6 stars. Solid. Could be better.
When hard-working attorney Tory (Stacey Farber) loses her job, she is given the opportunity to reevaluate her priorities through a local bar, which she helps turn into Hanukkah On The Rocks for the eight days of Hanukkah. Hanging out with her along the way is Jay (Daren Kagasoff), a radiologist who is in Chicago for a few weeks to see his grandpa. The grandpa, Sam, is none other than Double Dare host Marc Summers. It was great to see him on screen.
The main element of this movie that works is family and community. We don’t have any zany parents or unrelatable family members trying to be funny. Just regular people who want the best for their family and friends.
The love story was a little paint-by-numbers for me. Honestly, Jay was a little stiff. Like he was too cool for school, or something like that. Our leads bond over going through the motions at work, but I never felt like we got anything else between them, except proximity to each other, which was light. Sam brings the emotional elements when discussing his wife.
When the sister is decorating cookies, she has every finger of her hands covered in blue frosting, like a glove of blue frosting. This is not how anyone in the history of the world has frosted cookies. Nobody has a butter knife to spread the stuff? It’s a joke that doesn’t land.
Writing your novel on two years of cocktail napkins is a dumb idea. So is typing it on an old-timey typewriter whilst inside a bar. For two years of effort, I would have expected a little more.
Measuring Christmas Magic: It’s a Hanukkah movie. No magical elements apparent.
Cast Kudos: Marc Summers as Grandpa Sam. He was really great in this on camera role. Looking through his profile, it seems like he’s been a busy executive producer for sometime, so it was nice to see him on screen again. He definitely steals some scenes and interrupts some kisses..
Alternative movie titles: No suggestions. This title fits perfectly.
Big Sky Lake
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