Jingle Bell Run, yet another entry on Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas roster, stars Ashley Williams and Andrew Walker as two contestants who meet (and fall in love) while competing in a reality competition show that takes place at Christmas. Thanks to the ensemble cast that rounds out their reality show competition and the series of challenges that help move the story along, the film is full of high energy holiday fun.
Opening Shot: An elementary school teacher named Avery Muller (Ashley Williams) is having her students create ornaments and discuss the history of some Christmas traditions. When one student freezes up when she has to give an oral presentation, Avery calmly and kindly gives her a “We can do hard things” pep talk and reassures her that she’s got this.
The Gist: Avery is a dedicated elementary school teacher in Chicago who is so consumed with helping her students that she doesn’t make time for anything truly exciting or unusual in her life – but she’s perfectly fine with that, down time is her hobby. This Christmas, Avery’s parents are headed out for a cruise and her sister Ruby is headed to her in-laws, which means that Avery’s going to be alone… or so she thinks. As a surprise, Ruby tells Avery that she sent in an application for a popular televised reality show called The Great Holiday Dash, think The Amazing Race with candy canes, and Avery was selected for it. Avery’s not thrilled by any of this, but her sister and colleagues are all excited for her. And who do you think is the one person that can convince her she can do hard things? Her young student of course, the one she gave the pep talk to at the beginning of the movie, who tells her, “Deep breaths. I think you’re gonna win this.”
While Avery reluctantly accepts that this is how she’ll be spending her holiday, across town a retired NHL star named Wes (Andrew Walker) is desperate to find a way to stay relevant. He’s not getting the endorsements he wants, but he learns that he, too, has been cast on The Great Holiday Dash, and is thrilled at the chance to be in the spotlight once again.
The Dash is both a test of physical endurance and intellectual challenges, puzzles and the like, with the goal of finding a silver bell that’s hidden “somewhere in America.” In an effort to prepare, Avery hits the gym and, no surprise here, she’s… not very good at gymming. Wes happens to be there and, long story short, she causes them both to fall of their respective treadmills, and it’s safe to say he doesn’t appreciate that. The very next day, the two reunite on the set of The Great Holiday Dash to their dismay, only to learn that they’re paired up as a team to compete against everyone else on the show.
Obviously they hate each other… at first. But then, as they travel by map all over the country, solving puzzles and racing to their next challenge, they begin to grow on each other. She’s the brains, he’s the brawn, and over time, they begin to share more of themselves with each other and form a bond. But when a producer asks Wes – behind Avery’s back – to play up a romance angle to hook more viewers in to the show, he obliges because, let’s not forget why he got into this, for the eyeballs.
The ploy works and the two become fan favorites (but not in a Hunger Games way), but when Avery overhears a producer giving Wes direction on how he should confess his feelings to her on air, she feels like she’s just been a pawn in some fake ploy. Of course their feelings for one another are real, and of course Avery bolts before she can hear Wes tell the producer he’s done faking it for the camera and that he really does love her. This momentary drama subsides when Wes comes clean (as does the producer) to Avery about how he could never fake his real feelings for her, and the two go on to win the whole thing.
Our Take: Jingle Bell Run cleverly combines the reality TV show confessional with a rom-com, so we’re not only watching a movie version of events, but the reality show version, too. The show also introduces us to a few of the other competing couples, including an older woman named Shirley and her partner Katie, and Ramon and Brad, who were all strangers when they joined the show, but who have developed close relationships with each other with every passing challenge. By the end, it almost seems unnecessary for Avery and Wes to win, because the movie has us rooting for everyone. (Avery and Wes do win though, but ultimately they give some of their winnings to each of their competitors because that’s just the vibe they’re giving out.)
While I don’t necessarily need a competitive aspect to my holiday films, there’s something really fun when movies like this introduce a concept that I wish existed in real life. In this case, a holiday reality TV racing competition that takes place in real time right before Christmas is definitely something I’d watch. (Similarly, in the recently released ‘Twas the Date Before Christmas, that movie prominently features a Christmas Day “Family Christmas Olympics,” which sounds incredible… if anyone in my family had the time or energy to execute such a thing.) That a reality TV competition is the construct around which the whole premise is based is a really fun way to bring a group of characters together and help each other find the true meaning of Christmas and all that good stuff.
Parting Shot: Wes tells Avery that even though they won the cash prize at the end of the show, he would have felt like a winner even if they hadn’t won because he found her. And then they kiss.
Performance Worth Watching: David Lewis plays Keegan, the host of The Great Holiday Dash, and he has real game show host vibes that suit his role as a reality show emcee.
Memorable Dialogue: “I would never have been able to do this if I wasn’t stuck with you,” Wes jokes to Avery when they complete the race.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Jingle Bell Run is fun not just because it’s got all the elements of a heartwarming romance, it’s also energized by the pace of the reality show-within-a-movie and the challenges along the way. It’s a completely unrealistic version of a reality show, sure, but even though it’s pretty obvious how the results will shake out, it will keep you invested.
Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer living in Massachusetts. Her biggest claim to fame is the time she won on the game show Chain Reaction.
