A Modern Christmas Story

AI helped!

 Absolutely! Let’s get started. I’ll break it down scene by scene to give it a clear structure. We’ll open with Chip Wilson’s world, cold and wealthy, and contrast that with the warmth of the people on the DTES (Downtown Eastside), particularly Timmy and his mother. Here's Scene 1 to set the tone:

Screenplay Title

“Don’t Ignore the Poor”

Scene 1: Opening - Chip’s Mansion (Point Grey Road, Vancouver)

EXT. POINT GREY MANSION – NIGHT

The camera opens on Chip’s mansion, overlooking the ocean. The lights from the North Shore Mountains twinkle in the distance. Inside, the house is dimly lit but lavish. The windows reflect the emptiness of the home—spacious, beautiful, but sterile. The sound of the wind outside contrasts with the stillness inside.

INT. MANSION – CHIP’S OFFICE

Chip Wilson (mid-60s, athletic build, neatly dressed) sits behind a large desk. In front of him, a news report plays on a flat-screen TV, featuring a headline: “Homeless Crisis in Vancouver Escalates.” He barely looks at it, focused instead on his tablet, swiping through real estate updates, investments, and luxury goods.

Chip puts down the tablet and glances out the window, noticing the bike path below. It’s dark now, but he imagines it bustling with cyclists, a world he is disconnected from.

Suddenly, his phone BUZZES. It’s a message from his PR Manager.

PR MANAGER (text):

“Chip, need a statement about the vandalism on your property. Let’s blame local activists.”

Chip sighs. He types back:

CHIP (text):

“Yeah, just say it’s a group of radicals trying to destroy what I’ve built.”

He puts the phone down, taking a sip of whiskey. Outside, the ocean waves crash quietly, oblivious to the rising storm in the city below.

Scene 2: DTES - Sarah and Timmy’s Ten

EXT. DTES TENT COMMUNITY – NIGHT

We cut to a contrasting scene. The Downtown Eastside (DTES), full of tents and tarps, lit only by the occasional streetlamp and flashlights. SARAH (30s, thin, weary but kind) is inside one of the tents with her son, TIMMY (8 years old, pale, but full of spirit). She holds a flashlight as she reads him a book.

SARAH:

“And the prince said, ‘One day, we’ll all live in a castle by the sea…’”

TIMMY (coughing):

“By the sea…like the one we saw last week?”

Sarah smiles, brushing his hair back gently.

SARAH:

"Yes, just like that. One day, we’ll have our little house by the ocean too. Just wait."

Timmy smiles weakly. Sarah tries to remain hopeful, but the worry lines on her face are deep. Timmy begins to doze off. Sarah looks out at the other tents, at the people around her—all just trying to survive another night

--

Scene 3: Chip’s First Ghostly Visit

INT. MANSION – CHIP’S BEDROOM – LATE NIGHT

Chip is asleep in his lavish king-size bed. Outside, a storm is brewing. The wind howls. He stirs, uncomfortable, tossing and turning.

SUDDENLY, there’s a RUSH of cold air. Chip’s eyes SNAP OPEN. Standing at the foot of his bed is THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST, a young, ethereal woman dressed in old-fashioned clothes, glowing faintly in the dark.

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST:

“Chip Wilson.”

Chip bolts upright, startled.

CHIP:

“What the—who are you? How did you get in here?”

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST:

“I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. I’m here to show you the moments that shaped you, that made you…like this.”

CHIP (angrily):

“Like what? What are you talking about?”

The ghost says nothing. She simply motions toward the window. Chip, hesitant but intrigued, gets up and walks over.

EXT. CHIP’S CHILDHOOD HOME – NIGHT

Suddenly, the scene transforms. They are no longer in the mansion but outside a small, modest house. Chip gasps. He recognizes it—his childhood home.

Young Chip (10 years old) is standing outside with his mother, who works tirelessly, taking on two jobs to make ends meet. She is smiling, despite the struggle, as she hands him a small, worn-out toy for Christmas.

YOUNG CHIP:

“Thanks, Mom! I’ll take care of it.”

His mother wipes her brow, exhausted but determined to provide. The ghost looks at Chip, waiting for his reaction.

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST:

“Do you remember how hard she worked to give you a life of comfort? Do you remember when you appreciated even the smallest things?”

Chip is silent, staring at his younger self.

Scene 4: The Ghost of Christmas Present – Sarah and Timmy

INT. MANSION – CHIP’S LIVING ROOM – LATER

Chip is now back in his mansion, pacing. He’s still rattled by the last visit when the GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT (a robust, middle-aged man with a warm but serious demeanor) suddenly appears.

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT:

“Look around you. This is the present. This is what your city has become.”

He waves his hand, and the room transforms into a scene of the DTES. Chip and the Ghost stand near Sarah and Timmy’s tent.

EXT. DTES TENT – NIGHT

Sarah is sitting beside Timmy, who is coughing again. She’s trying to soothe him, but the cold air is making his condition worse. They huddle under a blanket, while the sound of others coughing and talking nearby fills the air.

CHIP (defensive):

“What am I supposed to do? There’s always going to be poverty. This isn’t my fault.”

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT:

“You built your empire while ignoring this, while allowing it to worsen. But not everyone has the luxury of turning away.”

Timmy coughs again, and Chip winces slightly, reminded of his younger self. He watches as Sarah strokes Timmy’s hair, doing her best to keep him warm. Despite the hardship, there’s love here. There’s hope.

Scene 5: The Ghost of Christmas Future

EXT. POINT GREY ROAD – FUTURE

The Ghost of Christmas Future shows Chip a cold, bleak Vancouver. The city is divided, with the ultra-rich locked away in gated communities while the rest struggle to survive. There are no more bike paths, just empty roads and towering walls

(End of excerpt)

I’ll continue the next scenes where Chip’s transformation begins, followed by his revolutionary tiny house initiative on the bike path! Does this flow feel good so far?

Stay Tuned 

#DontIgnoreThePoor