Original subtitles

I can't bear

the thought of seeing her suffer as I have suffered these past few years.

Please tell her that I love her and that I'll pray I'll hold her again someday.

That will forever be my hope.

I love you...

I love you so much.

I want to be with you everywhere.

Something's happening, happening to me.

My friends say I'm acting peculiarly.

Come on, baby.

You better make a start.

You better make it soon before you break my heart.

I want to be with you everywhere, with you everywhere.

Can you hear me calling out your name?

You know that I'm falling and I don't know what to say.

Come on baby, we better make a start.

Better make it soon before you break my heart.

Oh, I want to be with you everywhere.

Oh, I want

to be with you everywhere.

Oh, I want

to be with you everywhere.

Now.

Debate but no?

Hope?

What are you doing?

You're not supposed to be here.

I'm okay.

I want to be here.

No, you don't.

Trust me, nobody wants to be here.

No, really.

One day home alone on the couch wasn't enough.

Oh, I'm so sorry, girl.

So, how's the dating?

Oh, pretty good.

I just matched with a guy that works at Ikea.

Is he cute?

Oh, no.

But I do need help putting together my new bookshelf, so... What does he want?

Tell him we had to adjust it to accommodate the new banner ads.

Welcome back.

What kind of graphics designer would do this?

Hope!

What's going on?

Um, they had to adjust the masthead to accommodate the new banner ads.

What?

Alright.

How's it going fact-checking that cryptocurrency fraud story?

Um, I'll get right on it this morning.

Oh, because you weren't here yesterday.

Sorry to hear about your mom.

Thank you.

Um, do you need more time off?

No.

Good.

Good, because we've got a lot of work to do.

I just scheduled a pitch meeting for tomorrow

to discuss story ideas for the Christmas season.

And I'd like you to be there.

Oh, I'd love to.

To serve peppermint hot chocolate, because I really

think that'll up the old Christmas quotient around here.

People will think I'm a swell guy.

Hot chocolate.

Um, should I get some whipped cream as well?

Excellent idea.

Uh... Oh, and book me a table at Farinelli's.

I want to take our precious writers out to lunch.

Okay.

I really wanted to make my mom proud.

Instead, I'm serving hot chocolate and making dinner reservations.

Where?

Farinelli's.

Oh, no.

I got food poisoning there once.

And I'm tired of waiting for him to see me as more than just his assistant.

I took this job because I want to be a journalist.

Mm.

I want to be at Farinelli's.

You want food poisoning?

Yes.

No.

You know what I mean.

You march into his office right now and you tell him what you told me.

You're right.

Mm-hmm.

Here I go.

Yeah.

I'm going.

You tell him, girl.

What?

He's at Farinelli's.

I'll tell him tomorrow.

Oh.

Your mom was already super proud of you.

Ooh, a match.

Hello?

Yeah, they make me write this list up.

I don't know why.

You're never going to see your stuff again.

I figured.

And, I mean, the door.

You got a single bolt lock on that.

No security system.

You couldn't have made it any easier for these guys if you tried.

Excuse me?

There's always an increase in break-ins this time of year.

I mean, it tends to bring out the worst in people.

And you cannot stay here tonight.

Where am I supposed to go?

I don't know.

Your parents?

Family?

I'm all alone.

Oh.

Okay.

Uh...

I'm sorry.

I just need a minute.

That's... yeah.

Someone left this at my door.

Did you see it when you came in?

Christmas jar.

We're looking for stuff that was stolen.

You know, maybe one of the neighbors dropped it.

I doubt it.

Well, I'll ask around.

What?

Don't just go knocking on people's doors

saying, hey, did you drop a jar full of cash?

Why not?

Why not?

Because the first person you ask is going to take

it from you before you even finish the sentence.

I think people are better than that.

I don't know what world you live in, but I can assure you they're not.

Thank you so much.

I know I don't pay you much, but please tell me you're not secretly living here.

Um, I was just getting caught up on some stuff.

Oh, well, that's the thing about working in the noose.

You can never get caught up.

It's always breaking.

And that's what I love about it.

Yeah.

Can you get me a coffee, please?

Sure.

Uh, can I talk to you first?

Yeah, weren't we just... talking?

Look, I've worked hard as your assistant.

And I've learned a lot.

Oh, you're not quitting on me, are you?

I don't have time to train someone new right now.

No.

No, I'm not quitting.

Okay.

No, I want to be considered for a writing assignment.

I've paid my dues, and I'm ready for the next step.

Oh, you have paid your dues, of course, because you are 22, and you've been here.

..

a year?

Almost.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, you were 21 when you had your first byline at the Boston Globe.

Oh.

Let me see what you did there.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Let's revisit this conversation in six months.

If you are still here then, I will give you a shot.

What if I'm not?

What if I've moved on to a competitor's website by then?

Oh.

Well, then I guess we'd just have to soldier on without you.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's what we'd do.

Yeah.

It is November 30th, people.

All right?

And I am going to be running two full weeks of

Christmas-themed content starting on the 10th.

I need to hear some solid pictures starting

now, and I'm going to go to my go-to garoring.

We've got the year's latest tech gifts and gadgets.

Next, a Christmas tipping guide.

Who in your life you should be tipping and how much?

Well, here's a tip.

No, but I do like the Elf ears.

Really?

Because I've got a whole bunch more at home.

Mostly Elven, but some Vulcan.

Yeah.

And I'll bring them to the Christmas party.

Okay.

That would be great.

How about an idea, though, in the meantime?

What have we got?

Chester, quit the drinking.

Get to thinking.

Rory, my golden girl.

There's a new diet.

The eggnog Christmas cleanse.

That's disgusting.

It's basically keto, and it's delicious.

It's basically boring.

We ran fad diets last year.

Stevie, top ten Christmas movies to watch with your family?

Uh, not bad.

That's not a great idea.

Morgana, I gave you those extra few seconds.

Lay it on me.

Nothing?

Well, then it's up to my girl, Rory.

Give me some.

Gift cards.

Good idea or lazy and impersonal?

Lazy and impersonal.

Guys, these are all derivative, boring, uninspiring clickbait.

All of these.

What I want and what I need are stories with

heart, with tradition, with Christmas spirit.

You know what?

Maybe it is time to give Hope a crack at this.

Me?

