Running away from a troubled marriage, Kate Frazier hopes to find anonymity with a new home and a new job in Chicago. Despite friendly flirtation from co-workers and others, the shy and reserved Kate keeps her distance, avoiding questions about her sudden arrival and her recent past. When Kate meets Frank Logan, the two discover unexpected satisfaction in their mutual, shared silence. Haunted by the troubling choices he has made, Frank finds a kindred spirit in the younger Kate, and for a moment the two seem destined to redeem and remake each other. As the holidays and New Year pass against an urban landscape that seems both breathtakingly beautiful and starkly quiet, Kate and Frank’s friendship becomes one of necessity and survival for these two lost spirits. But neither lonely soul can escape the lives they have left behind. As events unfold and the painful truth slowly emerges, Frank is forced to face the man he really is, while Kate struggles to be the stronger woman she needs to be. A truly original Christmas story, “The Merry Gentleman” is a heady mix of suspense, gentle romance and quiet humor — a riveting, uniquely entertaining tale of forgiveness and redemption that blends a hopeful spirit with a surprisingly dark heart.
“The Merry Gentleman” was originally scheduled for a Christmas 2008 big screen release. With the whole Samuel Goldwyn movie studio money troubles, their whole slate of films was mished and mashed. Why the studio couldn’t wait another six months to release the film, during the 2009 Christmas season, is beyond us. But, if you’re into Christmas in July – or, at least May – “The Merry Gentleman” just may be for you.
