I Love You A Latke: The Gelt-y Pleasure of Hanukkah Rom-Coms
Assorted Flavors features listicles and other movie-related goodies.
By Erin Gold
More often than not, it feels like Hanukkah gets the short end of the stick, especially when it comes to formulaic yet comfy holiday rom-coms. In fact, I’ve seen everything from An American Pickle to Call Me By Your Name listed as Hanukkah films. Absolute bupkis. The Jewish experience is rich, and shouldn’t be limited to hardship.
Everyone deserves terrible rom-coms. When Hallmark first began including Hanukkah-related content in their Countdown to Christmas lineup (oy vey indeed), it presented the holiday as either Jewish Christmas or full of borderline anti-semitic, Ashkenazim stereotypes. The good news is they’ve become more nuanced! Perhaps they’ve hired Jewish screenwriters.
This year, Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 25, which is excellent news for us dual holiday celebrators. In an effort to make your couch time more festive, here are three Hallmark Hanukkah movies for cringing and three much better ones for enjoyment. L’chaim, y’all!
The “Not Good But Sure, Why Not, It’s There”
Hitched for the Holidays (Hallmark, 2012)
Emily Hampshire of Schitt’s Creek fame stars as a Jewish woman feeling that sweet, sweet relationship pressure. So what else would one do in this situation but hookup with uber-Christian Joey Lawrence!? Yeah, this one isn’t good AT ALL but it feels almost historic?
Double Holiday (Hallmark, 2019)
The extremely underrated actor Carly Pope plays a Jewish executive who must plan a Christmas party. Her promotion chances are on the line, people! Romance, of course, ensues. This seems like the set-up to a very valid HR complaint, but our girl goes for it. Predictably, Hanukkah plays second fiddle to Christmas traditions. Fun but not exactly memorable.
Love, Lights, Hanukkah! (Hallmark, 2020)
Mia Kirschner takes a DNA test and surprise! She’s matrilineally Jewish! Inevitably, she sets out on a Journey™ to find the real meaning of family, traditions, and umm… romance? Why not?! According to a spot-on analysis by Hey Alma writer Varina Jones-Reid, this is one of the most deeply weird holiday viewing experiences and is basically “Hanukkah for Babies”. My strong suspicion is that someone typed a Hanukkah rom-com prompt into ChatGPT.
The Legit Good and Great
Eight Gifts of Hanukkah (Hallmark, 2021)
Jake Epstein (also known as Craig, my favorite Degrassi dirtbag!) stars along with Inbar Lavi in Hallmark’s first Hanukkah-focused film. It took Hallmark until 2021 for a Hanukkah-focused film! Wow, okay then! Sure, the plot is predictable and the dialogue feels heavier than vintage Doc Martens, but it’s wholesome. Sara, an optometrist at Eye See You, receives gifts from a secret admirer each night of Hanukkah. But homegirl can’t see love so clearly. As someone who studied literature and then taught it for several years, I know poetry when I see it.
Hanukkah on Rye (Hallmark, 2022)
Okay, this one is absolutely precious. Molly and Jacob are connected by a matchmaker, only to discover that they’re rival deli owners. Incredible. This one gives strong You’ve Got Mail vibes in the best way. Writer Julie Sherman Wolfe absolutely knew what she was doing: creating Hanukkah magic, that’s what. As a bonus, unproblematic and adorable ‘90s singer Lisa Loeb has a supporting role.
Round and Round (Hallmark, 2023)
Imagine if Groundhog Day were more romantic and centered itself around a cool fun Hanukkah party. The result is pretty fun and works on a few different levels. On an aesthetic level, this feels more like something from Netflix or Prime. The production, acting, and writing are all spot-on. While that typical holiday sparkle is comforting, I loved the sci-fi path taken by the script. My recommendation: watch this on all eight nights of Hanukkah.