Jingle All the Way (1996)
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Two rival fathers engage in a frantic, high-stakes quest to secure a rare action figure for their sons on Christmas Eve.
The story
In Minneapolis, workaholic mattress salesman Howard Langston struggles to balance his career with his family life. When he realizes he has failed to fulfill his son's Christmas wish for a Turbo Man action figure, he embarks on a desperate quest to find one. On Christmas Eve, he finds every store sold out and enters into a heated rivalry with Myron Larabee, another father with the same goal. The two men navigate a series of obstacles, from counterfeit rings to frantic competitions, as they race against time to secure the coveted toy for their children before the holiday ends.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Howard Langston, a workaholic father, tries to win over his son Jamie by obtaining a Turbo Man action figure. He encounters Myron Larabee, a postal worker, and the two become rivals in a frantic search. After failing to find the toy in stores and narrowly escaping a confrontation with a counterfeit ring, they hear about a radio contest for a Turbo Man doll. They race to the station, where Howard wins a certificate rather than a toy. Later, Howard finds himself in a situation where he is mistaken for the character Turbo Man during a parade. He eventually manages to get the toy to Jamie, while Myron's son receives a gift from Jamie. The film ends with Howard realizing he forgot to buy a gift for his wife.
- First release year
- 1996
- Runtime (minutes)
- 89
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Brian Levant
- Writers
- Randy Kornfield · writer
- Cast and characters
- Arnold Schwarzenegger · Howard Langston; Sinbad · Myron Larabee
- Themes
- commercialization of Christmas; father-son relationships; parental devotion
- Tone and mood
- comedy; satire
- Premise and plot tags
- holiday; buddy comedy; satire
- Source material / true-story basis
- Jingle Bells
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews from critics due to its uneven tone, though it was noted for its satirical elements and some positive performances.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 34 · scale: 100 · review count: 23
- Production trivia
- The film was the largest production to ever take place in the state of Minnesota.; The film was the third and final collaboration between Sinbad and Phil Hartman.; The film was followed by a sequel in name only, Jingle All the Way 2, in 2014.
Genres
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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