Yeah.

Do you have any stories, Hope?

Of course I do.

Tomorrow, we are all going to come back here with some fresh pictures.

And I am very much looking forward to hearing what you have, Hope.

Guys, gotta go.

Work on it.

Think, think, think.

So I saw this really cute guy this morning.

Speaking of cute guys...

Brandy.

I told you about my Christmas jar, right?

Uh-huh.

Well, I was doing a little research and I

discovered a message board of jar recipients.

These people wanted to thank whoever gave them the jar.

From all over the country?

No, everyone is local.

Yeah, they give away the jars anonymously in

December to someone going through a rough time.

Like you.

I know.

It's kind of amazing, right?

Wait, what?

Brandy, that's it.

That's my story.

There you go.

Yeah, it is.

So, one more time.

From the top.

Just the words Christmas jar written on the glass.

No other notes?

Nothing on the bag?

Nope.

And you didn't see anyone or hear anything?

Nothing.

Maybe it's a friend of your mom's.

Maybe.

Or someone who saw the police at your door and knew something bad was happening.

Uh, yeah, maybe.

How many other jars do you think are out there?

Well, I've only been able to track 12 stories so far.

Nine years ago was the earliest one I found, but

I have a feeling I'm only scratching the surface.

And do you think it's the same person giving out all these jars?

How is she supposed to know that?

Well, I think it must have been the same person at the

beginning, but this whole thing has totally snowballed.

And some people who found a jar have now been inspired to start jars of their own.

That's what I would do.

Me too.

Only I'd decorate mine with rhinestones over purple glitter.

Oh, come on, Rory.

It's supposed to be a Christmas jar.

So what?

So what you're describing is not traditional.

Uh, says the guy with the hairy hobbit feet slippers.

Hope.

Yes?

Where do you think this idea came from?

I don't know, but that's what I want to figure out and write about.

It's like there's a Christmas angel out there.

Still got a lot of holes.

Yeah.

But it is an intriguing story.

You got two weeks, kid.

Do not mess it up.

Yeah.

And still get me my coffee.

Thank you, Lau.

Yeah!

Good job.

Bravo!

Bravo.

So good.

Hi, this is Hope Jensen from CityBuzz.

Yeah, I saw your post about the Christmas jar you found in your mailbox.

And I was wondering if I could interview you.

Yeah, I was wondering if I could interview you

about the Christmas jar you found in your mailbox.

Hi, this is Hope Jensen from CityBuzz.

Yes.

I promise it'll take ten minutes.

Oh, sorry.

Can you hang on a second?

Hello.

But wouldn't it be nice to hear an uplifting story for a change?

I'll buy you lunch.

Did someone say lunch?

Or a pony.

Yeah.

Hello?

A pony?

I could be bribed with a pony.

Yeah.

The same people who posted their story online won't talk to me.

It seems like they'd rather keep the whole thing a mystery.

Keep your chin up.

You don't want one of those black turkey things?

Yeah.

It's called a waddle.

Actually, the correct term is a caruncle, also known as a dewlap or a snood.

Snood?

Hey, how was your date last night?

It was a no-show.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Oh, no, I backed out.

He texted me like five times yesterday.

I cannot deal with that level of crazy.

Hi.

What?

Nothing.

Just, hey, hi.

Yeah, you said that.

I...

I brought you a muffin.

I'm gluten-free.

Of course you are.

Uh, yeah, gluten's bad.

Okay, thanks.

Bye, Steve.

What about Steve?

A swipe left.

Oh.

Dear Hope, I got your email and would be happy

to do an interview about the Christmas jar.

There you go.

High five.

Hey.

Yeah.

Okay.

All right.

Your homework is due tomorrow.

You better be able to name all 96 countries.

Hi.

Hi.

Come on in.

Yeah.

Have a seat.

Here?

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you.

Oh, no phones in my classroom.

Mm-mm.

Okay.

So, no chewing gum.

You owe me that.

I do.

Sorry.

That's okay.

This time.

I'd love to think that whoever gave me my jar will

read your article and know how much it meant to me.

I'd like that too.

I was just a teacher's assistant back then, and

I had just said my goodbyes for the last time.

It's hard for children to understand budget cuts, but I did my best, as I always do.

I promised to put the tears on the inside as I packed up things into my bag.

Right.

But then my bag was really heavy, and that's when I found it.

Was there... Oh.

We put our hands up when we ask questions.

I'm just kidding.

Oh.

No, I'm not.

Yes, I am.

You know, I'm confused.

What's your question?

Was there a note with your jar?

Yeah, there was.

Yeah.

The note said, Merry Christmas.

You will be missed.

And then came the waterworks.

They were tears of gratitude.

You know, does that make sense?

Of course.

And the funny thing is, is that I wasn't really into Christmas before all of this.

And now?

And now I can't get enough of it!

.

These jars are proof that the magic of Christmas is real.

Oh, and I started my own Christmas jars.

But I already gave that Christmas jar away last week.

So this one is for next year.

Wow.

Here, I'd love to.

For your jar.

It's contagious, you know.

Say what is?

Kindness.

.

I know I have this amazing story on my hands, but I still don't know who's behind it.

What if they don't want their story told?

That's her job, Cynthia.

You said yourself this tradition has been going off for years.

If they wanted to, don't you think they would have come for it by now?

Well, maybe nobody ever asked.

And that's what she's doing.

Not everyone wants credit for their good deeds.

Hope, I'm dying to know who's behind this.

Yeah, so am I.

And this is the opportunity I've been searching for.

If I can't deliver, it's back to coffee girl land.

Look, I know that this is your big rake.

I just don't agree with the approach.

She's an undercover reporter trying to crack a story with a positive spin.

This is a win.

Hope, honey, you're gonna knock this right out the park.

So, um, where's the red string?

I was fresh out.

None of these people know each other.

Right.

What do the numbers next to their names mean?

Well, recipient one refers to the guy who found the first jar that I'm aware of.

All the way down to me.

Number 51.

Who's this guy?

I'd like to interview him, you know what I mean?

Number seven, come on down.

Brandy, focus.

Oh, yeah.

Okay, numbers 23 through 51 have all been in the last four years, indicating there's

likely more than one person responsible for the gifts.

I thought if I laid it out like this, it would start to make more sense and see

clues or patterns, but it's still not any clearer.

