On Strike for Christmas Page #6

l thought your Mom was gonna cave,

but that's not gonna happen now.

Maybe that's

because she has a point.

Yes, she's got a point.

The holidays are a full-time job

that she made look easy...

...even when it wasn't. l get it.

She's thrown down the gauntlet

with this newspaper article.

This is war now.

But we can do this.

Here's the list.

-That's a lot of stuff.

-Yes, it is.

We need to get started.

Where's your brother?

Went to beg Brittany

to help him with the party.

We need the tree up...

...and the house decorated

before my party.

We need to find a caterer fast.

We need to go gift shopping.

This close to Christmas?

This place is a nightmare.

The women sneering and yelling.

-Jackass.

-And the guys?

All pissed. l thought that guy Ted

was your friend.

-Santa told you to go--

-l heard what Santa said.

Let's go to the car.

l knew that picture of us

was gonna be trouble.

lt's all over the lnternet. Someone

posted a video from Mom's shop.

Now we'll have to find

somewhere else to shop.

Hey, Keith, don't go in there.

lt's not safe.

l have to, thanks to you.

-lsn't that Mom's friend, the reporter?

-Yes, it is.

Mr. Robertson?

Hi. Rosemary Channing,

Joy's friend from the Herald.

l know who you are, Rosemary.

That's quite the hatchet job

you did on us.

l'd like to interview you to get the male

perspective on the Christmas strike.

l'm here talking to other men

but l'd really like to talk to you.

How can l trust

you're gonna be objective?

Mr. Robertson, l'm a journalist.

l don't let my personal viewpoints

interfere with my work.

-Okay, l'll do it.

-You will?

Yeah. Meet us at our house at 4:00.

Great. Great, l'll see you then.

Thank you.

Sure you know what you're doing?

Call your brother and tell him

to meet us at the house.

We're gonna get our side

of the story out there.

lt's time to turn the tide

on this strike.

-Looks all right, Dad.

-Thanks, Mark.

Where's Mom's angel ornament...

...and the ornaments we made with her

when we were little?

Well, l couldn't find space for it,

so l went for a simpler theme.

-Did you find that gift-buying website?

-Mission accomplished.

Take care of Christmas cards?

l downloaded the e-mails from the list

and l sent them e-cards.

Good. What did it say?

l'm sure it's fine.

Get this place cleaned up.

That reporter's gonna be here.

Why do the interview?

That reporter was wack.

Because it's time we took a stand

and show that we're committed.

All right? We're not arrogant or lazy.

We can do this. Our way.

So why are we doing another article

on the Christmas strike?

Evenhanded reporting.

That's good then, because l thought

your last article sold us short.

l do believe men are capable of doing

more to help out during the holidays.

And they should.

Who knew

you were so enlightened?

Hey, you know l was wondering...

...do you wanna go to a concert

with me on Christmas Eve?

Was everything you said a ploy

to get me to go on a date?

l figured it couldn't hurt.

l should have known.

Yes, but will you go?

-Right on time.

-Hi.

This is my photographer,

Rick Daniels.

-This is Mr. Robertson.

-Nice to meet you.

You ready to give us

your side of this story?

Yes, l am. Come right in.

Very good.

-That's her.

-God.

l can't remember the last time

l went shopping for fun.

-l mean, even after work.

-Me either.

Oh, look, a new striker for the cause.

-Good.

-Yeah.

l don't think l remember

this many men down here, ever.

Yeah, don't look too close,

they don't look too happy.

Good. Maybe they're starting

to appreciate us more.

Look, that dress is beautiful.

Well, let's get in there, girl.

l was thinking l'd like to buy a dress

for Stephen's faculty party.

Well, you should do it then.

Oh, you said this strike

was gonna light a fire in town.

-Feel the heat, honey.

-On strike. On strike.

Call off the strike?

No. No, l'm afraid not.

Please, Mom.

We need you.

Did you see

the decorations outside?

Jeremy and l forgot how much fun

it was to put them up.

But we really missed you.

Jeremy tried to tell Dad

to put our old ornaments...

...the angel one you love,

on the tree.

lt still looks nice.

Hey, why don't you play me

that song that you're writing?

l'd love to Mom, but l can't.

Why not?

Brittany won't help me

with my Christmas party...

...because she joined your strike.

l gotta go do all the stuff

for the party.

l thought about canceling it...

...but l figure it's one

of the last Christmases...

...all of my friends

will be together.

l've played

with those guys a lot of years.

Well, you'll stay in touch

when you're at Oberlin.

Yeah, but it will never be the same.

l'll see you later, Mom.

Well, hello there.

l didn't expect to see you

back here tonight.

What's wrong?

Mom, l know that you don't agree

with the strike, but....

l never said that.

You're like me. Or l'm like you.

Whatever.

You don't hide your feelings well

and l can tell.

Anyway, l hope you understand

that all the women who are on strike...

...we just want our families

to appreciate how hard we work...

...for everything to be nice

on the holidays.

And sometimes we just need

some help from them.

You can understand that, right?

Yes, l can.

l just want Christmas

to be perfect for the boys...

...like it was for us

when Dad was alive.

lt wasn't perfect then, honey.

Sure it was.

We were always so happy.

l can still hear Dad singing

''Up on the Housetop.''

We were happy...

...because we were always together

at that time of year...

...with family members

and friends around.

But it certainly wasn't perfect.

Don't you remember the year

that l burned the turkey to a crisp?

Actually, l do remember that.

And the year that your father

forgot to get me a present...

...and wrote that silly poem

on a paper towel to apologize?

You loved that poem. l remember

you cried when you read it.

And it hangs in my kitchen

every Christmas.

Your father was definitely unique...

...and l loved him for that.

Always will.

Remember, Joy, the holidays

are not about the trappings.

And families evolve

and change as we get older.

l've never been a big fan of change.

And that has been true

ever since you were a little girl.

Don't most strikes end

when they find a middle ground?

Rosemary told me they settled

the grocery strike..

They did?

How?

Each side gave a little.

Try looking at it

from your family's perspective.

And think about what it is

that you really care about.

l love you, Mom.

l love you too.

And l am proud of you.

-Hey, good morning.

-Hi.

What was that for?

Just thinking about something

my mom said last night.

What's so interesting

that you're reading?

Nothing.

-Wait.

-Where were we?

-What?

-Hey, what is this?

Why don't you want me

to see it?

ls this what l think it is?

Well, they wanted

another perspective on the strike.

See? We didn't do such a bad job

decorating the tree there.

You ordered gifts

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