Christmas Cupid
Christmas Cupid is a television film starring Christina Milian, Ashley Benson and Chad Michael Murray and directed by Gil Junger. It was premiered on ABC Family on December 12, 2010, as part of their 25 Days of Christmas programming block. It was filmed under the name Ex-Mas Carol.
Plot
Sloane Spencer is an ambitious and self-involved publicist in Los Angeles planning the Snow Angel movie premiere on Christmas for her client Caitlin Quinn. Sloane must make the event perfect in order to beat her ex-boyfriend Jason for a promotion to Vice President, even though Sloane is dating her boss Andrew, whose family owns the company. Sloane makes plans to work all of Christmas Day rather than spend time with her mother, Vivian, or have dinner with her friend Jenny and Jenny's husband Ed at their struggling restaurant.When Caitlin chokes to death on the olive from a martini, her ghost visits Sloane, warning that she needs to change her ways or pay the price. Later, Andrew calls Sloane with the news that Caitlin has died. Sloane goes to the hospital to see the body for herself and runs into her ex-boyfriend Patrick who is a doctor at the hospital. Upon seeing Caitlin's body, Sloane worries about the implications for the movie premiere.
The next day, Caitlin's ghost continues to follow around Sloane, interfering in her every day activities. Andrew puts Sloane in charge of Caitlin's memorial, which Sloane decides to combine with the movie premiere. Consequently, everyone at the office has to work overtime, even on Christmas Day. Patrick calls Sloane and asks her out on a date, but she puts off having to give him an answer.
At midnight that night, Sloane is visited by the spirit of "ex-mas past", her first boyfriend, Brad, who shows Sloane how her mom shaped Sloane's materialistic ways and how she has always left guys hanging, for example, how she left Patrick while he was at class leaving only a note, not knowing he was planning to propose. Finally, Brad breaks the news to Sloane that Andrew is cheating on her with an unnamed blonde.
The next day, Sloane dumps Andrew after he admits to cheating on her, although he claims it was only once. Later, Sloane is only worried about how it will affect her career, making her competition with Jason for the promotion heat up even more. Sloane decides to use her dinner reservations that she had with Andrew to have dinner with Patrick instead. On the date, as Sloane and Patrick are about to kiss, Andrew comes and proposes to Sloane. Sloane says yes, completely forgetting about Patrick.
At midnight that night, Caitlin and the spirit of "ex-mas present", Jason, show Sloane how her thoughtless actions affect those around her. Sloane observes her secretary Ella telling her son that she will not be home on Christmas Day, Jenny and Ed talking about how Sloane takes Jenny for granted, and Sloane's mom finding out that her husband will not be home for Christmas and she will be spending it completely alone. Last, Sloane discovers that Andrew was actually on the phone while talking to her about their engagement and sees how upset Patrick was. Both Caitlin's ghost and Jason's spirit want to show Sloane that if she continues on acting like she currently is, she is going to end up alone.
The next day, Sloane attempts to fix the relationships in her life. She admits to Jenny that she forgot to put the gift certificates to help Jenny's restaurant in the gift baskets. Sloane then visits Patrick who tells her that he "could never fall in love with her now".
As she is leaving the hospital, Sloane is visited by the spirit of "ex-mas future", who is dressed like Santa Claus. Sloane visits her mother's house where Vivian is spending Christmas alone with the 3 dogs, one of whom she named after Sloane, as she believes they love her more than Sloane did. Next, Sloane visits the future home of Jenny and Ed where they receive a Christmas card from her, which she refuses to read from. She discovers that Jenny's restaurant has failed and it forced her to be a waitress at Applebee's. Sloane learns that because Sloane's thoughtlessness with the gift cards and her focus on her own promotion, Jenny ended their friendship. Finally, Sloane visits the hospital where she learns that she never sees Patrick again after accepting Andrew's proposal and that he believes she is shallow and selfish. Sloane defends that she does care about love, and since she and Andrew are engaged, he would never become her ex. The spirit laughs at her and reveals himself to be Andrew, her future ex-husband.
Andrew revealed they do get married, but they ultimately divorce because of their different lifestyles. Sloane only wanted power and wealth, while Andrew wanted to make their marriage work. Inside the hospital, Sloane observes how happy the patients are to have family visit them on Christmas, and then discovers that no one came to visit her and she died alone. Sloane begs Andrew to help her fix this because it's not the future she wanted, but he refuses, saying she got what she deserved. Before leaving, Andrew suggests that has Sloane been more caring towards others, she would not have ended up alone.
Sloane wakes up on Christmas Day determined to fix her life. First, she reconciles with her mother and drops her off at Jenny's for dinner. Then she goes to the movie premiere/memorial where she sends her secretary home for the day and puts all the gift certificates for Jenny's restaurant in the gift baskets. The event is a success and Sloane gets the promotion to Vice President. Sloane dumps Andrew again as he was not the man she was looking for. Having accomplished her mission, Caitlin gets her wings and goes up to Heaven after saying goodbye to Sloane. As Sloane is leaving, she and Jason make peace.
At the hospital, Sloane apologizes to Patrick and professes her love for him. Patrick is doubtful and upset that she embarrassed him in public. Sloane tells him that she and Andrew are done for good and she realizes how much she hurt Patrick. In the end, Patrick forgives her and joins her at Jenny's for dinner, where Sloane makes a Christmas toast, surrounded by the people she loves and who love her.
Cast
- Christina Milian as Sloane Spencer is based on Ebenezer Scrooge
- Ashley Benson as Caitlin Quinn is based on Jacob Marley
- Chad Michael Murray as Patrick based on Belle.
- Jackée Harry as Vivian is similar to Scrooge's father and Nephew Fred
- Ashley Johnson as Jenny; another character based on Nephew Fred
- Burgess Jenkins as Andrew as the Ghost of Christmas Future
- Patrick Johnson as Brad as the Ghost of Christmas Past
- Ryan Sypek as Jason as the Ghost of Christmas Present
- Justin Smith as Ed
- Cara Mantella as Ella is based on Bob Cratchit
Reception