Nutcrackers (film)

Michael Maxwell is pulled away from his job in Chicago, following the death of his sister Janet and her husband. In rural Ohio, he winds up having to look after his nephews Justice, Junior, Samuel, and Simon Kicklighter, as social worker Gretchen Rice looks for a foster home who will take them. The Kicklighter kids live on a farm and are unruly children who are homeschooled and partake in dangerous recreational activities. Mike is supposed to close a realtor deal for a train yard, but his advisor Carol threatens to give the project to the untested Devin, whom Mike clearly despises. The Kicklighter kids force Mike to think on his feet, while he in turn slowly grows accustomed to their rural living. He bonds with them about Janet who ran a dance studio in town where they learned ballet. A couple offers to take the two younger Kicklighters, but Mike refuses to separate them. The kids vie for wealthy socialite Al Wilmington to take them in, so Mike secures an invitation to his mansion for a Christmas party. While there, Justice is revealed to be in a relationship with a girl named Mia, who also went to the dance studio. While Mike quickly rubs elbows with everyone there, the kids end up destroying a nativity display with a golf cart that sinks in the swimming pool, souring their chances of getting fostered by Al. Mike goes to another prospect he met named Rose, but she turns out to be fostering solely for money and comes onto Mike, forcing him to turn her down. Carol passes Mike up for Devin, angering him, but continues his search for potential foster homes. Junior, having written a "better" version of The Nutcracker ballet, inspires Mike to produce it for the local theater, not just to get funding, but also to potentially give the kids a greater chance of getting fostered. Justice initially refuses, until Mike convinces Mia to also be part of the performance. With the performance underway, Gretchen brings up how Mike's search for a foster family has inadvertently made him attached to his nephews, something he refused to acknowledge. When he still insists that what he is doing is a good thing (calling the kids a "pain in the ass"), his words are overheard by the Kicklighters. Just as Carol calls back to inform Mike that he is needed after all, the kids disappear before the performance starts. Mike informs everyone in attendance that the play has been cancelled, however it is revealed that the kids have moved the performance outside on the street, at their parents' memorial. Everyone delightedly watches the play while standing in the street. During the performance, Justice stabs Mike with his prop sword as he feigns an injury. He finally comes to the realization that he loves his nephews and congratulates them, promising that he will never leave them. Everyone celebrates in the street. During the credits, the family is shown opening presents on Christmas. Gretchen arrives on her motorcycle and Mike gives her a present. Mike is revealed to have bought Justice an ATV and the two ride off a ramp (based on an earlier comment about the kids wanting to do so). In post-credits audio, the two are revealed to have failed the jump. ==Cast==