Thread by @ElPolloDiabloX

So I want to pitch a movie idea to @hallmarkchannel and need some feedback. My daughter and I come up with these all the time, but I think I hit the jackpot on this one.

I'll unroll it later. I'm on a roll now.

So it is titled "A Dog Gone Christmas". (Not to be confused with the 2016 film "A Doggone Christmas". You'll note that in my pitch "Dog" and "Gone" are separate words. If you're confused, don't worry: it's all about to become clear.)

We have BUSINESSY WOMAN who lives in the BIG CITY and has a hectic, but (to her, anyway) rewarding life. She's always on the go: to CLIENT MEETINGS where she pitches the BIG DEAL, or out to dinner with her equally BUSINESSY BOYFRIEND.

She has an uppity, snooty dog (also female). Should be a medium sized dog, otherwise the story is weird. The dog is pampered and enjoys an easy life laying around and going for her walks. She looks down her muzzle at the other dogs, of course.

So on the street corner of the BIG CITY near BUSINESSY WOMAN'S apartment is a Christmas tree lot, run by RUGGED COUNTRY MAN. He, of course, inherited it from his father, who inherited it from his, etc. It's a FAMILY TRADITION.

He comes to sell trees from his FAMILY OWNED TREE FARM in RURAL USA every year at Christmas time. He brings his dog, who is a BIG STURDY WORKING BREED, like a lab. He's very common and ordinary. But there's a problem: His lot is PRIME REAL ESTATE!

So BUSINESSY WOMAN isn't a fan of Christmas. Maybe something mildly traumatic happened to her one year. But she hates Christmas. So she pitches an idea to her BOSS to buy up this lot and DEVELOP it. Of course RUGGED GUY won't sell it. It's his family business.

So BUSINESSY WOMAN enlists the help of her BUSINESSY BOYFRIEND, who has connections at CITY HALL, and gets the lot rezoned so RUGGED MAN'S FAMILY won't be able to sell trees there next year. His family owns the lot outright, but now it will be TAXED and they can't afford that.

Fast forward to BW stopping by the lot to gleefully deliver the BAD NEWS telling him he has to scram. She has her dog with her. This is where we start to introduce the DOGS' POV, because they can telepathically communicate with each other, and they conveniently speak English.

RUGGED DOG and CITY DOG meet, and of course CITY DOG acts all uppity. Somehow or another, as RUGGED MAN packs up his truck for the night, CITY DOG winds up in the truck bed as he takes off back to the FAMILY FARM to tell them the terrible news.

Also, CITY DOG'S collar has fallen off, so when RG discovers her in the the truck, he has no idea who she is or who owns her. Meanwhile, it has STARTED SNOWING. The WORST BLIZZARD in 40 years! So animal control can't get out to the FARM to pick her up. He'll have to wait.

Right, so meanwhile BW has discovered her dog is missing after a bit, but by then the truck is LONG GONE and it has started snowing. So she figures out where the FARM is, tries to call the number, but the PHONE LINES ARE OUT on account of the snow.

So she takes off for the FARM, even though BB tells her it's too dangerous and it's ONLY A DOG. She is much chagrined at this. Braving the blizzard, she locates the TOWN out in the COUNTRY, but her car has some MECHANICAL FAILURE and it breaks down.

Of course, the mechanic in town can't GET THE PARTS for a few days. She doesn't want to get a motel room, she wants to find her dog. So the local DEPUTY gives her a ride out to the FARM. He's CLOSE FRIENDS with the owners. They've known each other for years.

Meanwhile at the FARM, CITY DOG is not having a good time. Everything is RUSTIC and FOLKSY. She doesn't like the dog food that RUGGED DOG eats. She insults him at every turn.

At this point we discover RUGGED GUY is a widower. He lost his wife TWO CHRISTMASES ago. He has children, probably a boy and a girl. They are so excited to have the new dog in the house because MOM LOVED THIS BREED OF DOG.

SHE HAD ONE WHEN SHE WAS A KID, when she lived in the BIG CITY, before she met RUGGED GUY and fell in love and moved to the COUNTRY to be on the FARM. So of course this makes RUGGED GUY sad. He doesn't feel the CHRISTMAS SPIRIT this year.

His SLIGHTLY OLDER THAN MIDDLE AGE parents and ELDERLY OVERLY GRANDPARENTLY GRANDPARENTS try to cheer him up, to no avail. The CHRISTMAS PARADE is coming up, and he needs to FINISH THE DECORATIONS. The WHOLE TOWN is counting on him!

So BW shows up at RG's FARM and is reunited with CD. Buuuuuuuut... She has no way of getting home. There is NO CELL COVERAGE and the PHONE LINES ARE STILL OUT. She grudgingly agrees to stay the night after the PARENTS and GRANDPARENTS insist. No need to stay at a motel.

