A Holiday Hideout offers an opportunity for the viewer to get caught up in intrigue, suspense, romance, and even Christmas spirit in this caper where an upstanding female private detective named Jessie (Arielle Kebbel) goes undercover to guard two people in the witness protection program: one young girl who provides comic relief around her desperation to have her life back, and a lifelong criminal named Dean (Colin Egglesfield) who shows a softer more humble side of a man who’s had some tough breaks.
It takes some time, but Jessie comes to realize that she has feelings for Dean, who exudes charm through his good looks and suave attitude, but who also acts out as a shallow womanizer by pursuing numerous women and making inappropriate sexual innuendos. Dean, too, comes to realize he has feelings for Jessie, but neither of these characters will confront their connection because they are so different from one another.
While there are endearing moments where both main characters share their hopes, dreams, fears, and childhood traumas with one another, this content is meant for a more mature audience, as there is consistent alcohol consumption by main characters; low cut dresses; and a hot tub scene where the female who is on-screen is clad in a bikini. There is also mild violence where Jessie tackles a bouncer in a bar, and the wife of Dean’s ex-boss wants pay-back throughout for the rejection she suffers at the hands of Dean (a definite allusion to Joseph and Potipher’s wife) by hiring a hitman to poison Dean – she ends up pulling a gun and threatens to kill both Jessie and Dean.
However, as Dean interacts with the community in his new hideaway home, he discovers there is more to life than selfish pursuit, and the subtle character transformation that occurs as a result is heartwarming. Meanwhile, the hitman flies under the radar and even gets the girl in the end, and Dean himself is not made to account for his life of crime, but his respect for and hope to be with Jessie helps him to want to be a better man and to understand that it’s what’s inside that matters most.
Dove Take: A Christmas Hideout is a fun romp that looks past judgment to focus on grace, compassion, and understanding at the holiday season.
