Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Official release poster
Directed byDavid E. Talbert
Written byDavid E. Talbert
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRemi Adefarasin
Edited by
Music byJohn Debney
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • November 13, 2020 (2020-11-13)
Running time
122 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a 2020 American Christmas musical fantasy film written and directed by David E. Talbert. Choreographed by Ashley Wallen, it stars Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville, Anika Noni Rose, Phylicia Rashad, Lisa Davina Phillip, Ricky Martin, and Madalen Mills. The film, which was originally planned as a stage production, received 10 nominations, the most at the 52nd NAACP Image Awards.[1] The film was released on Netflix on November 13, 2020.

Plot

Jeronicus Jangle—an inventor, toymaker, and owner of Jangles and Things—receives the final component to his latest invention that he believes will change his and his family's lives forever. This component can bring toys to life, the first being Diego the matador. Jeronicus with his family celebrate Christmas, leaving Diego and the store under the care of his apprentice Gustafson. Diego is distraught to learn that he will be mass-produced, thus robbing him of his uniqueness. He manages to convince Gustafson, an aspiring inventor himself, to get back at Jeronicus by taking Diego and his book of inventions.

Without proof of Gustafson's actions to show to the police, Jangles and Things falls into financial hardship while Gustafson starts his own factory. After the death of his wife Joanne, Jeronicus grows distant from his daughter, Jessica, who moves away.

30 years later, Jangles and Things is a failing pawnbroker shop and Jeronicus has completely lost his creative spark. He is visited by postwoman Ms. Johnston who is sympathetic to his plight and smitten with him as she tries to lift his spirits. Jeronicus is visited by banker Mr. Delacroix who tells him to pay his debts or produce a new invention to show to the bank by Christmas or lose his shop.

Meanwhile, it is revealed that Jessica now has a daughter named Journey who shares Jeronicus’ passion for inventing. A letter arrives for Jessica from Jeronicus, and Jessica sends Journey to stay with him until Christmas. Upon arriving, Jeronicus seems uninterested in her, though agrees to let her stay. Gustafson, now a famous toy tycoon, has exhausted all inventions from Jeronicus’ book. At a party, Gustafson unveils a toy of his own design that he has been trying to perfect called the Twirly Whirly, though it malfunctions and attacks one of the guests. Diego convinces Gustafson to steal another invention of Jeronicus’.

Jeronicus is busy working on his next toy, The Buddy 3000, which Journey discovers was conceived and designed by Jessica, and she resolves to get it to work. That night, Journey is caught in Jeronicus’ workshop by his assistant, Edison. Together, they find Buddy's body in Jeronicus’ workshop, and after putting in the mechanism that Jeronicus was working on, Buddy comes to life. Jeronicus hears the commotion and enters, causing Buddy to shut down. After sending Journey to bed, he laments about his estrangement from his daughter, the loss of his wife, and the memories he used to share with them.

Journey and Edison discover that Buddy has been stolen by Gustafson. They manage to infiltrate Gustafson's factory, where he conducts a failed unveiling of Buddy. Gustafson orders Buddy destroyed, though Journey and Edison are able to retrieve it before it can happen. After realizing Journey and Edison have gone missing, Jeronicus goes to the factory. With help from Jeronicus and Buddy, Journey and Edison are able to escape the factory, though Buddy is severely damaged as a result. Ms. Johnston arrives to help them escape Gustafson and his guards.

Journey reveals to Jeronicus that she wrote to Jessica on his behalf, wanting to get to know him. Wanting to do right by Journey and Jessica, who arrives in town to retrieve Journey, he gets to work on fixing Buddy. Jessica confronts Jeronicus over his neglect for her, though he unveils hundreds of unsent letters to her that he couldn't bring himself to send. After making amends, Jessica helps Jeronicus fix Buddy overnight.

Jeronicus and his family are confronted by Gustafson, Diego, and the police, and accused of stealing Buddy from him, though Journey disproves this. Jeronicus removes the life-giving component from Diego for reprogramming. As Gustafson is arrested, Jeronicus gives Gustafson the missing component for his Twirly he wanted to give him years back, which he would've given if he was patient. Mr. Delacroix arrives in the store and sees Buddy, and promises to give Jeronicus funding for any invention he desires to make.

The story is shown to be told by an older Journey to her grandchildren and she unveils a still functional Buddy to them. She flies them to the Jangle-owned factory where Gustafson's factory once stood. At the end credits, a book montage of Jangles and Things going back into business, Gustafson finally perfecting his Twirly Whirly in his cell, Diego's doll being mass-produced, and the opening of Jangle's factory.

