Saving Santa/Transcript

(Scene shows a Christmas tree in the garage. Ginger places a star on the top of the tree. He wears shoes that allow him to bounce high into the air.)

Ginger: (bounces) Woo! We're only hours away from Christmas, people! Woo!

(The garage is decorated with festive decorations. Red and green garlands are hung in the air, the floor is replaced with a red-and-green carpet, and the couch is red.)

Hank: What do you all think Santa will bring you? I'm hoping to get some festive socks! They're like a secret holiday for your feet. (hands sock to Angela)

Angela: (holds sock) Ew! (hands sock to Tom) And I just want peace on Earth and goodwill toward all. Oh, and a cute top!

Ben: I can't tell you what Santa is bringing, but I can tell you where he is. (takes out invention) Behold, the Santa Tracker!

(The Santa Tracker resembles a radar. There is a Santa hat icon representing Santa's location.)

Ginger: Wow!

Angela: Wait, what?

Tom: I don't know. I'm pretty sure Santa doesn't want people keeping tabs on his whereabouts.

Hank: Yeah, Ben, I'd be careful. You don't want to mess with the mystery and joy of Christmas.

Ben: You're all being silly. Look, he's merrily moving past a mountain...

(Scene cuts to a mountain. Santa flies by.)

Santa: Ho ho ho!

Ben: ...prancing to the left of a cloud...

(Santa flies in the sky.)

Santa: Ho ho-

Ben: ...and, now... huh?

(Santa's sled suddenly stops midair. Santa's marker on Ben's radar tracker blips, then disappears. Santa falls from the sky.)

Ben: Oh, no! He's disappeared!

(Theme song plays)

Tom: What did you do, Ben?!

Ben: This isn't my fault! It's a good thing I was tracking him. That way, we can at least work out where he was when he-

Ginger: We can't lose Santa on Christmas Eve! Little kids like me haven't gotten their loot yet!

(The radar bleeps.)

Ben: Oh, no.

Tom: What now?

Ben: Santa disappeared right over... the CEO's headquarters!

(Angela and Hank gasp.)

Angela: The CEO?!

(The CEO appears on TV.)

CEO (on TV): Fellow lovers of holidays.

(Ben stands in the way of the TV. Tom pulls him aside.)

Ben: Huh?

CEO (on TV): I've decided to keep my stores open all day on Christmas this year! Just in case Santa doesn't show up tonight.

(The CEO shows to the screen a drawing of Santa sleeping. He pretends to snore.)

CEO (on TV): (laughs) I'm not saying he won't! How would I know that, right? But if he doesn't, you can buy your gifts from me, so see you tomorrow!

(The TV turns off.)

Angela: Oh, no.

Tom: He's gonna make a fortune selling presents!

Ginger: And worse, Christmas won't come this year! Or maybe ever!

Hank: People, we may not be misfit elves or plucky snowmen, but I say we get out there and we save Christmas!

(The friends cheer.)

(Scene cuts to the CEO's tower. The friends enter, with Ben and Hank carrying a wagon with a pile of presents. Inside the largest present is Ginger.)

Ginger: Are we there yet?

Tom: (whispers) Almost. We just have to get you under the tree, then you can sneak out and start looking around.

(Tom approaches the receptionist.)

Receptionist: Can I help you?

Tom: (clears throat) We are here to spread Christmas cheer. (offers present) Huh?

Receptionist: Oh! (laughs) Follow me, please.

Tom: (winks) Yes!

(Scene cuts to the CEO's office. The CEO stands by the "Christmas tree," which consists of metal bars and lights. A dollar sign sits at the top of the tree.)

Tom: (enters) Merry Christmas, CEO!

CEO: Tom? What are you doing here on Christmas Eve?

Tom: We're here to spread Christmas cheer! But, we also brought you... some presents!

CEO: I do not accept! We're mortal enemies.

Angela: That doesn't matter, CEO. Christmas is about giving.

CEO: Well, I do like when people are giving.

Tom: Right. (laughs nervously)

CEO: Wait, where's that other one of you? The little loud one.

Ben: Oh, you mean Ginger? He's at home, tucked in all snug in his bed. It is Christmas Eve, after all.

(A sneeze is heard from the gift box.)

