Detective John Traveller (Peter Coyote) is convicted of the murder of his wife and her lover. His partner and friend, Detective Matthew Ransom, becomes very upset, affecting his marriage that was not working well. The lover of John's wife was the son of Luke Williams, a detective of the same department, and he does not accept the death of his son. After the trial and conviction of John, Matthew separates from his wife Mary Ramson, being sexually arrested by John's daughter Jude. Meanwhile, a serial killer kills the enemies of John, leaving clues in the crime scenes relatives to Sherlock Holmes tales and Matthew suspects of Jude.

In a small town, high-school dean Alana and her vivacious teenage daughter Samantha plan a holiday concert to save the school with the help of the new maintenance man, Army veteran Johnny, and his quiet son Max. But when a car accident lands Sam in a life-threatening condition, Alana turns to Johnny for support, and Max makes a desperate decision that will forever bond their families together. All four must question their values about sacrifice, family, and love - and what it means to be thankful for another Christmas.