Look how you're all the way out on the outskirts.

Here.

Where do you come from?

The last 30 jars are all in rural areas, but

jars one through 18 are all in the inner city.

So you're saying whoever gave out the early jars was likely the same person.

Might have lived in that neighborhood.

Precisely.

These other jars could be the work of copycat offenders.

I mean, uh, assailant... Thanks, Steve.

Mr. Investigator.

Heh.

Well, I always knew there was a reason I went D.C.

over Marvel.

Detective Comics.

Eh?

Whoa!

That was my bad.

Um, I, uh, I thought the brakes were on the thing.

Let's go for that one.

Yeah.

I can, I got this.

Don't worry about a thing.

Sorry, Steve.

When I first came to the United States, I was excited but nervous.

My English wasn't very good and it was hard for me to make friends.

I felt like I didn't fit in and, oh, Christmas time was the worst.

How so?

Well, what people don't realize is that holiday celebrations

are only fun for the people that get invited to them.

Every day I would just go to work and come home.

I felt like no one even saw me.

Except for those kids.

Children have a way of seeing things.

Mmm.

Especially when they stole my laptop.

Oh.

And my bicycle.

And the wreath on my door.

And stuffed a rotten pumpkin in my mailbox.

At least I think it was a pumpkin.

Ew.

I can't even.

But right when I was at my lowest point, when I was wondering if this country was

ever going to feel like home, I found this jar at my door.

It confused me at first, but there was a red ribbon tied

around it and the word Christmas jar was on the glass.

So I understood it was a gift.

Hmm.

Someone actually wanted to do something nice for me.

That changed everything.

I don't suppose you ever found out who gave you the jar?

I don't know who he is.

But my security system caught the man on video.

Please tell me you still have that video.

I think I can find it.

Who are you?

Opie dopie, how's our story coming?

It's great.

Everything's great.

Don't slow her down.

Got any advice?

Yeah, don't mess it up.

This is exactly the kind of story I want to run this

year, so I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Thanks, Lyle.

Psst.

Yo.

I don't know how I'm going to figure out who this guy is.

Come on, girl.

You're an investigative reporter now.

You gotta think like a cop and act like a cop.

Move like a cop.

Cop like a cop.

You're brilliant.

I don't know.

It's a 1974 MG.

You can't make out the license plate, but there

can't be that many of them registered in the state.

You know, I offered to fix your lock, not help you stalk some poor guy.

Well, you know I'm not really stalking him.

It's from my article.

I know you think Christmas brings out the worst in people, but look at this guy.

He gives away jars full of change to perfect strangers down on their luck.

And I want to write about him.

Come on.

It's a compelling story with a hopeful message.

And the world needs more of this right now.

What exactly do you need from me?

There are only three people in Ohio with this make and model of car.

A 78-year-old woman who lives in Akron, a 53-year-old man who lives in Dayton,

and a 24-year-old guy who lives here in Columbus.

He's our guy.

Ian Maxwell, he's 6'1", with brown hair, brown eyes, and no priors.

Scorpio?

Libra.

Officer Weber wouldn't tell me anything else, so I had to do my own digging.

Love me a good cyber-stalking sesh.

He graduated three years ago from Ohio State, and now he works for his family's

furniture restoration business, which they run out of their home.

So you have their address?

Yeah, and guess where he lives?

Right here, in the middle of everyone.

No way.

Yeah.

Problem is, I can't just show up at his door and be like, hey, I know you're the

guy behind the Christmas jars, can I interview you?

Why not?

Sometimes when you meet a new guy, you gotta pretend

like you're into the same stupid stuff that he's into.

Brandi, that's really, really bad advice.

Hear me out.

Show up with an old piece of furniture, you talk about your mutual love of

sandpaper and polish and whatever else that he does, and then boom, done, you're in.

I don't know.

What about this?

I've already got one of those.

No, you don't.

I'm getting it.

For what?

Duh.

Masquerade Mondays.

That's so not a thing.

Not yet.

Oh.

This is what I've been looking for.

I can't believe they still want 75 bucks for this thing.

I think it's perfect.

I think it's old.

Would you take 50 bucks for this old, broken desk?

Well, this is a gorgeous antique mahogany lady's writing

desk with green leather inset from the Regency era.

So 50 bucks?

You got it.

Yes!

Is there anything else you can tell me about it?

There's a locked drawer, no key, unfortunately.

And what about all the damage?

Oh, ladies.

What do you think you're going to look like in 200 years?

Fair point.

Hi there.

You must be Hope.

I am.

I'm Adam, and this is my daughter Hannah.

Here, here we will you.

Let me give you a hand.

Okay.

Okay.

Let me give you a hand.

Oh, oh, oh.

Oh, no.

My hand, my hand, my hand.

Okay, are you okay?

Just kidding.

Oh, here.

You got it?

Yes.

All right.

Okay.

There we go.

Okay.

There you go.

Take your time.

Just watch the legs there.

Take your time.

Oh.

Ah.

What did this poor desk do to deserve this?

It was, it was my grandmother's.

I'm afraid it's been a little neglected.

Where'd your grandmother get it from?

Oh, um, it was a, it was a wedding gift from, from her father.

Oh.

Oh.

He didn't want her to stop writing just because she got married.

Well, what did she write?

What did she write?

Um.

Um.

Uh, you know, letters, poems, short stories, and that sort of thing.

How romantic.

Okay.

Let's get her in there.

All right.

And, uh.

Oh, I got it.

I got it.

Oh, thank you.

Good.

Okay.

Yep.

Space.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Oh.

Are you closed?

Oh.

Oh.

Oh.

Hope, make yourself at home, okay?

All right.

Careful where you step.

Dad's always leaving sharp pieces of wood and hazardous materials kicking around.

Hey, it's part of the artistic process.

Ah, is that what we're calling it now?

He's just messy.

Two hats hanging on a hat rack.

One said, you stay here.

I'll go on ahead.

Oh, don't encourage his bad jokes.

Ha.

You love them?

Nope.

Sorry.

So how many of you are in the family business?

Well, technically, it's just me, my dad, and

my brother, but really, everybody lends a hand.

It looks like you have a lot of other jobs on the go.

Yeah, but that's normal for us.

