Starring Ashley Williams and Andrew Walker
***SPOILER ALERT***
Avery (Williams), an elementary school teacher, isn’t exactly adventurous, so her sister, Ruby (Caitlin Howdon), signs her up to compete in a reality show, The Great Holiday Dash. It will take Avery across the US, and the winner will receive a million dollars. She takes up the challenge for her students, who’d benefit from her reading charity. Meanwhile, Wes (Walker), a recently retired hockey star, will also be competing. He bumps into Avery at a gym, where she flies off a treadmill, taking him down with her. They’re irritated to discover they’ve both been cast in the show, and even more irritated to learn they’ll be partners. But as they progress through the challenges, they learn to cooperate, and the spark of love ignites. But when the show’s producer urges Wes to spice things up by pretending to be in love with Avery, it puts their relationship in jeopardy.
PROS
Williams and Walker. The leads were the main reason I watched Jingle Bell Run. Their disastrous treadmill meet-cute was, well, cute, and they traded some well-aimed barbs. Walker played Wes as a cocky, overly competitive jock at first, making the character a bit obnoxious, but fortunately, this didn’t last long, and Wes was transformed into a more sensitive and generous character. For her part, Williams, star of Falling Together (2024), was believable as a caring teacher, and a person unlikely to participate in a reality show. Their performances were good, but I thought that the chemistry was modest at best.
Avery and Wes had complementary skills—she was the brains, he was the brawn—and they soon realized they needed one another in order to win. They softened toward each other, starting with the first leg of the competition, when Avery, a crossword fan, deciphered cryptic clues, allowing them to find their first destination. Some interesting aspects of the two characters began to emerge, giving them—especially Wes—more dimension. He was estranged from his brother and nephews and had been at loose ends since retiring, unsure what was next for him. And Avery divulged that childhood bullying had driven her to become a bookworm, and she’d found refuge in the school library.
The spirit of generosity. At the end of each day, the competitors gathered in the lodge and bonded, which was sweet. I was relieved to see some camaraderie—that it wasn’t all about cutthroat competition. Team members Brad (Brad Harder) and Ramon (Emilio Merritt) were passionate about cooking and soon became smitten with each other and decided to open a restaurant. Katie (EaeMyu ThynGi) was writing a Broadway play, while the woman she was paired with, Shirley (Teana-Marie Smith), spoke extensively of her daughter, Grace. Wes played Santa and had selected gifts that perfectly reflected each recipient. It was then that Shirley disclosed that Grace had passed away, and Wes responded with compassion. In the end, Avery and Wes promised to donate a portion of their winnings to help the other competitors and use the rest for causes dear to their hearts: Avery’s reading program, and Wes’s youth hockey team.
One amazing competition challenge. Only one of the activities really grabbed me: designing a Christmas window in New York City. It required more cooperation and imagination than the rest of the challenges combined. Avery and Wes’s window had a three French hens theme and looked adorable. It included paintings, stuffed toy hens wearing striped shirts, and baguettes.
CONS
The other challenges. Full disclosure: I’m not a fan of Hallmark movies that include Christmas-themed competitions because the activities sometimes become the focus, or they’re just not that entertaining. Avery and Wes crossed the country to crack nuts, shoot pucks through a hole in a snowman, dance country style, smash piñatas, stomp grapes, and finally, find silver bells. Except for designing the Christmas window, these tasks weren’t thrilling and required limited skills.
The misunderstood conversation. I’ve been hoping Hallmark will retire this overused plot device, but it was used to prompt a crisis in Avery and Wes’s romance. The producer instructed Wes to tell Avery he loved her. But Wes argued that doing so wouldn’t be real since he really was in love with her. Avery heard only part of the conversation and leaped to the conclusion that Wes had been only pretending to care for her. Tearfully, she told him he wasn’t who she’d thought he was and that she hoped to never see him again once they’d finished the competition. When he explained, Avery didn’t believe that the scheme was the producer’s idea.
Working out. Avery’s sister, Ruby, was a personal trainer and took her to the gym for heavy-duty workouts. I didn’t understand the need for this, since limited athleticism was needed to compete, unless you counted rushing to catch planes. There was a short dash to find the silver bells near the end, but Avery would have been better off taking a dance lesson or two.
My grade for Jingle Bell Run: C (ultimately pretty average)
Caroline Kaiser is a professional book editor who specializes in fiction and memoirs, and she’s been guiding writers toward publication since 2007. Caroline is also the author of two ghostly mystery novels, Virginia’s Ghost and The Spirits of South Drive. Before she embarked on an editing and writing career, she spent many years working in a Toronto auction house as an antiques appraiser. Apart from curling up on the couch and drinking tea as she watches Hallmark movies, Caroline enjoys baking and exploring London, Ontario, the picturesque city she now calls home. Her website is www.carolinekaisereditor.com.
