Christmas in Paradise (2022)

Film and Plot Synopsis

In this sequel to Father Christmas Is Back, the Christmas sisters are planning their next Christmas celebrations. New mom Joanna is shocked when she receives a call from her sister Caroline who informs her that their father, James Christmas, has broken up with his young fiancée Jackie and disappeared to an island in the Caribbean. Joanna, Caroline, and their sister Paulina head off in search of their father with a plan to bring him back home with them to celebrate Christmas.

‘Christmas in Paradise’ Movie Summary

The film picks up a year after the events of Father Christmas Is Back. One week before Christmas, Joanna Christmas (Elizabeth Hurley) and her husband Felix (Ray Fearon) are busy taking care of the newborn baby when they receive an urgent phone call from Joanna’s sister Caroline (Nathalie Cox). Caroline informs Joanna that their father, James Christmas (Kelsey Grammer), has left his exceptionally younger fiancée Jackie (April Bowlby) and disappeared to an island in the Caribbean. Caroline is concerned that something is wrong and wants to go look for him. Joanna is concerned about leaving her daughter, but Felix encourages her to go and find her father and return in time for Christmas. Joanna and Caroline contact their younger sister Paulina (Naomi Frederick), who has moved on from her fixation on the Beatles and onto a new fixation with Janice Joplin. The three sisters then catch a flight to the islands.

Meanwhile, James is living happily on a small island in the Caribbean. He has purchased a small house with a view of the ocean and spends his time hanging out with a former country music star Jimmy Love (Billy Ray Cyrus), who has left the limelight to lead a quiet life and rediscover his love for making music. James also spends a lot of time with an island native Megan (Victoria Ekanoye), who keeps him active and involved.

Ultimately, the Christmas sisters stumble upon James’ island and find him doing yoga on the beach with Jimmy. They immediately begin peppering him with questions about leaving Jackie suddenly, which he contends is solely based on their age differences. Pleased to see his daughters, James checks them and himself into a local hotel and makes plans for them to see the sights. They go sailing and enjoy the local cuisine and libations, all while enjoying the company of Jimmy and listening to his music. James and the girls engage with many of the local children in various activities, which causes the Christmas sisters to see their father in a new light. Each of the girls gets to spend time getting to know their father and sharing their favorite Christmas memories of him.

One morning, Joanna enters James’ room looking for some sunscreen and finds a medical report that indicates that James has a cancerous tumor in his brain. She confronts her father about the report which he confirms for her but asks her not to tell her sisters so that he can enjoy his time with them. However, Joanna cannot keep the secret after Caroline becomes suspicious of her father when he suddenly becomes ill during one of their excursions. The girls decide that they will keep the rouse but still attempt to persuade their father to return to London with them to get better medical care. James is quick to figure out the girls’ plan and instead invites them to his new home. At the house, he informs all three of them that he bought the house with intent to spend his last days on the island. He tells them that the tumor will continue to grow until the only option is surgery. James lets his daughters know that he does not want to fade away in front of them and prefers that they remember him as vibrant and healthy. James also tells them that is why he left Jackie as well, not because he did not love her. Caroline is angry with her father for not trying harder to survive and expresses her anger. Nevertheless, James is not persuaded and decides to stay on the island.

The day before the girls are scheduled to return to London, Joanna is contacted by Felix who informs her that she has been offered her dream job as a fashion editor for a popular magazine. Joanna discusses her options with Felix. The next morning, the girls meet one last time with their father. Joanna informs her father of the job offer. He congratulates her, but Joanna informs him that she turned down the offer. Joanna explains that she has a new dream and that is for her daughter to meet and get to know her grandfather. Joanna tells James that she and Felix have decided to move to the island for a year to be near James. James is pleased with the idea. Caroline and Paulina promise to return to the island to visit as well. Paulina also has a promising offer of future romance with Megan, who turns out not to be a love interest of James.

Caroline and Paulina board a boat to head to the airport while Joanna stays with her father. As the boat is pulling away, Caroline gets a call from Jackie who informs her that she is pregnant with James’ baby. Caroline and Paulina have the boat turned around so that they can share the news with James. Upon hearing that he is going to be a father for the fifth time, he comments that maybe this time it will be a boy. The film ends with a hint that James may cling to life for the sake of his new child and may not be willing to accept his fate.