‘The Noel Diary’ Ending Explained
Welcome to the Ending Explained for The Noel Diary, the newest Christmas film from Netflix to reach the platform this month. The film is directed by Charles Shyer and stars Justin Hartley, Barrett Doss, Bonnie Bedelia, Treat Williams, and James Remar. The film tells the story of a famous writer who receives some tragic news near the Christmas season. Now the writer must go back to his abandoned home and try to reconnect with his past but also with his future as he meets a woman who can change his life forever.
The film is the latest Netflix Christmas offering and also is one of the best. It takes the characters and gives them so understandable motivations, and the direction by Shyer feels mature and classic. The story is nothing new, you have seen this film many times before. However, the lack of novelty can be replaced by some good old-fashioned execution, and the story, characters, and visuals are very well executed. We thank Shyer and his team for not making another Christmas movie that looks like it was shot inside a supermarket. Thanks.
The following paragraphs contain spoilers for The Noel Diary. Read at your own risk.
Why Does Jake Turner Return To His Hometown After So Many Years?
The film starts with the introduction of Jake Turner, a famous author who writes spy thrillers. We see Jake during a signing session, and his fans seem to love his books. His stories are filled with excitement, adventure, action, intrigue, and romance. However, it becomes clear that while he is handsome and women have thrown themselves at him, Jake seems to have no interest in looking for a partner. Jake has Ava instead, his dog, and she seems to be enough for him.
As he gets ready for the night, Jake receives a phone call with bad news. His mother has died, and because he was so busy, they were not able to get him the news in time. Jake hasn’t seen his family for many years. His relationship with his mother was strained, and he has no relationship with his father. Apparently, his mother left everything to him in her will, so he goes back to his hometown, signs some papers, and gets ready to take out all things from the house. He is not planning to take the house, he is just going to sell it.
As he and Ava are working on getting things out of the house, someone enters the house. A woman named Rachel. Rachel is looking for the owners, Jake’s parents, but she gets the news that Jake’s mother is recently dead. Jake and Rachel start talking, and they seem to have many things in common. Rachel is looking for information on her biological mother, who apparently worked for Jake’s parents when he was a little boy as their nanny.
Jake doesn’t remember. They look through the house, but they don’t find anything except one old book, which Jake takes. They go to dinner, and Rachel has no idea Jake is a famous writer. As they come back, they go to Jake’s neighbor, who has been living there for years, and ask about Rachel’s mother. Jake’s neighbor remembers Rachel’s mother, but she says that Jake’s father might know a lot more. Jake is reluctant at first, but he decides to go with Rachel to his father’s home. Just to help her.
Does Rachel Find Out Who Her Mother Is?
Jake and Rachel go on the road, and it is very clear that their chemistry is quite high. They talk about life in general. Rachel talks about how she has always wanted to know why her mother left her when she was little, and Jake reveals he had an older brother who died when he was a little boy. The death of his brother destroyed the family, and that is why the three of them didn’t see each other very much. Rachel discovers the book Jake took from his house and learns it is a diary written by her mom. Her name was Noel.
In her diary, Noel explains how she was rejected by her parents for becoming pregnant at such a young age. Noel writes about how Jake’s parents took her in and helped her become a better person. Noel also writes about how Jake was his favorite when he was their nanny. Noel also explains how she wasn’t ready to be a mother at such a young age. She understands that her mother loved her, but life sent them in separate ways.
As they reach Jake’s father’s house, the two of them seem clearly in love. However, Rachel is engaged. The relationship doesn’t seem very lovely, and Rachel is clearly having doubts. She buys one of Jake’s books and falls in love even more with him. Jake is also having doubts, he thought he would never fall in love, but here he is thinking about Rachel all the time. They reach their destination, and Jake confronts his father.
Jake’s father is truly sorry about everything he did. After Jake’s brother’s death, Jake’s father went missing and left the boy and his mother all alone. Jake manages to make peace with his dad, and he spends one night with Rachel, but she leaves, as she is confused. Jake follows her and tells her he is in love with her. Rachel rejects him, but later she comes back to his house, and they kiss, they are truly for each other. The film ends with Rachel and Jake ready to start something new together.
