Max auf Reisen (1978)

Christmas is just around the corner, and Maxe Baumann is trying to repair the badly damaged Christmas tree in his son’s apartment when Erna Mischke arrives. She wants to persuade him to plan and organize the upcoming New Year’s Eve party at the company holiday home, the “Schwarzer Hirsch” in Auenthal, Thuringia, because the colleague from Baumann’s former workplace who was originally assigned to do it has apparently come down with the flu. Maxe initially turns her down, though, because he wants to spend Christmas with his family for once. Shortly afterward, his grandson Jens tells him that his new girlfriend, Constanze, is pregnant and that Maxe is going to be a great-grandfather. There is a catch, however: Jens Baumann is deeply upset because Constanze does not want the child, and the couple are at odds. Maxe is delighted about the great-grandchild and tries to cheer his grandson up. Meanwhile, it becomes clear that the Christmas tree cannot be saved. Maxe secretly sends his son Horst out to buy a new one, because he does not want Horst’s wife, Waltraut, to find out that Horst is trying to get out of the annual baking marathon. When Horst returns very drunk and without a fir tree, and the speculoos have also burned in the oven, Waltraut is furious and berates her in-laws. Maxe and Hertha promptly decide to take over the New Year’s Eve planning at the company holiday home and set off. Erna and Ferdinand Mischke arrive first at the “Schwarzer Hirsch” to prepare for the New Year’s Eve party, but they are greeted rather irritably by the manager, Benno Grieshübel. He apparently knows nothing about any plans or parties; his colleagues are still on company vacation, and only the manager’s rooms are heated. After the Mischkes, Marlene Kleinschmidt arrives at the holiday home. Constanze’s mother was summoned there by Maxe by telegram, but in her excitement she gets several things mixed up. Hertha and Maxe Baumann then arrive at the remote holiday home too, much to Erna and Ferdinand Mischke’s surprise. Erna seems pleased to have Maxe’s support, while Ferdinand considers both the holiday home and its manager dangerous. He has several reasons for this: manager Benno Grieshübel does not seem to respect Ferdinand, and a blank-firing rifle is hanging in the Mischkes’ room; it accidentally went off at the reception desk. Ferdinand also sees the Baumanns’ arrival as an affront and leaves in frustration. Meanwhile, Maxe tries to talk to Marlene about the grandchild, since she is partly responsible for Constanze not wanting the child. Using various fairy tales and stories as examples, he tries to persuade Marlene to accept the grandchild and have confidence in Constanze and Jens’s future. After Maxe’s arrival, Erna Mischke is appointed party coordinator. The next day, she unsuccessfully tries to book various celebrities by phone for the New Year’s Eve party. Later, Horst and Waltraut arrive at the holiday home as well. The two of them and Erna try to rehearse a dance like one performed by the TV ballet, so they will at least have something for the program. After a conversation with Waltraut, Constanze runs off; Waltraut had also tried to talk her out of having the child. Once Constanze is found safe and sound outside, everyone decides in favor of the grandchild, and the couple are finally happy. Meanwhile, Erna tries to reach her husband at home by phone, but, completely unexpectedly, two women answer. Erna thinks she is being cheated on. In the end, it turns out that Ferdinand was able at short notice to book two women from the TV ballet, who are now supposed to perform the dance number on New Year’s Eve. In the end, everyone celebrates the TV ballet and looks forward to New Year’s Eve and the grandchild.