Hallmark For All Seasons

Countdown to Christmas 2020

Love, Lights, Hanukkah!

“Love, Lights, Hanukkah!” aired on December 12, 2020 on the Hallmark Channel. The movie was filmed just a couple months ago in Abbotsford, Vancouver, Canada. It starred Mia Kirschner, Ben Savage and Marilu Henner.

The most notable thing about this movie, for me, is that Karen Berger penned the script. She wrote “All Of My Heart,” which is my number 1 Hallmark movie of all time, so I went into this movie with high hopes. Mark Jean directed, having helmed one of the most popular Hallmark Christmas movies of all time: “The Nine Lives of Christmas.”

In a nutshell

This movie felt like it should have been on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, given it’s heartwarming adoption storyline, and the connection to Hanukkah. I thought this movie was really well done and liked it tremendously.

Plot of “Love, Lights, Hanukkah!”

As Christina prepares her restaurant for Christmas, a DNA test reveals that she’s Jewish! The discovery leads her to a new family and a new, unlikely romance over eight crazy nights.

Actors

The cast was great, from Mia Kirshner (who people probably know as Mandy on “24” and Isobel on “The Vampire Diaries”), to Ben Savage, who needs no introduction (okay, he was on “Boy Meets World”). Marilu Henner was outstanding as Ruth, and the entire supporting cast was great.

Chemistry

This cast absolutely had chemistry together and I loved all the scenes of them together in the kitchen because it felt legitimate and fun. Particularly, when they were all at Christina’s it was interesting to watch them move all over the kitchen in a perfectly coordinated dance of kitchen work. Not sure if that was mapped out or if the director just let them do what they wanted to do while they filmed, but it was a mirror of what my mother’s kitchen looks like when everyone is in the kitchen working on the final touches of Christmas dinner.

Tropes

Our lead character’s mom passed away recently. Lead character was a chef! The house had a front porch. Our leads did not get along at the beginning due to a mediocre review that David gave Christina’s restaurant.

We had a shot of a snowglobe in Christina’s apartment! We didn’t see the tree shopping, but we did see the decorating. I saw a couple of big scarves. We had a snowman that looked so incredibly fake. WHY, Hallmark???

Bingo Card Score for “Love, Lights, Hanukkah!”

With so few tropes in this movie it was no surprise that I only covered 4 spots on my bingo card. Feel free to download my free bingo cards and play along!

Did I Hear/See That Right?

Those DNA things never do a 50/50 split. They usually list 9-10 places that your DNA hails from and even go down to as low as “1% [country].”

When we checked in on the renovations due to water damage at Christina’s restaurant, the Christmas lights were on all over the restaurant. Uh…what? Does it make for a more festive atmosphere for the plumbers and contractors?

I’m not Jewish but even I know what challah is. And yet Christina, a chef and foodie, doesn’t know?

I enjoy the Hanukkah movies, but I do not appreciate that they imply that Jewish people know nothing of Christmas. Given how overrun our American culture is with Christmas in November and December, you would have to be a very devout, closed off, orthodox Jew to not know anything about Christmas.

Feelgoods

Marilu Henner SLAYED when she realized that Christina was her daughter during that first dinner. I teared up when her face changed upon finding out Christina’s birth date. I felt her emotion through my TV screen.

One thing I noticed when Christina left the table after learning this information, is that she folded her napkin first. Not many people know this, but I read many many years ago that our subconscious sometimes works for us when we eat a meal. When people like the food they eat at a restaurant, they will fold the napkin and place it on the table to signify their plans to return for another meal. If they don’t like the food, they throw the napkin on the seat or unfolded on the table to signify dissatisfaction and no intention to return. I’m sure that’s not 100%, but I’ve noticed when I don’t fold a napkin, it is because I don’t plan on going back. So to me, Christina was signifying she DID plan to return, even if she had a lot to process beforehand.

“I like that our futures overlap.” Great line.

At the fourth night of Hanukkah menorah lighting in the town square, I thought I recognized the singer of “Ma’oz Tzur,” and sure enough discovered that it was indeed Leslie Odom Jr. (from “Hamilton”) and Nicolette Robinson singing that lovely duet. It appears on his Christmas Album (affiliate link).

Re-watchability

I would absolutely watch this one again. The slow build of the family’s relationship at the same time that David was actively pursuing Christina was a nice duet of storytelling.

The Ranking

“Love, Lights, Hanukkah!” was a joy to watch from beginning to end, and it rightfully made it into my Top 15 for the entire year.

I also included my ranking for “A Little Christmas Charm,” which I did watch but won’t have time to review. I liked it more than its ranking implies, because if you look at raw score it’s closer to being ranked somewhere between 15 and 17 for the year.

