- It centers on Val who finds herself and her young children held hostage by Denny when he forces his way into her house after committing murder that day.
- Held hostage by a killer, a woman offers to drive the man wherever he wants in an attempt to save the lives of her children and husband. She soon builds a rapport with her captor and uses her wits to help save innocent bystanders from his wrath.—rottentomatoes
- At Christmas, Val Jane (Samantha Mathis) takes care of her family and looks forward to a date with her husband Mark Jane (David Conrad), even though they struggle to make ends meet. Mark has other plans and works late to pay the bills. Val's kids Parker (Leo Cocovinis) and Spencer (Lanz Duffy), are home for winter break. Parker struggles with his reading and hates school. Val gives an impressive speech to boost him up. She makes lemonade for an annoying neighbor who runs his power saw outside in the morning. Then there is a knock at the door. Denny Tuohmy (Harrison Thomas) bursts into the home with a shotgun pointed at Val and forces her and Spencer into the living room. Val puts Spencer in his room and tries to reason with the shooter as the neighbor continues to saw wood next door. Val asks Denny what he wants and feeds him lunch. He hasn't eaten in a while. Mark calls the house to apologize to his wife but Denny hangs up the phone mid-conversation. When he hears Parker in the other room, he screams at Val for not telling him she has two children. Val realizes she needs to get the crazy man out of her house. She offers him the car in the garage and drives him where ever he needs to go. That way, she cannot call the police which satisfies Denny. Mark comes home early and notices the car is missing from the garage. He saves his kids and calls the police. Sergeant David Corbin (Ben Cain) pits out a search for the family vehicle but the police are distracted by a body found nearby. Denny takes Val to his ex-girlfriend Cherie's mother's house where he believes Cherie us living. Cherie isn't home, but her mother, Francine (Tina Alexis Allen), is. Francine has rollers in her hair and is not shy about telling Denny how much he is a deadbeat. She is unfazed by his shotgun and downright bullies him. Val and Denny leave the home, but Denny decides to go back to shoot Francine. Val knows he will kill her at this point but tries to remain calm. Denny explains that he is doing all of this to get Cherie (Tali Rabinowitz) back. Denny takes Val to the bowling alley because it was there where he and Cherie continue to be on a bowling team even though they have broken up. Val asks if she can make a phone call to let her kids know she is ok. She smartly does not try to tell them where she is and even smiles when Denny asks if he and Cherie can come to Christmas dinner at her house. Cherie is having doubts if she made the right decision to break up with Denny. Cherie works at a nursing home and has her co-worker Jessica (Tamara French) lie for her when Denny calls to see if she is working. Meanwhile, at the bowling alley, Val makes a run for it after smashing Denny's foot with a bowling ball. She makes it to the car but then realizes that he has the car keys. Denny now thinks of Val like everyone else as liars. He forces Val to drive to the nursing home to see if Cherie is in there. Before he goes in, he asks Val for relationship advice. They go inside and find Cherie's office, where crumpled-up photos of the couple are in the trash. Val writes an SOS letter, and Jessica gets the message. She calls 911. Mark is at the sheriff's station when deputies are dispatched to the scene. Cherie leaves work and comes home to find her mother dead on the floor at the hands of Denny. She calls the police, and they realize Val is in read danger. Mark goes with the police and is "helping" find his wife. Outside, Mark opens the Christmas present Val had given him, a wristwatch. Val and Denny drive around, and they are running low on gas. Val says she can't keep driving him around, watching him hurt people, but he screams at her to buy gas. They have no money, so Val talks to the gas station attendant instead of sending Denny in because he is unhinged. Val tries to convince him to help her get home to her kids. She mentions that she has two kids. It works, and she gets the gas. Val and Denny drive to a motel where Denny thinks Cherie is staying. Cherie answers a call from Denny while he is on a pay phone. She acts like she still loves him and asks him where he is. The police trace the call and see he is only a block away. Val drives Denny to a remote area as he cries over Cherie not loving him anymore. Val explains that her husband doesn't look at him like he loves her anymore, either. She explains that time is precious and you cannot waste it. She says all she wants in the world is to get back to him and her boys. Denny promises to take her home to them soon. Their final stop is Denny's brother Jesse's house. Jesse (Jesse C. Boyd) tells him to spit out what he wants because Denny only comes around for handouts. Jesse's pregnant wife Carolee (Hannah Dunne) comes too and laughs in Denny's face for being such a loser. She taunts him and calls Denny a "sinkhole." Val defends Denny and shames them for dragging him through the mud and making fun of their own family. They leave the house, and Denny gives Val the keys. He tells her to go home. Denny goes back inside to kills everyone, but Val follows him and stops him from killing anyone else. The police continue to track Denny and eventually blockade the roads. The police surround them, and Denny freaks out, shouting directions to Val. Val tries to tell him that he doesn't have to die here. She talks him into discarding his weapon, exiting the car, and cooperating with the police. Denny is taken down by police and arrested. Val and Mark are reunited. He wears a watch she got him for a Christmas present. On Christmas Day, Cherie visits Denny in prison and asks why he killed her mother. He doesn't have an answer. At the Jane house, the kids are singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." And presents are exchanged. Denny in a jail cell imagining a tropical vacation on Pismo Beach
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