The Holiday List

The events unfold during a contemporary Christmas season, with key moments from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Eve. The two-week house swap drives much of the plot, creating urgent shifts in mood and intention. The modern setting grounds the romance and personal growth in current life, work, and social pressures. The time frame underscores new beginnings that can emerge even during holiday disruptions.

The story moves between London’s social scene and Iris’s quiet Surrey cottage, then swings to Amanda’s sunny Los Angeles film-world. London anchors Iris’s career and social life, while Surrey offers a peaceful backdrop for personal reflection. Los Angeles provides a glamorous contrast, highlighting Amanda’s business and the city’s fast-paced lifestyle. The locations together emphasize the contrast between two very different worlds and how they shape the characters' search for happiness.

💖 Romance

Romance acts as the engine of change for both Iris and Amanda, guiding them toward healthier, self-affirming connections. The narrative shows love evolving beyond old hurts and uncertainties, with new partners offering genuine compatibility. It highlights that romance can be a force for personal reinvention rather than simply a destination. The film presents love as a chosen path that reshapes futures rather than a fixed fate.

🎬 Self-empowerment

Iris is urged to become the leading lady of her own life, not a spectator to her heartbreak. Arthur’s gift of classic films becomes a toolkit for courage, resilience, and strategic self-reinvention. The story champions agency, encouraging characters to set boundaries and pursue happiness on their own terms. Through courage and new choices, the women redefine what success and fulfillment look like for them.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family

Graham’s role as a widowed father reveals the weight of responsibility and the tenderness required to balance work with parenting. His guarded approach to new relationships is challenged as he reconnects with Amanda and his daughters Sophie and Olivia. The girls anchor his decisions and soften his defenses, illustrating how family can open doors to emotional risk and growth. Family bonds become a catalyst for honesty, trust, and renewed happiness.

🤝 Connections

The narrative threads friendships, neighbors, and colleagues across continents, showing the sustaining power of human connections. Iris’s bond with Miles and Arthur’s mentorship emphasize how support networks help people heal. The cross-cultural swap creates bridges between lives that might otherwise remain separate, reinforcing the idea that shared experiences can spark unexpected beginnings. Ultimately, connection—romantic, platonic, and familial—propels the characters toward new futures.