In fact, I have sort of a strange favor to ask.

I'm a journalism major at Ohio State, and for my business writing class,

I have to write a report about a local family-owned business.

I was wondering if you would let me write about Maxwell Restoration.

Oh, I don't know.

We like to keep a low profile.

Oh, come on.

It might be good for publicity.

Everyone else in my class is either writing about a family-owned restaurant,

a dry cleaner, or a funeral home.

And this would just be way more interesting than all of those.

I don't know.

Funeral home sounds pretty interesting and spooky.

I promise I would stay out of your way.

Okay, my little elves.

Who's ready to put down their mallets and take a break from the workshop?

Hope.

This is my wife, Lauren.

Hope dropped off this beautiful mahogany desk and she's going to write something

about our business for a school assignment.

What do you think?

That's exciting.

Hope, would you like to join us for lunch?

Oh, no, no, no.

I couldn't possibly.

Wait, what is that delicious smell?

Come on.

Find out.

So, Hope, you said you were in your senior year.

What's your plans after you graduate?

Do you have any?

Well, I've always wanted to be a journalist.

Allison is going to love you.

Sorry, who's Allison?

My little sister.

She writes all these stories, but she never shares it with us.

I used to be like that.

Sharing what you've written is like letting someone take a peek in your soul.

Well, it's never easy.

You can tell you're a writer.

Never put words together like that.

Or sentences or coherent thoughts.

Oh, look who it is.

Just in time for a free lunch, like always.

As a matter of fact, I already ate, but you go ahead

and enjoy that green thing stuck in your teeth.

And this is Hope.

She's going to be writing a profile on Maxwell

Restorations for her business writing class.

Really?

You couldn't find a more interesting company to write about?

Hey!

He's just jealous because we get all the thank yous and he gets all the bills.

Somebody had to take care of that bookkeeping debacle.

I overpaid a supplier once.

By two thousand dollars.

I'm a giving guy.

Mom, I said I already ate.

It's a small bowl.

Hope, here's a tip.

If my mom asks if you're hungry, you might as well

say yes because she's going to feed you anyway.

Always arrive with an appetite.

And that actually sounds really nice.

Okay, you ready?

For what?

Come on, you know.

Come on.

Oh boy.

Alright, here we go.

One, two, three.

So, what's Ian like?

He seems nice.

They all do.

Is he cute?

I'm trying to work.

You do think he's cute?

I...

Look, so what if I do?

I mean, that doesn't change the fact that I'm there on assignment.

Uh-huh.

And I'm still here ordering punch and elf

costumes for the office party all by myself.

Sorry.

What's with the mistletoe?

Carry it with you at all times.

Looks like a charm.

You're welcome.

It's an antique lady's writing desk from the Regency era.

Exactly.

It's the kind of desk you can imagine Jane Austen

probably used to sit at to write her novels.

You read Jane Austen?

Well, no, no, no.

I just know the time period she wrote her books.

Don't lie.

Ian loves sappy love stories.

I do not.

Everybody likes a good love story.

My son's a romantic.

It's amazing that he's still single.

What about you, Hope?

Are you single?

Dad.

What?

Um, yeah.

Really?

I would have thought guys would be lining up around the block to go out with you.

Dad.

What?

You know, you should give Ian your phone number.

Okay, that's enough.

What?

You know, it's just in case, I mean, an

interesting piece comes in and you're not here.

Right.

Okay.

Thanks, Dad.

This piece is stunning.

You know, each piece has a story to tell.

Our job is to see to it that their stories carry on.

Do you mind if I record a few questions?

Yeah, okay.

So how do you divvy up the workload?

Well, that's, that's kind of all over the place.

Real order.

Used to be that Hannah was my apprentice.

And I've been teaching her everything I know since she was eight years old.

Learned a lot that day.

Yeah.

These days, I'm the one learning from her.

Hmm.

Well, that's good.

Yeah.

How did this all get started?

Well, this was when I was in college.

I needed to make a little extra money.

So I started this business and, well, 36 years later, I'm still at it.

And frankly, it's the only thing I ever wanted to do.

What would you say is your company's purpose or mission statement?

Oh, that's easy.

We make damaged furniture beautiful again.

Clear and simple.

Yeah, sure is.

It's about anything if you apply enough love and elbow grease.

Mom, I'm thirsty.

Hi, thirsty.

I'm Grandpa.

Ask Grandma to get you a drink.

I can't find hope.

Honey, my hands are all covered in stain.

Here, I can get it for him.

Thanks, Hope.

There's a new bottle of apple juice in the fridge.

So, how old are you, Jake?

Six.

Six.

Are you driving yet?

Nope.

Do you have a girlfriend?

No.

Do you have a boyfriend?

No.

Where are the cups?

Just over there.

Thank you.

So, you must be excited about Christmas.

I am.

Yeah, me too.

Hey, can you tell me what that jar is?

Oh, it's the Christmas jar.

The Christmas jar.

What's that?

Not supposed to say.

How come?

So, what are you going to ask Santa for Christmas?

My Sammy.

Who's Sammy?

He's lost.

I don't know.

Can I go and play now?

Sure.

He used to sweat there.

Oh, thanks, Hope.

He's adorable.

Who's Sammy?

He said the only thing he wants for Christmas is Sammy.

He said the only thing he wants for Christmas is Sammy.

Who's that?

That was his teddy bear.

They were inseparable, but then we lost him last

summer coming back from visiting my in-laws.

We've been looking everywhere for a replacement, but Sammy was a gift to Jake

when he was born, and no one seems to be making them anymore.

Yeah, he's been heartbroken ever since.

Poor little guy.

Uh, Ian just found out about another job.

You should probably go with him to see how the other side of the business works.

I'm just loading a piece of old furniture into my truck, Dad.

Exactly.

It's all part of the process.

She should see everything.

I don't have to go.

It's fine.

I'd love for you to write about me.

Not about me, about the...

Not like... I mean, like, the fa...

Yeah, let's go.

Take your time, guys, huh?

Would you be any more obvious?

What?

I see what you're doing.

Get back to work.

You've asked us so many questions, but we hardly know anything about you.

That's because I'm not writing a report about me.

But what if you were?

What would you say is the most...

interesting thing about you?

What ever happened to... where'd you grow up?

Or, what's your favorite color?

