dinner is a disaster, where Hank is too distracted to propose. The sleeping arrangements lead to a French farse with women visiting men and vice versa in the hotel rooms, kitchen, and saloon. Hank secretly hooks up with Christie, Millie hooks up with Jimmy, and Becca and Tom end up sleeping alone.

In a twist, Becca vows to be the hero in her own life story. The showdown takes place on the train with everyone, including a Justice of the Peace, onboard. Christie is notified that the stock certificate is worthless, and Becca writes her own beautiful story ending. Hank and Christie are exposed as lovers, Becca thwarts Jimmy’s train robbery, and Becca and Tom profess their love before Mark Twain’s ghost, as it was meant to be.

THE CHRISTMAS TWAIN