She's sopping wet from the snow, has no change of clothes, etc. So RG agrees to lend her some of his DEPARTED WIFE'S clothing, and they trudge off to town in his RUGGED TRUCK. The town has been expertly cleared of snow, and the MAIN STREET is buzzing with activity.

Everyone is talking about the CHRISTMAS PARADE with giddy anticipation. RG takes BW to the local clothing shops, where she makes biting comments about the wares. So RG is like, well you can just wear some of the other stuff I have, no big whoop.

RG hasn't told her his wife is dead, only that she is GONE. So BW assumes it's a divorce. But COMING DOWN in the morning to SHARE A CUP OF COFFEE with the parents and/or grandparents, she learns the truth. She is SAD. Maybe she lost her mom on Christmas or something.

Then she talks with the kids, and it's more sadness. She RELATES to them and starts to SOFTEN UP. Meanwhile, her dog is having no such thing. But then RUGGED DOG gets her to go outside and play and have fun, etc. She starts to really like it here.

Meanwhile BW is hanging out with RG as he FINISHES THE CHRISTMAS PARADE DECORATIONS, because he's HANDY and has a BIG SHOP. He eventually gets her to HELP as he talks about how wonderful Christmas is for his family, even though he lost his wife on CHRISTMAS DAY. She loved it so.

They get to talking and MAKE A CONNECTION and maybe have a SNOWBALL FIGHT with the KIDS and the DOGS. At some point something breaks down and RG has to drive out and FIX IT. BW accompanies him, of course. Maybe he gives a tour of his CHRISTMAS TREE FARM.

So they come home, where GRANDMA serves up HOT CHOCOLATE or SPICED CIDER, which is an OLD FAMILY RECIPE. BW is really softening up, as is CITY DOG. But meanwhile, the phone lines are back up, and she calls BB to tell him she's ok. He insists on driving out to pick her up.

When BB arrives, BW bids a fond farewell and calls for CITY DOG to get in BB's NICE CAR. She doesn't want to go, and BB isn't too keen on her being in there, as she's all FARMY now and his car is REALLY NICE. Finally CD gets in the car and off they go.

They head off, BB griping the whole way about how CD smells like WET DOG and is getting his seats dirty. BW stares longingly out the window as the countryside passes by.

...blah blah blah... BW has come to realize that Christmas can still be joyful, even in the midst of a sad loss. She wants to call off the BIG DEAL, but her boss wants none of that nonsense. This is BUSINESS.

She quits in protest, but as she's cleaning out her desk she spots something in the BUSINESS DEAL DOCUMENT that could be used as a LOOPHOLE! She goes and tells BB that she wants to help save the farm, that Christmas can still be joyful even in the midst of loss.

But he's all, no way. Christmas is for them RURAL types, not CITY FOLK. She storms out. As she's wandering the streets of the BIG CITY, she sees the joy of Christmas all around. Christmas is for EVERYONE!

She gets out her phone and calls her DAD, who she hasn't talked to in years because they had a FALLING OUT about Christmas or something. She makes plans to see him on Christmas Eve. But then she remembers. HER CAR! How will she drive out to THE SUBURBS to see him?

So she gets a friend to give her and CITY DOG a lift out to the FARM, where RG is all sad again. He brightens up when he sees her. She's just in time for the CHRISTMAS PARADE. Won't she stay? Well of course she will. The DOGS have a JOYFUL REUNION.

Meanwhile, BB gets wind of her heading out to the FARM, and he'll have none of that. He drives out there, where there is a CONFRONTATION, culminating in her breaking up with him. She gives him one last hug as she tearfully says goodbye.

Unbeknownst to her, but knownst to us, RG sees the whole thing and, naturally, jumps to the wrong conclusion. Mild tussle over this, and then they SORT IT OUT.

Yadda yadda yadda... RG and the whole FAMILY insist on her spending Christmas with them, and she agrees, but has just one more errand to run. She speeds off to the SUBURBS and grabs her DAD, and they speed back to the FARM. Like, really fast.

He hasn't had a REAL CHRISTMAS in years! She introduces him to the FAMILY, and there is much cheer all around. The CHRISTMAS PARADE goes off without a hitch. The decorations are amazing. The town has lights all around and everyone is just cheerful.

Later that evening the WOMAN FORMERLY KNOWN AS BUSINESSY WOMAN writes a little letter, then encloses it and the BUSINESS DOCUMENT in an ENVELOPE and sets it ON THE TREE. What a great Christmas present!

Fast forward a year, and RG and WFKABW are having their wedding on CHRISTMAS EVE in front of the whole town! RG finally lets his wife go, because she would want him to be HAPPY, especially at Christmas.

THE END

Also, the FORMER CITY DOG is pregnant.

NO! I take that back. She has a litter of puppies already!

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