Watching his community fall apart, a musician working as Santa seeks to forge an inspiring new life in his conflicted world.

SYNOPSIS:

MIKE (40s), an eternal optimist, returns to Austin to take care of his mother, who’s in a nursing home with dementia, and remembers him as a loser. His son, Henry, has moved to Paris. His wife is divorcing him, and his Santa gig is perpetually interrupted by ICE agents dragging away his audience. On top of that, JAMAL (6), a thoughtful foster child, tells Mike, as Santa, he wishes someone would take him home, leaving Mike in tears at the injustice in the world. The tapestry of his community life is beginning to unravel. Mike soldiers on with his kooky friends, ALEJANDRO (30s) and his wife, GABRIELA (30s), an employment counselor, She doesn't know how to help Mike. She has no openings for Shamans, Zen accordion players, or knight errants. What is your dream, Mike? Um...

Mike can’t teach in Texas again because of the hostile political climate. Gabriella's inspired options for Mike and Alejandro include: talking to cattle until they wreck the boss' truck, innocently shipping narcotics from an antique store until assaulted by police dogs, tolerating a Soviet-style hierarchy of leaders at a grocery store, and recording over-the-top ads for Spanish radio for their friend, JERRY (60s). Life becomes serious when Mike’s mom dies.

Mike receives word that his deceased father has left him a hidden inheritance in Wyoming - a valuable, antique Chinese box. Mike decides to work until late December, go to Wyoming, find the box , then put his community back together. THERESA (50), Mike’s only sibling, inherits everything from their mother, but doesn’t know about the box. Mike plays some gigs with MARIE (40s), a plucky musician, who shares his parallel life trajectory, but is more successful at finding romances to mask her despair. Marie’s only daughter died in her youth. Alejandro and Gabriela are accepted into law school, and leave for Mexico to visit family. Marie moves to San Antonio to care for her mother with cancer. Mike is alone.

Mike becomes Santa at Big Hank’s, and deals with sad children, bad parents, and HANK (60s), an asshole. Mike performs with Marie intermittently when she visits Austin, but she’s involved with another musician which limits their relationship. Mike suffers as the children’s stories become unbearably sad. He’s forced to recruit in his Santa suit on a busy street in ninety degree heat. Hank reads a newspaper article that makes Mike sound creepy for talking too much to kids. Mike is fired, and the Santa suit is retired forever. With despair galloping in for the holidays, HENRY (20s), Mike’s son, calls from Paris to tell Mike he won’t be returning to Austin. Jerry loses his music studio in the poor economy. Mike visits the cemetery and discovers they’ve lost his mother’s urn. He returns home to see that his ex is selling his home out from under him. Mike’s community is in shambles.

Mike drives to Wyoming to see his family homestead before new owners move in. On the way, his beloved wreck of a car catches fire. A PATROLMAN (40) and Mike philosophize about the desperation in their lives. Mike spends a stormy night of sad flashbacks on the floor of his old home. In the morning a bright red pheasant walks across a snow-laden field restoring Mike's confidence in the glorious absurdity of life. Mike finds the antique box, and decides to give away the proceeds to help his friends as his generous father would have done. Mike returns to Austin, keeps Jerry’s studio afloat, expresses his love for Marie, then finds Jamal for adoption. Mike creates 'Harmony,' a four-season pantry and party for his wildly diverse new community.

WINTER