Winter in Vail

6.9/10 · 2,437 ratings20201h 24mWedding AnniversaryWeirdness 4/10Bingo card

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The premise

Chelsea inherits a house in Vail. She meets Owen and gets a much needed break. Together, they put on Strudelfest to highlight the charm of Old Vail.

How unusual is it?

Middle of the road, with a twist — an enemies-to-lovers arc keeps it from being totally by-the-book.

Who’s in it

Behind the camera

Show

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

  • The protagonist's uncle renaming constellations after family members like 'Trudy'.
  • The concept of 'Strudelfest' being treated as a major economic revitalization strategy for an entire village.
  • Owen's side-hustle as a 'parking inspector' which is actually just him being a local nuisance to tourists.

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 33 to find more movies that do the same thing.

Why we’d put this one on

A 7-rated mountain charmer that reunites Lacey Chabert and Tyler Hynes, which is reason enough for a lot of fans to press play. Chabert plays Chelsea, a burnt-out LA event planner who quits, inherits a Vail chalet from her late uncle, and discovers he was secretly a pastry chef. She teams up with local contractor Owen, played by Hynes, to launch "Strudelfest" and save a struggling restaurant. The leads are warm and the snowy setting is gorgeous. I love that the uncle renamed constellations after relatives, including one called "Trudy," and that Owen moonlights as a self-appointed parking inspector. Comfort viewing with two pros in sync.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)
The film begins in Los Angeles, where Chelsea Whitmore is a dedicated event planner at Elegant Events. Despite her hard work and successful pitches, her boss Trish passes her over for a Vice President promotion, hiring an outsider named Danny instead. Feeling undervalued and stuck in a 'usual' routine, Chelsea decides to quit her job after learning her late Uncle Grady left her a chalet in Vail, Colorado. Upon arriving in Vail, she has a rocky start when she meets Owen Becker, a local contractor who jokingly threatens to have her car towed for parking in a pedestrian zone. Chelsea discovers the chalet is in the middle of a messy renovation with no heat. She hires Owen to finish the job, and through him, she learns that her uncle was the legendary pastry chef at The Edelweiss, a traditional German restaurant owned by Owen's father, Karl. The restaurant is struggling as tourists favor modern fusion cuisine over traditional fare. Chelsea finds Grady's secret apple strudel recipe and, after a bonding session baking it with Owen, she proposes 'Strudelfest'—a village-wide festival to revitalize the area and put The Edelweiss back on the map. As the festival comes together, Chelsea and Owen grow closer, sharing moments tubing at Adventure Ridge and discussing Owen's abandoned dreams of being an architect. Chelsea's best friend Vienna arrives from LA with a tempting offer: Trish wants Chelsea back as VP with a corner office and a massive salary. After the massive success of Strudelfest, Chelsea decides she must try the LA job to avoid 'always wondering' what might have been. She says a tearful goodbye to Owen and returns to the city. However, back in her corporate office, she realizes the high-paced life no longer fulfills her and she misses the stars and the community in Vail. She quits the executive position for good and returns to the chalet, where she reunites with Owen under the stars, deciding to start her own business in the mountains.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Chelsea is passed over for a VP promotion in Los Angeles and decides to move to Vail to claim her inherited chalet.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Chelsea meets Owen Becker and discovers her chalet is a construction zone, leading her to hire him for renovations.

  3. Midpoint

    Chelsea finds her uncle's lost strudel recipe and proposes 'Strudelfest' to save Owen's father's failing restaurant.

  4. Complication

    Chelsea's friend Vienna arrives with a lucrative job offer from her former boss in LA, creating a conflict between her old and new lives.

  5. Climax

    Strudelfest is a success, but Chelsea leaves Vail to take the VP job in Los Angeles, leaving Owen behind.

  6. Resolution

    Chelsea realizes she is unhappy in LA and returns to Vail to be with Owen and start her own event planning business.

33 tropes in one movie

We counted 33 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

The backstory

Winter in Vail is a 2020 American made-for-television romance film directed by Terry Ingram, starring Lacey Chabert and Tyler Hynes.
From Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Rating 6.9 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.9567

Higher-rated than 87% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Winter in Vail belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

  • “I'd say follow the signs, but they don't seem to be your thing.”
    — Owen BeckerWhen Chelsea first arrives in Vail and parks illegally.
  • “In the game of strudel, all is fair.”
    — Owen BeckerDiscussing the competitive nature of the strudel contest.
  • “What's the point of a view if you can't see the stars?”
    — Chelsea WhitmoreExplaining to Owen why she left her high-rise office in LA to return to him.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

  • Chelsea Whitmore

    Lead

    Event Planner

    OrganizedAmbitiousCreativeDetail-oriented
  • Owen Becker

    Love interest

    Contractor and Architect

    Contractor and romantic interest

    GroundedLoyalSarcasticTalented
  • Karl Becker

    Supporting

    Restaurant Owner

    Owen's father and friend of Chelsea's uncle

    TraditionalKindStubborn
  • Vienna

    Supporting

    Event Planner

    Best friend

    SupportiveLoyal
  • Trish

    Supporting

    CEO of Elegant Events

    Former boss

    DemandingCorporateShort-sighted

Questions people ask about Winter in Vail

Where can I watch Winter in Vail?

Winter in Vail is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Winter in Vail?

Winter in Vail runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2020.

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Data and sources

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Sources:IMDbTMDBWikipedia