Speechless – C-h-o-Choir

By starrymag | December 18, 2016

By: Taylor Gates

 

Maya (Minnie Driver) presents the new Christmas tree to the family—it’s a real one and it’s so big two feet of it is crushed by the ceiling. She says it is a symbol of the Christmas they’re going to have. For once, she is full of Christmas spirit because of the great year they have had. Plus, she’s been saving some money and plans on buying everyone amazing gifts.

 

On the way to school, Ray (Mason Cook) begs Maya to stop for gas. She refuses, as her day is scheduled down to the millisecond and she has no time. She tells him trust in the van.

 

Ray panics about not having enough extracurricular activities to get into a top college. JJ (Micah Fowler); however, isn’t worried. His plan it to write a moving wheelchair essay and have his pick of university.

 

Ray hears singing from the hallway and ventures in a room where the choir is practicing. They are led by an old woman and they awful. Ray declares himself president of the club.

 

Maya attends an extraordinarily long, extraordinarily boring track team meeting. She falls asleep and accidentally volunteers to record times at the Reindeer Run. When she goes to drive home, she realizes that her car has been stolen.

 

Maya tells Jimmy (John Ross Bowie) that all of the Christmas presents were in the van and they go break the news to the kids together. They tell them about the van, but Maya doesn’t have the heart to tell them about the presents being stolen as she doesn’t want them thinking the world is a bad place.

 

Dylan (Kyla Kenedy) is thrilled that Maya is coming to watch her run. Kenneth (Cedric Yarbrough) takes the kids to school while Jimmy calls the insurance company about the van. JJ’s power chair won’t fit in Kenneth’s car so he will have to use the push one until Jimmy can get his other one to school.

 

Ray’s choir practice is much more populated than it was the previous day. All the guys have joined because they have a hot new teacher, Mrs. Bloom (Julianne Hough). Ray is offended that people would join just to ogle over her and gets even more annoyed when Kenneth and JJ walk in.

 

Jimmy drives JJ’s power chair down the sidewalk, but the method is slow and he tries to catch a bus instead. Nobody on the bus will help him get the chair on and the driver refuses to lower the ramp to assist him. When Jimmy finally gets to the school, the chair dies.

 

Maya goes to the mall to try and buy back all the presents, but all of her cards get declined. She tries to appeal to the cashier trainee’s Christmas spirit with her tragic story, but the lady refuses to give her free merchandise.

 

Ray doesn’t understand why JJ is even doing choir considering he can’t sing. JJ retorts that he has a better voice than Ray, motioning at Kenneth. Kenneth is hesitant to get into the middle of their brotherly argument, but he finally relents and auditions for Ray’s former solo on JJ’s behalf. Mrs. Bloom is so impressed that she gives JJ the role immediately.

 

Maya tells Jimmy the bad news about the gifts. Upset, she just wants to get to Dylan’s race before it is too late. Unfortunately, she can’t remember where she parked. In even worse news, the insurance company called and they’re only valuing the van at $250—they’re going to be very short when trying to buy a new one.

 

Maya and Jimmy finally find the van three levels above where Maya thought she parked it. However, when they arrive at Dylan’s meet it is already too late. Dylan silently hands Maya her gold medal, angry that she missed seeing her win.

 

Ray storms into his room, demanding that JJ give him back his solo. JJ doesn’t even care about choir, he just wants to take something from him. He calls JJ a bully and is frustrated that he can’t fight back.

 

Maya is throwing ornaments onto the Christmas tree when Dylan walks in. Dylan doesn’t understand why Maya couldn’t just be there for her and Maya finally admits what happened. Dylan asks why Maya didn’t just tell them about the gifts and Maya says she didn’t want them thinking the world was a miserable place, especially during the holidays.

 

The Dimeos go to watch JJ’s choir performance. While they’re there, Maya spies the track team’s parent leader staring at them and saying their name. She goes over to confront him and he pulls her onstage. He gives a speech about how the Dimeos recently had their van stolen before presenting Maya with a collection the school took up to help them pay for a new one. Grateful for all their generosity, Maya gives a quick speech about how people aren’t awful.

 

JJ and Kenneth are about to begin their solo, but JJ demands they stop the music and invite Ray onstage to sing instead, as he’s the one who deserves it. JJ says the song is better as a duet anyway and the three of them perform together. JJ freezes up; however, when he notices how attractive Mrs. Bloom is and Kenneth gives him the horrible advice to picture her naked to make him less nervous.

 

The Dimeo family buys a sweet new van, but they find their old one at the bottom of a hill shortly after, as Maya had just forgotten to set the parking break. Unfortunately, they are going to have to return the awesome new ride.

 

Mrs. Bloom is now leading the dance team as well. JJ has Kenneth try out for him and Ray and JJ agree he should probably stick to singing instead.