The Holly and the Ivy

The Gregory family returns home for Christmas at the parsonage in Wyndenham, Norfolk. The opening sequence introduces most of the family while keeping younger Margaret off-screen for much of the first half.

Jenny works for her aging father Martin, the village parson, and longs to marry engineer David, who will travel to South America for five years. She fears she cannot leave Martin without someone to look after him, creating a dilemma for her future.

Michael, Martin's son, resents his father's religious plans and the expectation of university after his national service in the Royal Artillery. He feels stifled by the family's conservatism and questions how to live his life.

Margaret arrives late and makes clear she has no intention of staying or giving up her life in London as a magazine writer. She reveals that she has been an unmarried mother, and that the death of her four-year-old son drives her toward alcohol.

Margaret and Michael decide not to stay with their father and aunts on Christmas Eve and head out ostensibly to the cinema. They end up in a pub, drink too much, and return home to a charged, resentful scene.

On Christmas morning, Margaret announces she is leaving immediately, and Michael challenges Martin by asking whether God exists. The heated exchange reveals the depth of their distress and the gulf between them.

It gradually emerges that Martin is not a tyrant but a compassionate counselor who has helped people with similar problems. He has wrestled with his own doubts on the road to his vocation and understands the siblings' struggles.

In individual heart-to-hearts just before the Christmas morning service, Martin expresses regret that his children think him unapproachable. He reassures them that he loves them and wants to understand their choices.

Michael yields to Martin's understanding and agrees to consider university, easing the tension between father and son. A sense of possibility returns as the family begins to hope for a more harmonious future.

Margaret decides to abandon the London life she secretly despises and stays with Martin to support the family. Her choice marks a turn away from self-destructive habits toward rebuilding family bonds.

With the siblings’ issues resolved, Jenny is free to marry David, and the plan for her to go to South America can proceed. The future no longer hinges on the parson's disapproval.

The family gathers for the Christmas morning church service, and the atmosphere is one of reconciliation. The service marks the moment when harmony is restored among the Gregorys.