Klaus

In 19th-century Norway, the Royal Postmaster General has enrolled his lazy, spoiled, and self-centered son Jesper Johansen into the Royal Postal Academy. When Jesper deliberately underperforms in his training for 9 months intending on returning to his privileged lifestyle, his father gives him an ultimatum; he is to be the postman of the distant, northern island town of Smeerensburg, where he must establish a post office there and post 6,000 letters within a year. If Jesper fails to get them, he will be cut off from the family's fortune. Jesper meets Mogens, the ferryman of Smeerensburg, and finds the town composed almost entirely of two feuding familial clans: the Ellingboes and the Krums. After a week of desperately seeking letters from the townsfolk to no avail, Jesper finds an isolated house far outside of town, filled with handmade toys and he then encounters an elderly, reclusive woodsman named Klaus. Terrified by Klaus' imposing appearance, Jesper flees, leaving behind a drawing from one of Smeerensburg's Krum children. As Jesper attempts to leave Smeerensburg, Klaus forces him to enter the boy’s home to secretly deliver a toy, which delights the child. Word of the toy delivery spreads to the other children, who go to Jesper the next day believing they will receive a toy if they send Klaus a letter. Jesper capitalizes on the idea to make progress on his goal, and asks Klaus if he can donate his toys. Klaus reluctantly agrees, provided they operate at night and Jesper continues delivering the toys in secret. The Krum boy's toy leads him to play with an Ellingboe girl, much to their clans' outrage. As more children write letters to Klaus, Jesper tells a boy who had earlier ridiculed him that Klaus knows whenever any child misbehaves and only gives toys to good children. This prompts the children to perform acts of kindness, which gradually inspires the rest of the townsfolk to end their dispute. The children ask bitter teacher-turned-fishmonger Alva to teach them to read and write so they can send letters; her faith restored, she uses her escape savings to reopen her school. Noticing that Klaus's toy supply is running out, Jesper tries persuading Klaus to make more toys in time for Christmas, but Klaus refuses. When Jesper happens upon a keepsake of Klaus's late wife Lydia, Klaus forces him away. Motivated by Márgu, a Sámi girl who can't write or speak in Norwegian, Jesper works with Alva to help Márgu write a letter asking for a sled, which he then attempts to build alone. Seeing Jesper's effort, Klaus reconciles with him and the two finish the sled. Upon delivering it and seeing Márgu's joy, Jesper is genuinely moved. Klaus reveals he had made the toys for the children he and Lydia hoped to have but could not conceive. He agrees to the Christmas plan, and Márgu arrives with the rest of her people to help. As the town and Jesper's relationship with Alva flourish, Jesper finds himself conflicted about whether to leave Smeerensburg. Meanwhile, family elders Aksel Ellingboe and Tammy Krum form a temporary truce to stop Jesper and Klaus so the families can resume their feud. Together, they discover Jesper's initial motive and forge enough letters to meet well over his target. Jesper's father arrives on Christmas Eve to congratulate his son, inadvertently revealing Jesper's scheme to his friends. Just before they leave town, Jesper's father notices his son's remorse; after a private talk, he allows Jesper to stay, telling him he is proud of his son. Jesper tries to stop the elders and their angry mob from destroying the Christmas toys, resulting in a chase during which Aksel's daughter Magdalone and Tammy's son Olaf fall in love. Tammy seemingly destroys the toys, however, Alva and Klaus had already replaced the toys with decoys after the town's children warned them of the mob's ambush. Still, Jesper's actions have redeemed him to Klaus and Alva, and they then deliver the presents to the town. Magdalone and Olaf marry, ending their families' feud. Jesper marries Alva and they raise two children. He and Klaus continue to deliver presents in Smeerensburg and beyond for eleven years. On the twelfth year, Klaus notices mystical winds calling to him. He announces that he's joining his wife and walks towards the forest where he disappears. Every subsequent Christmas Eve, Jesper waits to see Klaus, who returns every year to deliver toys across the world.

Plot from Klaus (film)CC BY-SA 4.0