No one outside of you and my family knows

about my love for classic English literature.

Romance.

Literature.

It's romance.

Okay, I'll help you know that I'm also a huge fan of Ellis Bell.

Well, you know, Ellis Bell was the pseudonym used by Emily Brontë.

Are you serious?

Yeah.

I knew that.

Okay.

Okay, let me think.

Um... I cry all the time watching movies.

I have an irrational fear of clowns.

Who doesn't?

And on Christmas Eve, when I was about three days

old, I was abandoned in a booth at a roadside diner.

The woman who found me, she...

she became my adoptive mother.

Um...

And she was single, with hardly any money or family support.

But...

And she still managed to do an amazing job raising me.

And we were extremely close.

Where is she now?

Um...

She recently passed away.

Oh.

Oh, well, I'm so sorry.

It's been a really tough time.

I hope.

Yeah.

What's your favorite color?

Jake, that's enough.

No!

I told you.

No, I told you.

He's got enough.

All right, thank you.

Anybody else?

So, Jake, what did one snowman say to the other snowman?

Do you smoke carrots?

Jake, is that not the worst joke ever?

Did you get that from Kim?

No, no, no, mine are good.

Mine are good.

Wow.

So, how do your customers find you?

Usually word of mouth.

Really?

Because if you advertised on Columbus City

Buzz, they average 40,000 unique visitors a day.

Wow.

Yeah, it could equal approximately 6 to 10,000 ad clicks a month.

And it's not even that expensive.

I did an internship there last summer.

Ah!

We do go through some slow patches.

True.

Something to think about, maybe?

Okay.

Is that tutorial longer than a dime?

Jake!

I'm sorry.

It's okay.

No.

Um...

I wasn't born in a diner, Jake, but my mom dropped

me off there when I was just a little baby.

Did you ever find out who your birth mother was?

No.

I've always wondered what could have been going on in her life that was so awful

that abandoning me seemed like a better option.

Do you want to find her?

I don't know.

Every Christmas Eve, my mom and I would sit in our booth at

Chuck's and have a big dinner and celebrate the day she found me.

I always secretly wondered if maybe my birth mom would show up, too.

I hope it might be there.

Did she ever come back?

I don't think so.

Every time the door would open with a jingle, I'd search

all the faces and see if anyone was looking for me.

After all these years, I've stopped searching.

I'm so sorry, Annie.

Oh, don't be.

I had the best mom I could have asked for.

What about your grandmother?

Is she still alive?

Hm?

Your grandmother?

The writer?

The one that gave you the desk.

Mm.

Mm.

Mm.

Mm.

Why don't we give poor Hope a break?

I think that's a good idea.

Who's ready for dessert?

Oh, I don't know.

Yeah.

I got cake!

Auvent's cake!

This is a great photo.

How did you two meet?

Well, when I was 17, Lauren and her family moved down the street from us.

Prettiest girl in the neighborhood.

I used to see her, uh, waiting for the bus or walking her dog, but I could never

muster the courage to go and say hi to her.

And then one day, my dog got away from me when she took off after a squirrel,

and Adam helped me get her back.

How did he know he was the one?

I just knew.

Or at least my mom.

My heart knew.

You're gonna make me cry.

I know!

So I was getting Jake a drink, and he called

that jar on your shelf your Christmas jar.

What's that all about?

Uh...

It's just a place where we throw our change.

That's all.

Oh, come on, Dad.

Tell the story.

What story?

Lorna and I were in our early 20s.

Newly married and completely broke.

And, um, Christmas was just around the corner.

And, you know, I wanted to buy something for my new beloved bride.

So that November, we had this idea to maybe throw whatever

change we had into a jar and see what we could save up.

So I washed out an empty raspberry jam container

and wrote the words Christmas jar across the glass.

Yeah, and we put the jar right in the middle

of the table so we could see it all the time.

And, what, by Christmas we saved 28 bucks.

Which didn't go far.

No, it didn't.

But it was something, right?

It was something.

So the next year we started earlier, like, I think Halloween or something.

It was Labor Day.

No, I think it was Halloween.

It was Labor Day.

I got this bigger jar and we promised ourselves that

we would never dip into it for any reason whatsoever.

And then, of course, the kids came along and we started even earlier.

Wanted to buy gifts for everyone.

Until...

Hannah had other ideas.

It was 22 years ago.

Christmas Eve.

And we took the jar to the bank like we always

did every year before we did our shopping.

Okay, who's ready to put all this change in a big coin machine?

Me!

Are we ready?

I already know how much it is.

How much is in there?

$874.90.

That makes sense.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

Okay, I think you're probably right.

Hold on, I'm gonna get your baby brother.

Oh, here we go, here we go.

We got you.

What's the matter?

It's nothing.

Why are you so sad?

Why are you wearing sunglasses in the wintertime?

Well, would you like our Christmas jar?

No, thank you, I couldn't... Hannah, don't wander off like that.

You scared the heck out of us.

You okay?

Yeah, I'm okay.

This lady isn't.

Yeah.

I asked her if she wanted our Christmas jar.

I'll tell you what.

Why don't you go give it to her?

Oh, no.

No, I couldn't.

Yes, you can.

Really?

We really want you to have it.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

When we gave away the jar that day, we gave away our Christmas.

There wasn't any money to buy gifts for anyone.

And in the morning, with no presents to open, we turned on the Christmas lights,

put on some carols, and took turns sharing what we were all grateful for.

Turned out to be the best Christmas we ever had.

We vowed to do it every year after that.

So from that point on, we threw all our change into a jar year round, and then we

would give it to someone who we thought could really use it.

And you're the first person we've ever told that to.

I guess that makes you one of us now.

Yeah.

Mom's the word.

We still have to repair the cornice on this night table, and we have to strip

that desk of yours with some lacquer thinner, and then give it a good sanding.

Do you have any questions about any of this?

Yeah.

I'd like to know how you decide on the person who gave your jars to.

So we're back to that, are we?

Sorry.

I couldn't stop thinking about it last night.

Okay.

We share stories we've overheard about people from work, school, church, wherever.

Do you ever wonder about them?

I mean, where they are now.

Sure.

I think about them year round every time I throw my spare change into the jar.

And no one's ever guessed the jars came from you?

Hey, Chatty Cathy, there's still work to be done.