CEO: Huh?

(The CEO opens the present box to find Ginger.)

Ginger: Merry Christmas, CEO!

CEO: (growls) Security! I have enemies in my office and they're not tied up. Fix this!

(A man and a woman appears. The woman holds a lasso.)

Hank: Run! (runs)

Ben: No! (runs)

(The friends run from the man and woman. Angela is captured with the lasso, and Tom is picked up by the man. The CEO heads to the door.)

Tom: Get... off... me!

(The CEO leaves and closes the door.)

(Scene cuts. The friends are bound with ropes. Ginger gets up.)

Ginger: Thanks a lot, Ben! Because of your stupid Santa Tracker, I'm going to spend Christmas Eve here! I should be caroling or making a snowman.

Hank: Well, there are worse ways to spend Christmas Eve. You know, like... never mind. This is pretty bad.

(Darren knocks then enters.)

Darren: Uncle CEO! Oh, what's this? Uncle has been forced to tie up office intruders?

Tom: Shut up, Darren! Also, please untie us.

Darren: Untie you? Why would I do that? (giggles)

Ginger: Don't waste your breath talking to him, Tom. Darren doesn't care about Christmas.

Darren: (gasps) Hey, take that back! Of course I care about the most wonderful time of the year!

Ginger: Why did you and your uncle kidnap Santa Claus, huh?

Darren: (gasps) Kidnap Santa?! But I... I didn't, but my uncle couldn't! What are you talking about?! (sobs) Stop lying!

Tom: You really don't know? Huh, he really doesn't know.

Darren: I know my uncle would never do such a thing.

Tom: Hey, Ben, show him the Santa Tracker.

(Ben slides the Santa Tracker to Darren using his foot. Darren picks it up.)

Ben: I created this device to track Santa's precise location.

Darren: Ew, why would you want to do that?

Ben: Because... never mind! As you can see, he's here.

Darren: Hmm... Uncle's been upset at Santa for a while, but I never thought it would come to this!

Tom: So, what's it going to be, Darren? Will you let Christmas get ruined, or will you help us?

Darren: Oh, well... (picks up scissors)

(The friends scream. Darren walks over.)

Angela: Wha- wha?

(Scene cuts. Ginger has been freed by Darren and jumps into the air.)

Ginger: Wow, I thought you'd take the other choice!

Darren: I'm not doing this for you! I asked for some big-ticket presents this year, and if I want Santa to bring them, I've got a lot of naughty to make up for.

(Scene cuts to the receptionist's desk. Darren and Tom are out of the receptionist's view. Darren calls the receptionist with his phone to distract her while the friends continue forward.)

Ginger: (bounces) Whee! It's like these floors were made for pogo-shoes!

Darren: Careful! If you break anything, you'll have to pay for it.

(Ginger jumps onto a stone bust of the CEO, which starts to tip over. Darren saves the bust just before it crashes.)

(Darren calls the elevator, not knowing that the CEO was in it.)

(The elevator opens. The CEO gasps at an spider on his hand and flicks it away. He walks past, not knowing that the friends were hiding on the sides of the elevator. The friends enter the elevator and closes the door.)

(Ginger continues jumping with his shoes in the elevator. Hank hums.)

Ben: Hank?

Hank: Oh, right. (hums different tune)

(Ben growls. They reach their destination and leave the elevator.)

(The CEO walks past the receptionist and enters the office, only to find that the friends have escaped.)

(The receptionist opens the gift box to find a spring-loaded boxing glove inside that punches her in the face. She presses the alarm button under her desk.)

(The alarms are sounded.)

Alarm: Alarm.

(The friends walk past a labyrinth of corridors. They reach a metal door.)

Ben: Okay, it looks like Santa is right on the other side of this door.

(Darren opens the door. The friends enter.)

(At the center of the room is Santa, who has been tied to a chair.)

Santa: Ho ho ho! Hello, Tom, Angela, Ben, Hank, Ginger... and even Darren...

Ben: Wow, you remember all our names?

Santa: Ooh, of course! If I didn't, how could I keep track of if you were naughty or nice?

Tom: Don't worry, Mr. Claus! (takes out scissors and tries to cut ropes) We're here to save you and Christmas!

