A family of a father, a mother and their son is looking forward to go on vacation. On the way they experience an accident, and their lives are suddenly and unexpectedly turned upside down.

Casper is reluctant to start at a new daycare, but when he arrives he meets Emma who has a stuffed animal that can come to life. From that day Casper and Emma are best friends.

Adapted from a series of short stories by Norwegian author Levi Henriksen, Bent Hamers Home for Christmas weaves together the lives of people struggling to find their way home on a Christmas Eve, beneath the colors of the Northern Lights. The plot unfolds during a few afternoon hours on Christmas Eve. The individual stories, which at times intertwine, are set in the small town Skogli. The characters in the stories cover a great range in age and life situations, representing both reconciliation with their own lives and strong frustration. Some show the will to understand and do something about their lives, while others have given up. Deeply tragic and melancholy aspects are mixed with humour and rather frivolous solutions.

Arne, a factory repair technician, gets his life turned around when he loses an arm in a disastrous labour accident. His new life, quite literally, becomes very hard to handle as he plummets into an existence of emptiness and loss. Miraculously, a new arm begins to grow, but it comes with a price.

The film's protagonist has won Amanda (Norwegian Oscar) for best film script, but struggles with both self-confidence and a sequel script. He eventually writes his special one into script to win her favor, but also has to fight to gain recognition and attention in a tough industry.