Hallmark nailed Bears fandom, with one exception

Being a fan of the Chicago Bears and being a fan of the Hallmark Christmas movies are rooted in the same thing: predictability. For most of my life, I knew that the Bears would give me some small moments of joy, but ultimately, end in disappointment.

With Hallmark movies, I also know what I’m getting into before the movie even begins: beautiful holiday tableaus, gorgeous people who never seem to work but who are passionate about their careers, and a love story that hits a minor snag around the hour and forty minute mark but is resolved by the end. A fairly chaste kiss follows the resolution.

When Hallmark decided to make the third of their NFL movies in Chicago, I was, of course, thrilled. The first two films in this series, spotlighting the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, were good at showing what’s fun and unique about those teams’ fanbases.

Still, Hollywood doesn’t always do a great job depicting Chicago, so I worried about what “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story” would have to say about the fanbase I’ve been a part of since I was born. The movie aired for the first time on Saturday night on Hallmark. (If you missed it, don’t worry. Hallmark replays their movies again and again throughout the season.)

The movie showcases an out-of-town reporter, Avery, who meets a Chicago firefighter, Matt. It turns out Matt’s grandmother Darlene is a diehard Bears fan who is about to attend her 500th game, and Avery is hired by the Chicago Herald to do a story on her. Darlene shows Avery her world and does some unsubtle work as a matchmaker. Surprise, surprise: Matt and Avery fall in love. It was a solid B+ in how it captured Bears fandom.

Early in the movie, Avery asked Darlene “Why the Bears?” Darlene gives a well-considered answer about how the Bears teach fans hope and resilience. I was in first grade when the Bears won the Super Bowl. I’ve derived so much joy from being a Bears fan since then, mostly from watching games with family. But I’ve also had many years of heartache and disappointment, mostly from finding hope in the latest quarterback. Still, I’ve never considered not being a Bears fan. I can’t even conceive how someone could do that. Unfortunately, Darlene was right. Being a Bears fan has taught me more about hope and resilience than I care to admit.

Seeing Avery’s sour face after taking a shot of Malört made my heart sing. The wormwood-flavored liquor is beyond bitter, but it’s still a point of pride in Chicago. Our governor led 750 people taking shots of it to break a record. Celebrities from Kelly Clarkson to John Oliver to Jason Kelce have all been giving the test of taking a shot of Malört. Any Chicagoan watching this had to find some joy in seeing the yellow-labeled bottle come out.

Chicagoans love cheering on Chicagoans, so Hallmark was smart to include little nods to our people. Donny Hathaway was born in Chicago, and the movie started with his “This Christmas.” Marilu Henner – and her legitimate Chicago accent – showed up throughout the film. She was born in Chicago, went to the University of Chicago, originated the role of Marty Maraschino in the original “Grease,” which took place in Chicago before it was moved to sunny Los Angeles for the film. Proud Chicagoan Jennifer Hudson’s “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” played as Avery and her mom made cookies.

Throughout the summer, Chicagoans break into two camps: Cubs fans and White Sox fans. Some people claim to be both, but I can’t trust them. When both teams are doing well, as they were this summer, the games between the two can be contentious and even violent.

Come September, though, the two factions come together to cheer on the Bears. Though baseball wasn’t mentioned in the movie, it did show how the Bears are who we rally around. North side, South Side, West Side, suburbs, even the Region in Northwest Indiana – where the Bears may be headed soon – we are a Bears city. That was shown in fervent fanhood by Darlene, a senior citizen, and her friends, a same-sex couple working at a hardware store. (Note: It’s the same store where I get my knives sharpened.) People of every color and background are shown cheering on the Bears. That’s who we are.

At a big family party, Avery is served an Italian beef. While deep dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs are what we’re known for nationally, Italian beef sandwiches – usually just called “beefs – are my favorite Chicago-specific food. If you’ve never had the pleasure of eating an Italian beef, it’s roast beef sliced thinly and cooked in a jus that is spiced to perfection, served on French bread, sometimes with giardiniera or peppers that can be sweet or hot.

They claim the beef Avery is served is dipped, meaning the sandwich is made and then dipped into the jus. This makes for a delicious, sloppy sandwich, with the jus dripping and sometimes destroying the bread. A crunch on a dipped sandwich is inconceivable.

In so many TV shows and movies set in Chicago, some director or set designer insists on having people go to the kind of food carts you see everywhere in New York. There is one big problem – we don’t have them. We don’t have pretzel carts on Michigan Avenue or someone selling hot dogs on State Street. The closest are moving palateria carts pushed throughout the summer, providing cold and icy treats, and people selling tamales and tacos at makeshift stands, but they are not downtown. And if you’re really lucky, the bar you’re at will be visited by Claudio Velez, the Tamale Guy. But traditional food carts like they always depict? Nope.

This is a beef I have with nearly every depiction of reporters and newsrooms in TV shows and movies. We don’t wear suits in the newsroom. When Avery went into the Chicago Herald, everyone was dressed up like they were at a law firm. Other than maybe for picture day, that is not happening.

Those quibbles aside, it was the kind of predictable, pretty movie I crave from Hallmark with a heavy dose of the city and team I love injected into it. Hopefully, Caleb Williams’ Bears are just as successful this season.