Christmas at the Golden Dragon

It is the busiest season for the Golden Dragon, a Chinese restaurant long owned and operated by first-generation immigrants Jim and Sue Chen in Wichita, Kansas, as it is one of the few restaurants open on Christmas Day, when "Christmas misfits" frequent the establishment, including many of their regulars. It's the first Christmas for Jane since her husband's unexpected passing from a heart attack, he the basketball coach at the University of Wichita. While Jane is having a hard time moving on without him, she laments that her daughter Veronica, a high-powered CFO at a tech company, seems to have easily put him in her past, fixated on remembering that he was "never" there for the family in favor of his high-profile career. Veronica also needs to move on from her latest-of-many unsuccessful IVF treatment. Veronica's work colleague, engineer Nate, is determined to make Christmas merry for his two adolescent daughters, Jessa and Vivi, after his recent divorce from their mother--and trying a bit too hard for Jessa's taste. The restaurant being open on Christmas also means a working day for Jim and Sue's staff, including their two young-adult offspring Romy and Rick, who have never had what most would consider a traditional Christmas. Their busboy/delivery boy, Miguel, a second-generation Mexican-American, has received early acceptance into many of the nation's most prestigious colleges, but he hasn't told his father Luis, because he can't go unless he gets a scholarship, and his not-so-perfect resume and lack of community service would put that out-of reach, although he does go out of his way to help his neighbors when they're in need. Rick, who generally waits tables, has failed out of college, and he hasn't told his parents that he has found his passion: to be a chef; Jim and Sue don't really want that for either of their children, as they only opened the restaurant so they could support their family. Rick also faces the return home of his Jewish "friend" Sadie from Los Angeles who has always had feelings for him but has never really forgiven him for standing her up at her high-school prom because of his feelings of lack of self-worth. Jim and Sue have given Romy, an account executive at a New York furnishing company, permission to forgo working at the restaurant this Christmas season so she can spend the holidays with her boyfriend Blake and his family in Vermont, having a traditional winter Christmas as idealized in all her favorite Christmas movies. Jim and Sue have given her that permission in light of their announcement that they have sold the restaurant property and will be closing the Golden Dragon for good. Their last day will be Christmas Eve, allowing their staff to be able to enjoy Christmas for the first time. This announcement, which also funnels its way to Romy in Vermont, has profound effect on the family, the staff, and the Christmas regulars because of their current issues.—Huggo