Sorry.

Don't be sorry.

Just give me a hand with this clamp here, okay?

You haven't learned anything, have you?

Not a thing.

Hey, Hope.

I finally got your drawer unlocked.

Ooh.

Maybe we'll find one of your grandmother's old stories?

Actually, that's been locked for so long.

Probably even before my grandmother had it.

I don't know what's in there.

It's an old Chinese takeout menu.

But that wasn't what you were expecting, huh?

Honestly, I had no idea what would be in there.

Hey, what's up, guys?

We don't want enough whole cake.

I'm scared you'll pass tomorrow.

I promised I'd take them in the morning.

You're welcome to join if you like.

Yeah.

No, I'd love to.

Yay!

She's coming!

We usually go for pancakes afterwards.

I know the perfect place.

Hey, Hope.

So...

Did you always know you were going to be a reporter?

Um, yeah.

I can't imagine ever doing anything else.

I don't know what kind of writer I want to be yet.

Well, you have a lot of time to figure that out.

Right now, I just like making up my own stories.

Maybe I can read one someday.

I know it can be scary.

But I promise I won't be mean.

I know.

I trust you.

I'll do it!

Oh, I'm gonna get you.

You seem to know what you're doing out here.

I should.

I've been skating since I was five.

You know any tricks?

Yeah, I used to.

Let's see what you got.

It's been a while, so don't laugh if I fall.

No promises.

Oh!

Are you okay?

Uh, no.

I think I just broke my dignity.

Are you sure you're okay?

Yeah.

I was just thinking about my mom.

This is the same place she taught me how to skate.

Sorry, I didn't know.

It's okay.

I just miss her.

Here,

you don't want to tear so cold.

Well, those can be sharp and deadly.

Can I ask you another question about the Christmas jar?

You go first.

I was just wondering why you always give the jars away anonymously.

That way no one feels like they owe us anything in return.

That's the real spirit of giving.

Has anyone ever caught you in the act?

Almost.

A couple years ago, the woman I was supposed to give our jar to opened her

door right as I was about to put it down, and so I pretended like I was lost,

asking for directions.

Oh, no.

Yeah, in the age of GPS, I was asking for directions.

She must have thought I was casing her house for a break, and so after that I

started delivering them in the middle of the night, so no one would see me.

So what were you going to ask me?

I was wondering if you had any plans for the holidays.

No.

Maybe we could go out to dinner or something?

Dinner would be good.

Yeah.

Okay.

You seem happy.

We've been having such a fun day.

You still haven't told them yet?

I promise I'm going to tell them everything when the time is right.

The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be.

I know, but I can't yet.

You'll be fine, Hope.

You write that story, you make us proud.

Yes.

See, this article is a chance for the people

whose lives we've changed to say thank you.

If you say so.

I just hate seeing you compromise your values.

And I don't want to see you get hurt.

Oh, come on, Cynthia.

It's not like she pretended to be a doctor performing surgery or something.

She's telling people she's a college student.

What's the big deal?

Look, I should really get back, but come over and say hi, okay?

Okay.

I'm sorry.

I went through like ten people.

Hey.

Hey.

Yes, sir.

We're just discussing your incredible figure skating skills.

Oh, yeah.

Did you talk about when you fell on me?

Yeah.

Uh, I remember that.

I saw that.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Hey, you see that seat over there?

Right on the end?

Well, that's where I used to sit and finish my homework every day after school.

And I would wait for my mom to finish her shift.

Well, have you ever been in school?

Sure did.

Yeah, I practically grew up here.

And is this the booth where your mom found you?

Yeah.

Right where you're sitting, actually.

I got so lucky.

She wasn't even supposed to be in that day.

In that case, we all got lucky.

Messing around with your phone, I see.

You must be done your article.

Not quite.

What seems to be the problem, Hoke?

You've been saying not quite for days.

Well, I haven't exactly been honest with the Maxwells.

And I'm starting to feel really guilty about it.

Seriously?

Yeah.

Have you ever heard of Nellie Bly?

No.

Okay.

Nellie pretended to be a crazy person to get admitted to a mental hospital where

she reported on the horrible conditions inside.

And that report became the foundation for

sweeping reforms in the psychiatric profession.

Hope, there is a long history of journalists in this

country going undercover for the sake of a good story.

And this, what you have right here, is a good story.

I know that.

Okay, so don't fight it.

Embrace it.

Go with it.

Be one with it.

Be Nellie Bly.

All right?

Okay.

This whole wishy-washy thing, it's not cutting it.

Put a lot of faith in you, Hope.

Don't make me regret it.

Oh, something's coming on here.

Is that regret?

Oh, that's regret.

Yeah.

Hope, help me.

Help me, Hope.

Help me.

Hey.

Hi.

Whoa, what's all this?

So I did a bit of Christmas shopping.

I got this for Ian.

It's the Jane Austen collection.

Oh, that is perfect.

I couldn't resist.

Sammy!

But how?

Oh, thank you so much.

You have just made his Christmas.

Oh, okay.

I am gonna go hide all this.

Everyone's in the kitchen.

Ready to go.

Okay, great.

Finish that, and hey!

Smells so good in here.

These are incredible.

They're so cool.

We were just talking about Christmas and wondered if you'd like to join us.

On Christmas Eve.

Really?

Unless you have other plans.

Just dinner at Chuck's like we usually do.

Come over after dinner and spend Christmas Day with us, too.

Christmas Eve is my favorite.

All the Christmas lights and carols, we wrap presents and drink eggnog,

stay up late just talking, and eating way too many bees.

That sounds just about perfect.

But I should warn you, Jake here gets up super

early and makes a point of waking everyone.

Does he?

How early?

5 a.m.

6 if we're lucky.

Well, the Christmas Eve part sounds great.

You just come over whenever you want, but don't show up looking all fancy.

We spend half the day in our pajamas.

Do you mind grabbing those for me?

Of course.

I was thinking about your birth mother.

Do you have any clues about her at all?

She left a note on my baby blanket, but she never signed it.

Did you keep it?

Of course.

Yeah, it's the only thing I have from her.

What about trying one of those family tree DNA kits?

It might lead you to a blood relative.

I don't know.

I always worried that talking about that would upset my mom.

Of course.

