Hallmark's New Year New Movies kicked off with Alexa PenaVega and Luke Macfarlane in "Taking a Shot at Love," which aired January 2. Hallmark Christmas movie season has come to an end after fans were introduced to several original Movies from the love of family in "The Christmas House" to Tamera Mowry-Housley's "Christmas Comes Twice." The next movie is "A New Year's Resolution" this Saturday, January 9, and stars Aimee Teegarden and Michael Rady. "Taking a Shot at Love" is about Jenna (PenaVega). She is a ballet teacher and former professional dancer struggling to pay the rent for her studio following an increase in rent and students dropping out to join a dance group.
Jenna receives an opportunity to save her studio when she is contacted by her cousin, who manages hockey player Ryan "Coop" Cooper (Macfarlane). All she has to do is help him with some ballet therapy to heal his ankle injury.
Alexa PenaVega teased about "Taking a Shot at Love" on Instagram she was pregnant with her third child during filming. She shared how she had to hide her morning sickness because she and her husband Carlos PenaVega had yet to announce the pregnancy, which was officially announced during the "Big Time Rush" YouTube cover of "Beautiful Christmas." Thankfully, the actor shared that she didn't have any intense dance scenes and even had moments where a double or movie magic was used.
"Taking a Shot at Love" is expected to re-air multiple times on Hallmark Channel, including January 9 at 5 ET, January 10 at 1 PM ET, and January 18 at 8 PM ET.
Recap and review of 'Taking a Shot at Love'
"Taking a Shot at Love" is a sweet romantic comedy that explores healing and second chances through two people that are facing the possible end of their careers.
Jenna (Alexa PenaVega) lost her career once an injury prevented her from continuing as a dancer and now faces her ballet studio's possible loss. Coop (Luke Macfarlane) faces the loss of his hockey career and is desperate to find a way to get back on the ice, which brings him to Jenna's door for help. The Hallmark movie is entertaining and humorous, with a hockey player taking ballet classes with small children.
"Taking a Shot at Love" is sweet, endearing, and has a sweet, emotional core that tugs at the heartstrings. Jenna and Coop have instant friction as their two personalities clash with their differences, ultimately striking a balance to the other. Jenna has a cozy and precise personality, which includes a taste for elegant coffee and quiches serving. Coop is the opposite, with his life revolving around the sport of Hockey and eating pizza. The two share several sweet bonding moments, including Coop checking on her during a storm, long walks, and him tagging along with her and her closest friends to a bar.
Felix is one of Jenna's dance students, and he strikes a balance between the two characters as a hockey player that takes ballet classes.
An appreciation is made with the Hallmark movie's use of ballet classes that mix girls and boys. Jenna (Alexa PenaVega) is determined to save her studio, which faces the threat of closing thanks to an increase in her rent and losing students who have pulled out to join a dance company. Jenna's only choice is to get her enrollment up and find a way to make rent, but Jenna is presented with another opportunity as the movie progresses. Coop (Luke Macfarlane) slowly builds up his strength to get himself back on the ice while realizing that his path could be taking him to somewhere other than before to his career. As with every Hallmark movie, "Taking a Shot at Love" ends happily ever after, with everything falling into place for Jenna and Coop, both in their love story and in their respective careers.
Alexa PenaVega on life in Hawaii
Alexa PenaVega shared with People Magazine about her and Carlos PenaVega's choice to relocate from LA to Hawaii after realizing they didn't quite fit into the LA scene. The actor shared that they felt like they were always on the go with the entertainment industry happening 24/7, so they decided that they needed a place to reconnect that would also be their home. The actor went onto say that she and her husband never fit the Hollywood mold and never did anything the conventional way. The Hallmark star continued by sharing that the two met at a Bible study and even have gone onto host a study in their own home. The two eventually realized that Hawaii was the perfect place to make home after meeting other Christian couples.
PenaVega has described their Hawaii community as supportive and opened up how they felt a weight immediately lift off their shoulders with their moving decision.
The two have worked together multiple times with projects including their indie movie "Mighty Oak," "Picture Perfect Mysteries," and a plan to launch a podcast with their Cross Your Heart company, as reported by People. The couple has chosen to work together on several projects as a way to keep the family together. Their company website shares that their mission statement is to team up with small businesses to create everything from accessories to house items to apparel. Alexa and Carlos PenaVega have even competed against each other on "Dancing with the Stars," where Alexa PenaVega got the first perfect season score.
The former "Spy Kids" star continued with People Magazine that the LA mentality was about working hard and playing hard, and while they do work hard, their family now has roots and a set routine with their goal being to put faith and family first.
Alexa PenaVega is also known for her kindness and generosity, which is all the more evident by the words from other Hallmark stars. Jonathan Bennett (recent star of the "The Christmas House") shared with Glamour about the Hallmark angels that helped him grieve his dad's loss. Bennett and PenaVega starred together in the Hallmark movie "Christmas Made to Order." The actor described to Glamour how after losing both of his parents, Christmas began to lose its meaning until PenaVega, Danica McKellar, Lacey Chabert, Rachel Boston, and Jen Lilley helped him find joy again.
Bennett described the five actors as being five of the most beautiful human beings he'd ever met.
Return of 'Picture Perfect Mysteries'
The second movie in the series "Picture Perfect Mysteries: Dead Over Diamonds" came out early in 2020 and had Alexa and Carlos PenaVega reprising Sam and Allie's roles. Alexa PenaVega shared in an interview with TV Fanatic that it was nice to work with the same cast, crew, and director again. The actor went on about all the things the second mystery furthers and how the second time around, they went more into Carlos PenaVega's character of Sam with the tease that it will tug at the heartstrings. The first movie focused more on creating the backstory of Allie and setting up her world, so the second movie delved into Sam's backstory.
Carlos PenaVega told TV Fanatic that this second movie built more of Sam's understanding, which helped further the relationship between him and Allie, which so far is founded in friendship.
The next "Picture Perfect Mystery" has yet to have a premiere date by Hallmark. Still, the official synopsis on their site teases that Allie Adams (Alexa PenaVega) finds the body of a murder mystery writer/director during the opening of a new play. To solve the murder, Detective Sam Acosta (Carlos PenaVega) invites Allie to help him unofficially. Her involvement in the case brings her into the killer's sights. Teaser photos from the movie can be found on the Hallmark website though not much is given away.
Another project in store for PenaVega
Alexa PenaVega has her plate full of Hallmark projects, her growing family, and her company, but the actor has another project expected to land this summer. "The Clockwork Girl" is an animated family film from Arcana Studio, which previously created the stunning film "Pixies." The story follows a girl named Tesla, who is a robot that has been recently created and has to turn to a mutant boy named Huxley to save their town. The movie is based on a comic book of the same name and comes from Vertical Entertainment's acquisition. Arcana CEO Sean Patrick O'Reilly writes the movie with the screenplay written by Jennica Harper and directed by Kevin Konrad Hanna. In addition to PenaVega, the movie stars Jesse McCartney, Carrie-Anne Moss, Brad Garret, and Jeffrey Tambor.