(The ropes glow, but are not cut.)

Santa: Oh, that's sweet of you, but... no.

Angela: Let me help. (tries tugging ropes)

(The ropes glow, but do not untangle. Santa is squeezed by the ropes in the process.)

(Ben steps on Santa's face to tug on the ropes, but they do not untangle.)

Santa: Really, don't bother.

Ben: Oh, don't worry, it's... (strains) totally... not a... bother at all!

(The friends collapse on the floor in defeat.)

Hank: Okay, it was a bother after all.

Santa: I'm trying to tell you. You can't untie me because... I don't want you to.

Tom: What? But Santa, you have to get out of here before-

(The CEO appears with the two security guards from before.)

CEO: Capture them- again!

(The friends run.)

Darren: It's not what it looks like, Uncle! I was... (lies) trying to stop them!

(The female guard picks up Ginger.)

Ginger: No! Why are you doing this?!

CEO: Why? Because Santa is a liar!

(Ginger gasps.)

Tom: What?

(A flashback is shown. The CEO opens gifts in his office.)

CEO: Ever since I was a boy, I would open my presents alone in my office, like most people do. I always got what I asked for, but I never felt that Christmas spirit everyone's always singing about.

(In the flashback, the CEO finds the receptionist receiving a gift at her desk.)

CEO: Then I realized why!

(The flashback ends.)

CEO: It's because Santa made up the Christmas spirit so he'd be the only one who brings presents on Christmas! Well, that ends today!

Angela: But it isn't made-up! It's real!

CEO: Then why don't I feel it? Me, with all my things?!

Tom: Hmm, I think I have an idea. (whispers in Santa's ear)

Santa: Ho ho ho ho ho!

(The friends, along with the CEO, are transported into the air as trails of light. Santa is freed from his ropes.)

(The trails of light exit the tower and move past the CEO's office window, knocking over the CEO's Christmas tree. The light travels to the garage. The friends are at the garage with the CEO.)

CEO: Huh?

Tom: You always spend Christmas alone. That's why you never understood what it's all about.

(Hank offers the CEO a plate of cookies.)

Tom: Christmas isn't about getting presents. It's about being with the people you care about.

CEO: Even if they're your mortal enemy?

Tom: Even then.

(Angela hands the CEO a cup of tea.)

Tom: Merry Christmas, CEO.

CEO: Oh, I don't know. This is strange.

Ginger: Mr. CEO? I got these pogo-shoes last year, and I'd like you to have them.

Angela: Ginger, are you sure?

CEO: (gasps and takes shoes) I feel so... happy. But... these are a year old, and I could buy a hundred new ones! Why are these special?

Tom: I think it's because you're feeling a little something we call... the Christmas spirit.

CEO: (gasps) I am! It's real! It's all real! I'm so sorry, Santa!

Santa: Ho ho! I knew you'd figure it out, Carl. And since it's Christmas, all is forgiven. Ho ho ho!

CEO: Yes! I understand now! I won't sell people things on Christmas. I'll open my stores just to give things away to anyone who asks! (laughs)

Santa: Ginger, you gave up a present so that someone else could be happy. (pats Ginger's head) That was very nice.

Tom: So you could've left at any time, but you wanted to stay to teach the CEO an important Christmas lesson?

Santa: Well, that's part of the reason, yes, but there's still one more thing. (extends hand)

Ben: (hands Santa Tracker) Are you going to bring it to the North Pole and make magical improvements to it?

Santa: ...No.

(Santa throws the tracker onto the floor and stomps on it, destroying it.)

Ben: No, no, no, no!

Santa: Stop messing with the mystery of Christmas!

(Ben sobs.)

(Scene cuts to outside on the driveway. Santa leaves on his sledsl.)

Santa: Ho ho ho ho!

(Hank speaks to the audience.)

Hank: ...And that's the story of how Hank, Ginger, Angela and Tom saved Christmas, and became friends with the CEO-

(Hank is hit with a snowball.)

(Scene cuts to the CEO, who threw the snowball.)

CEO: Hey, we're not friends! This is a temporary truce because of the Christmas spirit. Don't push it!

Hank: Uh, well... that's... the end. (winks)

(Credits roll)