Well, I'd be happy to help if you ever want to try.

Thank you.

Nope.

Nope.

Nope, I'm not gonna take one.

They're really good.

I don't even see them.

Nope, they're not even there.

Oh, but yes they are, honey.

And this girl needs her sugar.

One cannot survive on a dog alone.

One speaks truth.

So where's my story?

It's almost finished.

Oh, almost.

Oh, that's great.

Yeah, cause there's this thing called Christmas

coming up and it's kind of a hard deadline.

I know, but there's still a few pieces of the story that I haven't quite cracked yet.

Okay, then just give me whatever you got by end of day.

What?

Why?

Because.

We're running out of time.

You're making me nervous.

You know what?

Until you are done, cookies go bye-bye.

But Lyle, it's not done yet.

Uh-uh.

I said no to you last week.

Yeah.

No.

No.

Ugh.

Lame.

You look as sad as that salad.

I'm stressing out.

Lyle wants my story by the end of the day and

I still haven't told the Maxwells the truth.

Oh, boy.

I know.

And I don't want to let Lyle down either.

So what are you gonna do?

I don't know, Rory.

I was gonna say, you're torn because all you ever wanted was to be a reporter and

now this is finally your chance.

But you don't want to lose the Maxwells either.

But if you could only have one, which one would hurt the most to lose?

That's just it.

I can't choose.

You may not have a choice.

And if you don't act soon, you may lose both of them.

I can't believe she walks all this way.

Five days a week, seven miles each way.

She has to leave the house at 5.30 to get to work on time.

At least this should be enough to fix her car.

With, hopefully, some leftover for Christmas.

Okay.

Now, her mom looks after the kids during the day and

they'll probably be home so we have to be really quick.

What do we do?

Here.

That felt incredible.

Hannah?

Hannah?

Hannah?

Ah!

Shh.

Thanks for sharing this with me.

Come on.

Come on.

Let's go.

Come again.

What's your secret talent?

Oh, well, I'm a really fast typist.

Boring.

Okay, um... I can pick up a pen with my toes and sign my name.

Why would you ever learn to do that?

You've never been an only child.

How about you, Ian?

Me?

Uh...

I think you should do that trick.

Yes!

No.

Come on, do it.

I'm not doing the trick.

Please do it.

What trick?

Alright, I'll do the trick.

I'll do the trick, okay?

Are you gonna make that disappear?

Watch very closely.

Not bad, huh?

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

And is this the part where you reach behind my ear and pull out the coin?

Kind of.

Kind of?

What's that?

It's a key for your desk drawer.

I need it.

You made it?

Thanks.

You're welcome.

Did you practice that?

The trick?

Yeah.

That was the first time.

Hey, we better get going if we're gonna make that 7.30 show.

No, I just got tickets online.

Four adults, 7.30.

I think Hope gets a student discount, right?

You would need to show your student ID at the booth and I left mine at home.

I'll just get my own ticket.

It's fine, I got it.

Okay.

What's wrong?

Nothing.

You sure?

You look so serious all of a sudden.

I should probably tell you something.

I'm just sort of worried about what's gonna happen when...

You know, when I turn my school paper in.

Okay.

Don't be ridiculous.

You don't need an excuse to hang out with us.

Come on, let's go.

Come on.

Wow.

Mind blown.

You totally hit it out of the park.

And I'm gonna run this as the top story on our homepage.

They give away the jars anonymously.

They don't want any form of recognition.

So they're reluctant heroes?

That's fantastic.

We gotta add that in.

The Maxwells have been so good to me.

Oh, come on.

I mean, you have written a powerful story here that has the

potential to touch thousands, no, millions of readers' lives.

Inspire them even.

Okay, that, that should be your focus.

Am I right as a journalist?

Hi, Brandy?

Yeah, I have some people at reception inquiring about advertising with us.

Great, thanks.

Our classified sales agent will be right with you.

Thank you.

Come on, Hope.

You should be proud of yourself.

I'm proud of you, even though you're driving me crazy right now.

Lyle, I'm sorry for this opportunity.

I don't think hurting this family for the sake of my career is worth it.

Okay.

And I'm confused.

Because you pitched me this story, right?

I've been waiting for this story for what, the last three weeks?

Not quite, not quite.

Finally it's ready and now you want to pull the plug.

Well, why don't you just grow up?

Hope, you're so overthinking this that Maxwells

will probably get a kick out of all the publicity.

No, they won't.

Yes, they will, Hope.

Come on, smarten up.

Hey guys, come on back.

Is that Hope?

Hope, we're running the Christmas jar store and that's final.

I guess send it to the copy editor.

Hope?

Ian...

It's killing me to leave my baby behind.

But I can't bear the thought of seeing her

suffer as I have suffered these past few years.

Please tell her that I love her and that I pray I'll hold her again someday.

That will forever be my hope.

I really miss you, Mom.

I messed up and I don't know how to fix it.

Ian, so happy to see you.

I just came to return your desk.

Well, why don't you come in?

I have other deliveries to make.

Ian, wait!

Look, I wanted to tell you the truth so many times.

And I was scared.

Scared of what?

I was scared of this moment.

I was scared of what you think of me.

And that you might not ever forgive me.

I didn't think I was going to fall in love with you and your family like I did.

And I didn't know how to come clean about anything.

I just...

I don't know what to believe anymore.

What's that doing?

You don't have a desk, even your grandmother's.

Ian, let me explain.

Good luck with your career.

I hope it was worth it.

Ian!

Party has a bird this year!

Yes, son!

All right, has a bird!

Hello!

Hello!

Cheer up.

They're never going to forgive me.

They'll come around.

Just give them some time.

Nice ears.

What?

I said, nice ears.

Hey, I like yours too.

Thank you.

Hey, what do you think about Masquerade

Mondays as a way to beat back the Monday blues?

Masquerade Mondays?

You mean I have an excuse to dress up every week?

I love it.

Eggnog?

Let's go.

Hope!

Hope!

Hope!

It's not every day someone gets their first story on the homepage!

Nice job!

Thanks.

Wait, what's that?

That's, um, some house fire.

Fire broke out in the family's home studio trapping a man in his fifties inside.

He's now in critical condition in the hospital.

I have to go sell some... Told ya!

Your story has totally gone viral.

And the Christmas jars hashtag is trending.

