Sounds of Christmas

DANIEL CROSS (28) lifts his head up from a sound board as his mother's voice cuts in - he always has her messages projected throughout the studio just in case. Every screen in the place lights up. The last one he missed is one he has never recovered from. SHARON's (55) tone crosses between polite inquiry, expectation, and demand as she tells him someone will pick him up and he's going to be doing something that Daniel pays no heed to; he has already returned to his task knowing it wasn't an emergency. Daniel is one of the most in-demand private contractors in audio production and automation. It is said that he is the only one Celine Deon will call before doing a show. A week later Daniel is in Sutton Vermont for the holidays. Sutton was where she and Daniel's father had met and where she fled there after his father's death. Daniel coped by fleeing into his work, but always came to spend the holidays with, or at least near, his mother. Sharon is the town astrologist and mystic, and she holds a strange power over the mayor, ROGER (56). This year, the mayor wants the annual Sutton Christmas Cross, a tradition where people go house to house in the snow to receive individual tidings from their neighbors, to be automated. He wants to be the first town in his county. Then, he can improve tourism and access grant funds. Sharon supports him claiming it to be in the cards and promising Daniel will do it for free; secretly she just wants her son to extend his Christmas visit. Sharon insists Daniel stay at the inn. She wants him to love the town and its people, and perhaps the inn-owner, TENNYSON. Daniel brings his city impatience and arrogance leading to a misunderstanding with TENNYSON. He mistakes her for a maid and boldly lifts off her headphones to get her attention. He doesn’t believe her or the assistant, Bell, that she is deaf. Tennyson is both annoyed and bemused. Worse than his intrusive behavior is his staying at the inn when he has family; he should be with them. Daniel soon learns that Tennyson is indeed deaf and wears headphones so that no one bothers her at work. Although he apologizes, he does it in a city way with a simultaneous insult. Daniel is illogically annoyed at her choice of “deterrent” headphones: Focal Utopia studio reference headphones. They cost 4 thousand dollars. Tennyson now officially finds him offensive. Daniel focuses on work so he can get home. He orders parts for the job. Lights will guide all the people along in the most orderly and efficient way from place to place. When they get to a door, they will encounter a screen and flash their QR Code. It will recognize each family and give a pre-recorded personal message to the visitor. It is beautifully seasonally cold! Daniel and Tennyson find moments of cooperation. When overworked, Daniel heads downstairs to the guests’ living room. Tennyson, successful for a reason, brings him a hot chocolate with a peppermint stick in it. Confused, Tennyson reveals a very analog way of knowing the secrets of each of her guests. She has note cards that are color-coded to each room. She shows Daniel the one his mother provided: Grumpy – single malt scotch Talisker. Overwhelmed – dark chocolate with peppermint stick. Happy and relaxed – no idea (never seen it) When the subject returns to Dan’s work and his vision for non-personal efficient Christmas light parade, Tennyson remains unimpressed verging on hostile. Once the parts arrive, the real work begins. Daniel needs help setting up the cabling. Roger’s son decides that he will do anything if he can learn how to get out of Sutton, and he becomes Daniel’s apprentice. Daniel doesn’t stop working until his hands are shivering from the cold. Tennyson respects his work ethic and takes him back to her father’s quarters. She gives him some gloves for the elements explaining that Sutton is the coldest town in all of Vermont. It’s not, we are not, California, she reminds him. Daniel talks about his studio there. Tennyson shows Daniel her father’s music studio. He was a folk musician. Daniel listens to one of his songs and is impressed. Tennyson agrees although Daniel questions how she could possibly know. Pointing to her heart, she knows. Tennyson and Daniel’s relationship starts to grow although they are equally terrible at connecting on an honest level. Daniel’s mother takes him shopping – any excuse to mother – hoping if he looks more local, he will enjoy it more. The result is a Mountie woodsman enjoyable to all. It does get him dinner with Tennyson, though. At dinner, Daniel uses an ASL -to-text app that translates what she’s signing. It makes a few mistakes, but mostly keeps them talking. She asks what her voice sounds like through the phone. Daniel doesn’t know how to explain the voice. It makes her uncomfortable, so he turns it off. His phone starts to ring. People in other parts of the world need him. He shows Tennyson. “I’m turning it off. No more ringing.” He puts the phone on vibrate. The phone keeps buzzing. “That’s worse.” She tells him. She can feel the phone vibrating on the table, but she couldn’t hear it before. He powers the phone down. They have an excellent night making a real connection despite their differences: Sutton is exactly her speed. Daniel have traveled everywhere but Tennyson sees through his lips and knows he never sees the places he visits, just as he doesn't see Vermont. Their first kiss comes when she tells him he can't see the world if he doesn't look up. Daniel proudly drags her around town to show off his work: lighting and digital interfaces for the Christmas Eve Cross. Tennyson cannot pretend or lie: "I like the lights." Their first kiss led right to their first fight. Daniel throws himself into finishing work even more determined to get Christmas over. He is constantly on the phone with other clients and disconnects from that one moment where he let himself be in the moment. Daniel presents his system: no one needs to be home. They just need to record a message and it's done. Time saved and no more having to stand outside their houses or interact with people face to face. The town does not respond as he hoped expressing concerns of the system breaking or not working. The general consensus is it could wait to be phased in over the next decade. Mom, Sharon, defends and persuades. The new system moves forward. An old man, tall and broad like a bear appears in the town square. He is Tennyson’s father. Daniel is afraid of him. He provides important insight for Daniel: stop trying so hard. This is a town where people just live their lives, enjoy their lives even. He warns that Tennyson will hate what he's doing. On Christmas Eve morning, Tennyson is stubborn, beautiful, and unhappy. She has recorded her message because she believes in the town. Daniel looks up and sees her. He sends her a text to meet him in the town square before the town traditions begin. He watches her snarl at the text but reads the "fine" in acceptance. In the beautiful Christmas square Tennyson stomps at Daniel. He grins and nods infuriating her even more. He turns her toward the residents who are also a little under-spirited at the prospect of hearing people but not seeing them. Everything goes dark. Turning to Daniel, she sees he has a control panel. She knows he is as good as he had said (Thanks Google) so grabs the panel suspiciously, He mouths "oops" and the system is offline. Tennyson says, "Not the lights, the lights stay." Daniel hits a bottom and everyone cheers as the lights return. Tennyson’s dad has been watching everything. He calls Daniel back to his music studio. He holds out a mandolin. “Can you play? It’s her favorite.” Of course, he can. Everyone stands out in front of their houses freezing and receiving everyone from town with tidings for Christmas. The joy of the colored lights following them through the square and up to every house is a visual treat. Daniel’s failure is talked of with great pride. The town meets in the square afterward. Daniel, the man of the hour, steps out behind the bonfire and plays the mandolin for Tennyson. He has a song. He puts one of her hands on the body. She listens to the song. Daniel’s heart is opening for the first time in a long time. She puts a hand on his chest to feel the words and she closes her eyes. Daniel is still in town two weeks later. He is still on his phone too much, but he comes home at five and turns his phone off when he enters the door of the inn. He puts the phone in “phone jail” beside the front door and Tennyson greets him jumping into his arms. He might never tire of this kind of homecoming.