One Royal Holiday (air date: Oct 31) – 722 pts – weighted score: 121.8 (85.5%)
On the 12th Date of Christmas (air date: Nov 1) – 707 pts – weighted score: 119.2 (83.6%)
The Christmas House (air date: Nov 22) – 710 pts – weighted score: 118.6 (83.2%)
Sweet Autumn (air date: Oct 17) – 693 pts – weighted score: 118.5 (83.1%)
Good Morning, Christmas! (air date: Nov 25) – 698 pts – weighted score: 118.2 (82.9%)
A Timeless Christmas (air date: Nov 14) – 700 pts – weighted score: 117.7 (82.6%)
Deliver by Christmas (air date: Oct 25) – 697 pts – weighted score: 117.4 (82.4%)
Christmas With the Darlings (air date: Nov 8) – 691 pts – weighted score: 117.2 (82.2%)
Christmas Waltz (air date: Nov 29) – 694 pts – weighted score: 116.1 (81.5%)
Christmas by Starlight (air date: Nov 26) – 689 pts – weighted score: 115.9 (81.3%)
Five Star Christmas (air date: Nov 27) – 688 pts – weighted score: 115.8 (81.2%)
Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater (air date: Nov 7) – 681 pts – weighted score: 115.8 (81.2%)
Love, Lights, Hanukkah! (air date: Dec 12) – 677 pts – weighted score: 114.1 (80.0%)
Christmas in Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing (air date: Dec 5) – 672 pts – weighted score: 113.9 (79.9%)
The Christmas Bow (air date: Nov 8) – 676 pts – weighted score: 113.2 (79.4%)
Cranberry Christmas (air date: Oct 31) – 650 pts – weighted score: 112.1 (78.6%)
The Angel Tree (air date: Nov 21) – 670 pts – weighted score: 110.9 (77.8%)
Matching Hearts (air date: Feb 8) – 640 pts – weighted score: 109.0 (76.5%)
Winter in Vail (air date: Jan 4) – 623 pts – weighted score: 108.8 (76.4%)
Wedding Every Weekend (air date: Aug 15) – 639 pts – weighted score: 108.3 (76.0%)
Love in Store (air date: Feb 22) – 637 pts – weighted score: 108.2 (75.9%)
Christmas in Vienna (air date: Nov 14) – 636 pts – weighted score: 107.0 (75.1%)
A Nashville Christmas Carol (air date: Nov 21) – 634 pts – weighted score: 107.0 (75.1%)
A Little Christmas Charm (air date: Dec 6) – 656 pts – weighted score: 106.9 (75.0%)
Love on Harbor Island (air date: Aug 8) – 634 pts – weighted score: 106.9 (75.0%)
Holly & Ivy (air date: Oct 31) – 615 pts – weighted score: 106.8 (74.9%)
Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas (air date: Dec 5) – 615 pts – weighted score: 105.3 (73.9%)
The Secret Ingredient (air date: Feb 15) – 617 pts – weighted score: 105.2 (73.8%)
The Christmas Doctor (air date: Nov 15) – 605 pts (weighted score: 104.8 (73.5%)
Country at Heart (air date: Oct 3) – 611 pts – weighted score: 104.1 (73.1%)
You’re Bacon Me Crazy (air date: Apr 4) – 591 pts – weighted score: 104.0 (72.9%)
My Best Friend’s Bouquet (air date: Oct 10) – 599 pts – weighted score: 103.4 (72.5%)
The Christmas Ring (air date: Nov 7) – 609 pts – weighted score: 103.3 (72.5%)
Fashionably Yours (air date: Apr 11) – 594 pts – weighted score: 102.6 (72.0%)
Follow Your Heart (air date: Oct 4) – 585 pts – weighted score: 101.6 (71.3%)
A Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Love (air date: Nov 22) – 587 pts – weighted score: 100.9 (70.8%)
Christmas Tree Lane (air date: Oct 24) – 574 pts – weighted score: 100.3 (70.4%)
A Valentine’s Match (air date: Feb 1) – 562 pts – weighted score: 99.8 (70.0%)
Love On Iceland (air date: Jan 18) – 563 pts – weighted score: 99.4 (69.7%)
Christmas She Wrote (air date: Dec 6) – 591 pts – weighted score: 99.2 (69.6%)
Hearts of Winter (air date: Jan 25) – 561 pts – weighted score: 98.2 (68.9%)
Heart of the Holidays (air date: Nov 23) – 570 pts – weighted score: 97.9 (68.7%)
Jingle Bell Bride (air date: Oct 24) – 558 pts – weighted score: 97.9 (68.7%)
Just My Type (air date: Mar 28) – 565 pts – weighted score: 95.4 (66.9%)
Meet Me At Christmas (air date: Nov 15) 532 pts – weighted score: 91.1 (63.9%)
Bad Date Chronicles (air date: Feb 28) – 520 pts – weighted score: 91.0 (63.9%)
Love in Winterland (air date: Jan 11) – 508 pts – weighted score: 90.7 (63.6%)
Nature of Love (air date: Apr 18) – 520 pts – weighted score: 90.3 (63.3%)
If I Only Had Christmas (air date: Nov 29) – 535 pts – weighted score: 90.0 (63.2%)
USS Christmas (air date: Nov 28) – 521 pts – weighted score: 87.5 (61.4%)
Chateau Christmas (air date: Oct 25) – 502 pts – weighted score: 87.3 (61.3%)
Amazing Winter Romance (air date: Jan 20) – 487 pts – weighted score: 85.6 (60.1%)
Love Under the Olive Tree (air date: June 20) – 473 pts – weighted score: 85.0 (59.6%)
In the Key of Love (air date: Mar 14) – 470 pts – weighted score: 82.5 (57.9%)
Love in the Forecast (air date: Jun 13) – 440 pts – weighted score: 72.5 (50.8%)
Midway to Love (air date: June 26) – 410 pts – weighted score: 69.0 (48.4%)
Falling at Look Lodge (air date: Sept 26) – 350 pts – weighted score: 64.0 (44.9%)
Romance in the Air (air date: Aug 1) – 367 pts – weighted score: 63.2 (44.3%)
Follow Me to Daisy Hills (air date: Sept 19) – 337 pts – weighted score: 62.8 (44.1%)
How to Train Your Husband (air date: May 16) – 350 pts – weighted score: 62.5 (43.9%)