Cast

  • Forest Whitaker as Jeronicus, a toymaker and inventor
  • Madalen Mills as Journey, the granddaughter of Jeronicus
  • Keegan-Michael Key as Gustafson, the apprentice of Jeronicus
    • Miles Barrow as Young Gustafson
  • Hugh Bonneville as Mr. Delacroix, a banker
  • Anika Noni Rose as Jessica, the daughter of Jeronicus and the mother of Journey
    • Diana Babincova as Young Jessica
  • Ricky Martin as the voice of Don Juan Diego, a sentient matador doll
    • Jonny Labey provided the motion capture of Don Juan Diego
  • Lisa Davina Phillip as Ms. Johnston, a postwoman
  • Kieron L. Dyer as Edison, Jeronicus' assistant
  • Sharon Rose as Joanne, Jeronicus' wife
  • Abraham Popoola as Rogers
  • Tobias Poppe as the voice of Buddy 3000, a toy robot created by Jeronicus
  • Momo Yeung as Toy Buyer #2

Production

On December 7, 2017, Netflix bought a pitch from David E. Talbert entitled Jingle Jangle, with Talbert signed on to write and direct the Christmas musical.[2] On September 17, 2018, it was announced that John Legend and Mike Jackson signed on as producers alongside David E. Talbert, and Lyn Sisson-Talbert for Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Ty Stiklorius will executive produce.[3] In October 2018, Forest Whitaker joined the cast of the film.[4] In April 2019, Keegan-Michael Key, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose and Madalen Mills joined the cast.[5] In July 2019, Hugh Bonneville joined the cast.[6] In October 2020, it was revealed that Ricky Martin joined the cast.[7]

The film's musical score includes songs by John Legend and Philip Lawrence.[8]

Principal photography began in June 2019 in Norwich.[9]

Music

All of the scores were composed by John Debney.[8]

The leading two tracks from the Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey soundtrack are "This Day"performed by Usher and Kiana Ledé,[10][11] which was also led by Usher who helped produced a 'Global Behind the Mic' version performed by the international voiceover cast from the film in different languages[12] and "Square Root of Possible" performed by Madalen Mills, which was listed and considered a possible contender and sourced as a prediction of an Oscar nomination for the 2021 Academy Awards for Best Original Song by various entertainment news articles.[13][14] Although it has been considered in the early tossup predictions, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that "Make It Work" made the shortlist for Best Original Song to be voted for a nomination as well as Best Original Score.[15] However, each musical selections that were considered, did not make it into the official Oscar nominations. A special music video and remix recorded version of "Square Root of Possible" is performed by America's Got Talent's finalists, The Ndlovu Youth Choir of South Africa provided by Netflix YouTube channel for Africa, AfricaonNetflix.

Release

The film was released to select theaters and on Netflix on November 13, 2020.[3][16]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on 75 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey celebrates the yuletide season with a holiday adventure whose exuberant spirit is matched by its uplifting message."[17] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100 based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[18]

Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars and wrote, "So much movie packed into one story, but the universally appealing performances and the show-stopping musical numbers carry the day."[19] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B+ and described it as "a sprawling musical extravaganza whose candy-colored, dandily overstuffed revelry spills over with joy and jubilance and every other happy J-word."[20]

Accolades

Award wins and nominations for Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Award Date of Ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref
Black Reel Awards April 11, 2021 Outstanding Costume Design Michael Wilkinson Won [21]
Outstanding Original Score John Debney Nominated
Outstanding Original Song "Make It Work" (John Legend, Anika Noni Rose and Forest Whitaker) Nominated
Outstanding Production Design Gavin Bocquet Won
Costume Designers Guild Awards April 13, 2021 Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film Michael Wilkinson Nominated [22]
Guild of Music Supervisors Awards April 11, 2021 Best Music Supervision for Film (Budgeted Over $25 Million) Julia Michaels Nominated [23]
Best Song Written and/or Recorded for a Film “Make It Work” (John Legend, Julia Michaels, Anika Noni Rose and Forest Whitaker) Nominated
Hollywood Music in Media Awards January 27, 2021 Best Soundtrack Album Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Nominated [24]
NAACP Image Awards March 27, 2021 Outstanding Motion Picture Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Nominated [25]

[26]

