One December Night

2021 1h 24m English 6.9

Family, Music

Once one of the biggest musical acts in the world, Bedford and Sullivan--comprised of childhood friends Steve Bedford and Mike Sullivan--broke up 10 years ago, an on-stage incident which was the last straw in what was always a somewhat fragile professional relationship. The two have not spoken since, subsequent actions having fractured their relationship even more. While Steve has managed to eke out a solo career with moderate success solely on the strength of goodwill toward the duo, Mike has retreated from the world in those issues that led to that on-stage incident--that is until now, as he has agreed to a televised Christmas reunion show called "Bedford and Sullivan at Big Red", Big Red being the Sullivan family home in the small town of Pineville. Talent manager Dianne Carter, who represents neither Bedford or Sullivan but who has some stake in the show, is asked by the show's producer Troy for assistance, especially in dealing with Mike, who is largely missing-in-action although he agreed to do the show. Of all the agents in Dianne's agency, she assigns Quinn Allen to the task, for a reason which Quinn believed she had kept secret: that Quinn is Mike Sullivan's estranged daughter. Quinn doesn't want to deal with her father, and she is able to negotiate a deal with Dianne as she reluctantly accepts the assignment. When she heads back to Pineville, she learns that Steve is currently represented by his son Jason Bedford, her childhood friend--who, she believes, exacerbated the problems between their fathers in the intervening years. In reconnecting with her father, Quinn learns that both he and Steve need this show to happen for different reasons as Quinn, Jason, Steve, and Mike negotiate and renegotiate, the latter especially around Bedford and Sullivan performing arguably their biggest hit for the show, "One December Night," a very personal song for Mike, one that has some very painful memories. In the process, Quinn and Jason start to fall for each other, but the road to their happily-ever-after might depend on what happens with the show.—Huggo