Plot
Young man Eric Norris seeks out the father he has never met by driving down to a fictitious Nevada town, El Camino.
El Camino County Sheriff Bob Fuller must confront local Deputy Carl Hooker for failing to prevent a meth lab explosion, after being warned about it hours before. He admonishes him for slacking on the job, unfairly harrassing people and making no effort to protect the public.
Eric is checked into the motel by Deputy Billy Calhoun who, along with Carl who follows him in, treats him with suspicion. Being from Missouri, his card not immediately going through and even what he buys in the local gas station shop make him seem suspicious.
Kate Daniels is the young, single mother who works in the shop. Her five-year-old son Seth is still not talking. Kate takes him for a doctor's appointment, where she is told he could be 'on the spectrum', but she is sure he will speak once ready.
Eric looks over an old letter and photograph before having lunch at the local diner. Upon overhearing Kate telling Seth they cannot afford cake, he quietly buys him a slice. Later, when Eric buys something from the shop, a distrustful Kate attends him. After realising he is genuinely kind, she finally thanks him for the cake.
Mustering up courage in his car, Eric approaches the apartment on the letter's return address. Asking for Michael Roth, the belligerant occupant sends him off. Then, under the premise of talking about Michael, he gets Eric to pay for drinks. In the end, he learns next to nothing so leaves, disgusted.
Back at the motel, the deputies confront Eric. Finding Drano and weed 'Charles' had left in his car, they decide they have probable cause. At the station, Carl antagonises Eric accusing him of making meth but when he declares his innocence, he is beaten badly.
In the morning, as Deputy Calhoun realised Carl overstepped the evening before, he leaves Eric his car keys and the cell ajar, suggesting he quietly leave. Meanwhile, the perpetually inebriated Carl pops into Vincente's, where Kate and Seth have arrived to fix the cooler.
Carl drives by the motel, just as Eric is pulling out. Believing him to be a fugitive, he makes chase. Eric gives him the slip, however Carl has shot the car's radiator. As it does not run, the young man must hide. Eric enters the liquor store-shop to buy water for his car when Carl catches up to him, shooting wildly. 28 Carl enters the store with his gun out so 'Larry', who is there buying beer, shoots him in the leg. The officer continues to threaten Eric. Larry then slides Carl's gun to him, so he gets the officer to put on cuffs then goes to the back of the store to think. There the recently arrived County Sheriff's gun goes off. The deputy and Sheriff exchange gunfire until they realize they are actually shooting at each other and not a perpetrator inside.
So, Eric ends up barricaded in the liquor store-shop with five others on what is now Christmas Eve. The police never KKget it straight as to who exactly is inside, nor the exact dynamic as to who is a hostage or the person in charge. Eric explains to everone he had come to town to find his long-ago estranged father, as his mother passed recently.
Larry passes around bottles from a 6-pack of beer, breaking out into singing a Christmas carol. Eric and Kate bond while waiting for Seth in the bathroom. Later he connects with the boy, while helping him with a toy.
There is much turmoil, and back and forth between all involved. After an extended shootout started by the cops in an effort to diffuse the situation before the feds arrive, Carl pulls out his concealed gun, shooting Eric who shoots him dead. Vincente gets up, trying to get the police to cease fire, getting shot in the process.
The Vietnam vet Larry takes charge, attending to Eric's bullet wound. He talks about the unfortunate incident that got him court-marshalled. Eric chimes in, as he had read about it in the letters to his mother. Larry owns up to being wrong for abandoning his wife and child.
As they let Kate and Seth leave, Eric's dad says that she and Eric look good together. When Eric hands the boy his remote control car, he says his first words, as he and his mom walk into the first flurries for the region in 40 years.
After Eric says what he wants for Christmas is to be able to leave, 'Larry' talks about being able to right many wrongs as he is cleaning the print from the guns. Saying it was nice meeting him, he tosses Eric his 'Michael Roth' dog tags. Then, before Eric can stop him, the anti-heroe emerges guns blazing to commit suicide by cop to free his son.
Six months later, the survivors of the Christmas ordeal are doing well. Sheriff Fuller has retired, so Deputy Calhoun is running for sheriff and the miraculous survivor of four bullets Vincente retired with millions in indemnization. Eric meets with Kate and Seth in the El Camino diner, the boy now speaking regularly.