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Forest Whitaker Nominated
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Madalen Mills Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Anika Noni Rose Nominated
Phylicia Rashad Won
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture Madalen Mills Won
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture Cast of Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Nominated
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album Various Artists, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Nominated
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture David E. Talbert Nominated
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture Nominated
Visual Effects Society Awards April 6, 2021 Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature Brad Parker, Roma Van Den Bergh, Eric Guaglione, Carlos Monzon and Stefano Pepin Nominated [27]
Outstanding Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature Eric Guaglione, Shuchi Singhal, Adrien Annesley and Mahmoud Ellithy (for Don Juan Diego) Nominated

Children's book

Following the success of the feature film, David E. Talbert and his wife, Lyn Sisson-Talbert co-authored and released a 32-page picture book for children titled The Square Root of Possible: A Jingle Jangle Story in December 2020.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Meyer, Dan (February 3, 2021). "P-Valley, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, More Nab 2021 NAACP Image Award Nominations". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  2. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 6, 2017). "Netflix Buys 'Jingle Jangle' Pitch From 'Almost Christmas' Filmmaker David E. Talbert". Deadline. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Fleming, Mike Jr.; Patten, Dominic (September 17, 2018). "'Jesus Christ Superstar's John Legend & Mike Jackson To Produce David E. Talbert Netflix Holiday Film 'Jingle Jangle'". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 17, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  4. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 30, 2018). "Forest Whitaker To Star In David E. Talbert's Netflix Holiday Family Musical 'Jingle Jangle'". Deadline. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  5. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (April 11, 2019). "Netflix 'Jingle Jangle' Musical Adds Keegan-Michael Key, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose & Madalen Mills". Deadline. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  6. ↑ White, Peter (July 11, 2019). "'Jingle Jangle': 'Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville To Star In David E. Talbert's Netflix Holiday Family Musical". Deadline. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  7. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (October 2, 2020). "Ricky Martin Suits Up For Netflix's 'Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey'". Deadline. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Scheck, Frank (November 5, 2020). "'Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  9. ↑ Lawes, Ruth (June 10, 2019). "Netflix film Jingle Jangle leaves Norwich street 'cleaner than ever before'". Norwick Evening News. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Usher's Song In 'Jingle Jangle' Might Be Your Next Christmas Anthem". Bustle. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  11. ↑ "Usher rings in the holiday season with uplifting new single "This Day" - Music News - ABC News Radio". abcnewsradioonline.com. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  12. ↑ Blistein, Jon (2020-12-21). "Usher Leads a Worldwide Choir in New Video for 'This Day'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  13. ↑ Davis, Clayton (2020-12-10). "Oscars Predictions: Best Original Song – Is 'Eurovision' a Spoiler for the Academy's Music Branch?". Variety. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  14. ↑ Sheehan, Paul (2020-11-16). "2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Song [UPDATED: November 16]". GoldDerby. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  15. ↑ "Oscars 2021 Shortlists in Nine Award Categories Announced - Oscars 2021 News | 93rd Academy Awards". ABC. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  16. ↑ Coggan, Devan (September 29, 2020). "Get a festive first look at Netflix's holiday musical Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  19. ↑ Reoper, Richard (November 11, 2020). "'Jingle Jangle': Oh what fun it is to revel in a rousing holiday musical". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  20. ↑ Greenblatt, Leah (November 11, 2020). "The holidays find a fresh angle in Netflix's joyful Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey: Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  21. ↑ Fraley, Jason (February 18, 2021). "Regina King's 'One Night in Miami' leads Black Reel Awards with 15 nominations". WTOP-FM. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  22. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (2021-03-04). "Costume Designers Guild Awards Nominations: 'Wonder Woman', 'Da 5 Bloods,' Mank', 'Bridgerton' & More". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  23. ↑ Tangcay, Jazz (2021-02-25). "'Promising Young Woman,' 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' Among Guild of Music Supervisors Awards Nominees (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  24. ↑ Grein, Paul (January 27, 2021). "Diane Warren & James Newton Howard Among Top Winners at 2021 Hollywood Music in Media Awards". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  25. ↑ Davis, Clayton (2021-02-02). "Viola Davis, Tyler Perry and Regina King Up for Entertainer of the Year at 2021 NAACP Image Awards". Variety. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  26. ↑ Meyer, Dan (February 3, 2021). "P-Valley, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, More Nab 2021 NAACP Image Award Nominations". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  27. ↑ "Visual Effects Society Announces Nominees for 19th Annual VES Awards". March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
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