Synopsis/Details
Michaela Clarke, a Christmas enthusiast, loses much of her Christmas spirit for the holiday season after her fiancé breaks off their engagement on Christmas Day. The following Christmas, Michaela is trying to cope with the loss and focuses on her career. In a competitive workplace, where she is fighting for a promotion against a colleague, Marcus, who is secretly in love with her.
On Christmas Eve, Marcus prepares to confess his feelings for Michaela. At work, Michaela's boss Dean tells her that he has decided to give the promotion to Marcus instead. Michaela decides to skip the office party that night and head home, much to Marcus's disappointment. Meanwhile, her brother Adam visits her at home and tries to convince her to spend the holiday season with their parents. Instead, Michaela spends Christmas alone. In the middle of the night, she receives a visit from Santa Claus who leaves her a mysterious gift: a VCR and a tape labeled "Christmas 1989."
As the tape begins to play, Michaela sits on the couch reminiscing about Christmases past as she watches. Within minutes, the tape transports Michaela back in time to Christmas 1989 as an adult. Michaela, who is unaware that she has just time traveled, walks into her living room and is shocked to see her dad's angry reaction as he questions what has happened to his 4 year old daughter.. Santa arrives in the nick of time and explains to Michaela that she has time-traveled back in time to Christmas 1989. Santa informs her that she must discover her Christmas spirit to get back to the future. Upon her travels, Michaela just can't stay out of trouble, when she heads upstate alongside her neighbor Mary. Michaela goes on a series of misadventures and ends up getting arrested for breaking into her apartment she owns in the future.
When the police question her, she tries to convince them that she's traveled back in time to 1989. When Mary, with a videotape labeled "Christmas present," turns up, Michaela uses the tape to time travel. She thinks her ordeal is over but discovers how her actions affect her family when she decides to cut them out of her life and focus on another promotion. Which has devastating consequences.
When Michaela demands to see her Christmas future, she discovers that she has died a lonely workaholic from her actions in Christmas present. She wakes up on Christmas morning wondering if it was all a dream.
Later that day at work, the company offers her a promotion, which she turns down and recommends Marcus instead. After the meeting he thanks her for the recommendation and just as he is about to tell her how he feels for her when he struggles to get the words out. She heads home to see her parents for the holidays.
When she arrives, Michaela is greeted by Santa and his wife Mary. The couple gives Michaela a blank videotape and explains that it represents her future. It's up to her to create it. Later, Michaela is visited by Marcus, who declares his love for her. She invites him to spend Christmas with her family, with her Christmas spirit higher than ever!
