Character Analysis: The Calls On OLD Man
The story opens with JANE REED (29) discovering that her brother ELI and father BOB (60) are not going to make Thanksgiving dinner. As a result, Jane and her mother BARBARA (55) decide to donate their turkey to St. George’s Church where they meet the new reverend JOHN MATTINGLY (32).
Later that night, Jane bumps into John on her way home from work. Knowing she is an engineer, John asks her to help him fix the church bells before Christmas mass. At first, Jane scoffs at the “impossible” task, but, after learning that the last time the bells rung was on her parents’ wedding night thirty years earlier, she reluctantly agrees.
Bob returns from his business trip and Jane quickly notices the tension between her father and Barbara. Later, Jane …show more content…
John performs the ceremony and the script ends Barbara and Bob walking out to here the bells ring for the first time in thirty years while John and Jane share a passionate kiss.
THE BELLS ON OLD MAIN is a decent Christmas romance story that definitely has some sweet moments, but, ultimately, fails to fully explore its characters or the conflict of its premise.
The premise is cute: a pessimistic workaholic falls in love with a local preacher while trying to save her parents marriage. However, the story neglects its taut moments, which drains most of the intrigue from the story and prevents the reader from fully engaging with the characters.
As a protagonist, Jane does develop from an unsentimental shrew to an optimistic romantic. However, this development seems to happen overnight causing it to feel unjustified. When we first meet Jane, she is a career-driven woman who thinks dating is a waste of time. It seems difficult to believe that she two days after meeting the town’s new reverend that she would completely drop everything for a romantic whim. Furthermore, they get along to well. Their relationship lacks the back-and forth, will-they-won’t-they tension that makes romance movies fun to
Later that night, Jane bumps into John on her way home from work. Knowing she is an engineer, John asks her to help him fix the church bells before Christmas mass. At first, Jane scoffs at the “impossible” task, but, after learning that the last time the bells rung was on her parents’ wedding night thirty years earlier, she reluctantly agrees.
Bob returns from his business trip and Jane quickly notices the tension between her father and Barbara. Later, Jane …show more content…
John performs the ceremony and the script ends Barbara and Bob walking out to here the bells ring for the first time in thirty years while John and Jane share a passionate kiss.
THE BELLS ON OLD MAIN is a decent Christmas romance story that definitely has some sweet moments, but, ultimately, fails to fully explore its characters or the conflict of its premise.
The premise is cute: a pessimistic workaholic falls in love with a local preacher while trying to save her parents marriage. However, the story neglects its taut moments, which drains most of the intrigue from the story and prevents the reader from fully engaging with the characters.
As a protagonist, Jane does develop from an unsentimental shrew to an optimistic romantic. However, this development seems to happen overnight causing it to feel unjustified. When we first meet Jane, she is a career-driven woman who thinks dating is a waste of time. It seems difficult to believe that she two days after meeting the town’s new reverend that she would completely drop everything for a romantic whim. Furthermore, they get along to well. Their relationship lacks the back-and forth, will-they-won’t-they tension that makes romance movies fun to