Mistletoe & Menorahs (2019 Lifetime)
Cast: Kelley Jakle, Jake Epstein, Damien Doepping
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
When a determined toy company executive, Christy, must learn about Hanukkah in a hurry in order to land a big account, she enlists the help of her co-worker’s friend Jonathan, who happens to also be in desperate need of turning his bachelor pad into a Christmas Wonderland to impress his girlfriend’s father.
Thoughts
Christy (or the girl from the Pitch Perfect movies with no lines.) is a Chicago working girl who is passionate about toys and has a jock/neglectful boyfriend named Peter. She gets selected to work with a client who shares in her joy for the holidays. The client, Mr. Berger, invites her to join him at a holiday party for a follow-up meeting and to lead activities. Christy says she is an expert until she realizes that Mr. Berger celebrates… HANUKKAH!
While drinking some wine, Christy starts to do some research when her boyfriend Peter shows up and interrupts. He brings her dinner and coffee so she can work, which is sweet, but then he watches sports.
The next day, Christy orders an annoying drink at a coffee shop, and the handsome man behind her shames/makes fun of her. The man feels bad and brings her an apology muffin. Christy refuses to apologize, and they fight. The man turns out to be Johnathan, who is supposed to be helping Christy learn about Haunnukah in exchange for her helping him set up for Christmas with his girlfriend. They agree to help one another even if they hate each other.
Johnathan takes Christy to get her first Menorah, where she meets his grandmother Tova. Tova owns a store of Jewish items and wants Christy and Johnathan to date, much like a grandmother would. (Haha!) Next, they get lunch with Johnathan’s girlfriend, Heather. Over latkes (potato pancakes), sufganiyot (round jelly doughnuts), Johnathan tells the story of the festival of lights.
To teach Johnathan about Christmas, Christy takes him to tinsel town. It is a shop with Christmas ornaments and fruitcake. He is surprised fruitcake is actually good because he has seen in movies/TV that they are horrible.
At home with Peter, Christy makes him latkes, and he is grossed out by them. They order Chinese instead. (Christy eats with the hugest chopsticks I have ever seen.) Peter tells her that he will not be coming to Christmas Eve Eve with her family. (Which is a little excessive.) Peter leaves, and Christy gets a video call from Johnathan. He talks her through lighting the menorah and then shows her the gingerbread house he has been working on. They also do come gift wrapping, Christmas tree chopping, and decorating Johnathan’s home. I’m loving this trading of knowledge; it is cute to see them both trying to understand one another’s traditions. They are starting to fall for one another but get into an argument when Peter shows up. Peter wanted to get Christy a job in banking because she needs a real job. Johnathan disagrees and tells Peter off.
Christy goes to Tova to ask for help; she needs to apologize to Johnathan. He also apologizes for butting into her relationship, and then they eat more sufganiyot and plan to decorate the tree the next day. Heather breaks up with him before they can decorate the tree. Peter also cancels on Christy, so she brings Johnathan with her to her parent’s Christmas Eve Eve party. At the party, carolers arrive, and they sing Christmas and Hanukkah songs.
Christy still has work responsibilities and is working on a prototype for an action figure based on senators? Her co-worker steals her idea.
It is the night of Mr. Berger’s Hanukkah party, and Christy breaks up with Peter after he lied to her about not being available. Instead, she invites Johnathan because she is not afraid to ask for what she wants anymore. They get all dolled up and almost-kiss under the mistletoe that he has hung, except it is parsley. (Haha!)
At the fancy Hanukkah party, there is a Christmas tree, Johnathan and Christy laugh. Christy is selected to light the final candle on the menorah, and she does it perfectly. (I’m assuming, I’m not sure!) With her idea stolen, Christy needs to buy time to come up with something else. She makes Johnathan distract them by singing “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah!” Christy pitches a biblical action figure toy line with comic books to tell their stories. (Like about The Maccabees.) Mr. Berger loves the idea and pushes it to be ready for Passover.
Johnathan and Christy kiss under the mistletoe for real this time. They agree to teach one another about Passover, Easter, and all the holidays to come.
Side Note
Minority Report: Samantha co-worker, Barista, Carolers.
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Overall rating
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 (5 Christmas Trees)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required)
*Photo Credit: © 2019 Lifetime
