A World Record Christmas
Damn. Caught me right in the feels.
Well, shit, Hallmark. This is not the average Hallmark Christmas movie. Not in the slightest.
Based on the true story of autistic Auldin Maxwell’s multiple record-setting feats, this uses the same basic story: a kid on the autism spectrum decides he wants to set a Guinness World Record for stacking Jenga blocks.
Truly just a heartwarming story that catches you right in the feels. And the main protagonist is actually played by an actor on the spectrum! While the main character is highly functioning, this movie still addresses the challenges of living with autism on the whole family. And it would have been easy to ignore that part of Auldin’s story. My only criticism is that it was released under the secondary Movies & Mysteries banner. And it falls into the “movie that happens to take place at Christmas” vs a “Christmas movie.”
Overall though - well done, Hallmark.
Classic Christmas movie tropes:
Ice skating
Tree decorating
Cookie decorating
Mom is divorced; bio dad is absent
You’ll like this if…
You appreciate your Hallmark movies without a side of romance where it isn’t needed
SCORE: 7/10
Tell me more!
Charlie (Dalman) is an autistic boy determined to set a Guinness World Record by stacking 1400 Jenga blocks. His mother Marissa (DeLoach) and stepfather Eric (Bryant) encourage him to reach for his dream and they all celebrate when he gets the good news that he’ll have get his chance on Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the holiday, they organize a fundraiser giving the townspeople an opportunity to donate and decorate a Jenga block, with the proceeds going to benefit kids with autism. Charlie’s journey to setting the Jenga world record gives them all the chance to learn more not just about themselves, but about what family really means. Starring Nikki DeLoach, Lucas Bryant and Aias Dalman.
https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/a-world-record-christmas
