Walter Meyers (Danny Glover) is a retired automotive engineer who lost his wife, Grace (Rachel Kylian) one year earlier. Now that the holiday season is here, he invites his four grown children and the rest of the family to his house for a traditional celebration. Walter knows that if his daughters Cheryl (Kimberly Elise) and Rachel (Gabrielle Union) and sons Christian (Romany Malco) and Evan (Jessie Usher) can spend five days together under the same roof, it will truly be a Christmas miracle. As his children arrive, Walter realizes a perfect Christmas without his wife is easier said than done. Cheryl, a doctor and the eldest child, arrives for the holidays with her goofy husband Lonnie (J.B. Smoove), a previously famous basketball player who develops a mutual interest in a young grocery store worker (Keri Hilson) shortly after arriving in town. His eldest son and second born, Christian, struggles with balancing his campaign to become a congressman and his desire to spend time with his family. Christian invites his campaign manager along, so they can get more work done. Meanwhile, Rachel, his youngest daughter and third born, struggles to financially support herself and her daughter due to her recent divorce and studying to become a lawyer. Lastly, Evan (Jessie Usher) is a successful football player recovering from a shoulder injury, but when his coach tells him his arm is completely healed, Evan struggles to give up the pain medication.