Ho ho!

Lay it on me!

I'm going to be hiring you as a full-time writer in the new year.

You've got to go.

Hope?

What would

you say is your company's purpose or permission statement?

Oh, that's easy.

We make damaged furniture beautiful again.

Clear and simple.

Yeah, sure is.

You can fix just about anything if you apply enough love and elbow grease.

You can fix just about anything if you apply enough love and elbow grease.

I wrote a follow-up piece.

Oh!

I never asked for that.

You said the article went viral.

And did you see how many comments and questions there were?

So, you wrote a new article answering quest questions from the old article.

We don't do that.

Please, Lyle.

I need to make this right.

No promises.

I'll give it a read.

Many of you read my first article on the Christmas jar tradition and I was

surprised and touched by the extraordinary responses it generated.

The truth is, I didn't tell the whole story.

A few weeks ago, my apartment was broken into.

That same night, I myself received one of these Christmas jars.

Hope got one too?

Shh, just listen.

There was no note and no explanation.

I needed to find out where it came from.

I discovered there were others as well.

My investigation led me to the family behind it all.

The Maxwells never sought the spotlight.

They taught me that people are mostly good.

You just need to be reminded of that sometimes.

And to look around and really see each other.

Especially those who need a helping hand.

I had just lost my mother to cancer and I was feeling lost.

But the Maxwells opened their home to me.

I felt like I belonged somewhere again.

My deception was repaid with nothing but kindness and compassion.

I revealed a secret that was not mine to share.

And now I'm saddened to report the Maxwells are going through a tragedy of their own.

Adam Maxwell is in the hospital fighting for his life,

so please keep him and his family in your prayers.

And may the spirit of the Christmas jars live on within all of you.

Hi.

Hi.

Come on in.

Please.

How's your dad doing?

Oh, he just got back from the hospital.

He's still intubated in the ICU.

They're worried about respiratory failure

from all the smoke and chemicals he's inhaled.

Hannah, I'm so sorry about everything.

Oh, I know you are.

Come on in.

I'm so sorry about Adam.

Thank you.

And I'm sorry for what I did to you.

For lying to you and for exposing your secret.

I trusted you.

I know you did.

And I'm so sorry.

I wanted to tell you the truth.

No, I did, but I just got so far in with all my lies and I couldn't find a way out.

That's all I really wanted to say.

And, of course, I'm keeping Adam and all of you in my prayers.

Do you want to stay for dinner?

I would really love to.

I really would, but my mom and I always spend Christmas Eve at the diner.

Even though she's not here.

I felt that if I were there, then she would be with me.

Of course.

I should come with you if you want.

Oh, thanks, Jake.

I'll be okay.

And you should stay here with your family.

Ian, would you walk me out?

I know I screwed up.

And I know you might not ever forgive me.

So if I never see you again, I want you to know that I really do care about you.

That part was never a lie.

I gotta go.

You okay?

Yeah.

I'm fine.

Why don't we play a game or something instead

of standing around staring at each other?

Good idea.

She must have forgotten something.

Hmm.

How about a game of cards?

I got them.

Alright, you go get them.

It wasn't hope.

Was it?

It was this woman and her little boy.

They gave this to me.

All she said was thank you and God bless you.

Here, I'll go.

Let me see that jar.

Um...

I got three more.

Here you go, mom.

People who want us to know they're thinking of us.

I want to get that one.

This is amazing, but I don't understand.

They're saying thank you.

That's all.

You'd better come see this.

Merry Christmas.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Merry Christmas.

Oh my goodness, thank you.

Thank you.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Jake.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas, guys.

Thank you.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Thank you so much.

Mrs.

Maxwell.

Yes.

I'm so sorry to bother you.

I know it must be a very tough time.

I just felt like I had to come.

Would you like to come in?

Thank you.

I used to live near here when I was a newlywed.

That's a happy time.

Some of it was happy, but not most of it.

My husband had a very bad temper.

Everything okay, Mom?

Come, join us.

These are my two oldest, Hannah and Ian.

My son-in-law, Dustin.

I'm sorry, I just realized I didn't ask you your name.

It's Marianne.

Nice to meet you, Mary.

So nice to meet you all.

Please, go on with your story.

My ex-husband was a very violent man.

When I was nine months pregnant, he beat me

so badly that I thought I was going to die.

But I didn't.

I survived and so did my baby.

I gave birth to her at home.

By yourself?

Yeah.

I never had any friends back then.

He made sure of it.

I didn't have money for a doctor.

He cleaned out our savings account and took everything.

The rent was overdue.

Utilities shut off.

I mean, there I was, freezing with a newborn in

an apartment, wallpapered with eviction notices.

I had nowhere to go, no one to turn to.

I was inconsolable.

I could barely breathe after.

I gave her away.

I gave my baby away.

I didn't know where to go.

I had no one to turn to with it.

I didn't know where.

This little girl up here.

Just this little angel.

And she gave me this jar of pills.

It changed me.

I just sat there.

I couldn't believe it.

It's amazing.

That money did more than help me to survive.

It renewed my faith so I could pick myself up and carry on.

What happened to the baby?

I left her in a little diner.

I know it sounds terrible.

It was terrible.

It is terrible.

But there was something in the kindness of my waitress'

eyes and the friendly owners that made it seem safe for her.

I just knew that someone else could give her a better shot at life than I could.

But I think about her every day.

Marianne, have you had dinner yet?

Want us to come in with you?

Thanks, but I need to do this on my own.

Hope?

I think this is the same booth.

It is.

I'm sorry this is so awkward.

I've thought about this day for so long and

now that it's here, I don't know what to say.

That was the worst day of my life when I wrote that note.

It's okay.

I'm sorry.

I'm okay.

And I'm really happy that you're here.

Me too.

Your mom made you hope.

Yeah, she did.

Oh, I'm Marianne.

It's nice to meet you, Marianne.

It's nice to meet you.

We have the same nose.

Yeah, we do.

Oh, there's that huge ring blinding me.

Oh, so beautiful.

Wow.

Thanks for making me look bad, Ian.

Oh, stop.

Who wants turkey?

I do!

I do!

Raise them up, that's it.

If this family gets any bigger, we're going to need two turkeys next year.

And two Christmas jars.

Two.

Two.

Okay.