Jake Epstein

Oy to the World

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Oy to Joy

Hallmark’s Hanukkah based holiday movies of recent years have been some of their better ones, so I was cautiously looking forward to this one. The title seemed a little iffy but I do like Jake Epstein in most everything, and I thought he had really good chemistry with Brooke D’Orsay, his co-lead. Overall this was a pretty standard enemies to lovers plot, although both were so nice and family and faith oriented that I use the term “enemies” with a huge grain of salt. It was very sweet, if a little too good to be true. But you know what? It’s Christmas.

Nikki and Jake were childhood friends who at some point became rivals during their high school years. It all probably had it’s beginnings in their opposing personality traits. Nikki being structured, organized, and serious, and Jake being free-wheeling, unfocused, and fun. In a flashback scene we see Nikki getting up to sing “Joy to the World” in front of the whole school. She hits a bad note, her voice breaks, and she runs off the stage in embarrassment only to see Jake backstage smirking at her. The whole experience was so devastating to her that she quit singing in public despite her love of music. She is now the “choir director” of her father’s Episcopalian Church. I put that in quotes because the choir consists of 4 kids one of whom quits mid-movie. This is apparently her only job because she is in her mid-thirties and seems like she is still living at home, although I may be wrong about that. This struck me as pretty sad though it does not seem to be an issue and no mention is made of it. Jake, on the other hand is a singer/songwriter in New York City and has enjoyed moderate success though he has yet to get his big break with an actual record deal. His dad is the rabbi at the temple across the street from Nikki’s church and their families are close. When the pipes burst at the temple, and Jake’s grandmother injures herself in a resulting fall, it brings Jake home to take her place as the temple’s choir director. Not using quotes because his choir has 5 teens in it.

Needless to say (a phrase often used when talking about Hallmark movies), The two single thirty-somethings continue their rivalry while simultaneously falling in love. The tipping point is kind of sweet. Nikki and Jake make a wager that if Nikki’s family loses a bowling match to Jake’s family, Nikki will have to get up and sing in front of the whole bowling alley. On the verge of winning the bet, Jake purposely throws a gutter ball to lose the match when he sees how horrified and sick Nikki becomes at the prospect of singing publicly. When one of Nikki’s 4 choir members quits the choir because under her direction, the choir is no fun (poor Nikki! Again, so lame) the two choirs are merged under their dual direction for a big concert on Christmas Eve (which also happens to be the last day of Hanukkah) at Father Paul’s church. The joint effort will be raising money for Rabbi Levi’s broken pipes. To kick off the extravaganza, Nikki and Jake will sing the fateful “Joy to the World”. And Nikki is fine with that because Jake will be there by her side and supporting her. Won’t he? I mean surely he will not be called away back to New York for a big career break on that very day! Will he?!

Needless to say, we have a flirty baking scene complete with flour throwing, in which Nikki’s gentile gingerbread cookies recipe gets mixed up with Jake’s Jewish rugelach cookies recipe and they are delicious. The symbolism reflects the whole movie’s message which is peace, love and acceptance between the two religions and amongst people everywhere, despite their underlying differences. Yes, it was very cheesy, but it is tough times these days and I welcomed the message wholeheartedly. I won’t comment how accurate and faithful certain things in this movie were to Jewish customs and culture because I am not qualified to do so. But I did detect a few Jewish stereotypes, and I had to cringe when the Jewish part of the congregation had to listen and smile to a song which celebrates baby Jesus as the king of the world. To be fair, the Hanukkah song written by Jake was really beautiful. It was a very sweet comfort movie. And thanks to these Hallmark movies I can now spell Hanukkah without looking it up.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

Unwrapping Christmas: Olivia’s Reunion

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All Wrapped Up.

This is the last of the 4 little movies about 4 women who own an all-year-round gift-wrapping store. My review title is apt.  I’ll try not to let the complete absence of the Magical Gift Paper Making Machine affect my rating. As if to make up for it though, Olivia’s dog Ivy gets more of the spotlight and  he is one of the most adorable Hallmark dogs ever. Ivy did not receive a much deserved screen credit for his or her role. He or she needs an agent.

While out delivering gifts that have been “All Wrapped Up” (the name of the store) a few days before The Gala, Olivia (Cindy Busby) knocks on the door of the remote vacation home of the woman who ordered them and finds herself face to face with her ex-boyfriend Ben (current occupation unknown) whom she hasn’t seen for several years. No it wasn’t one of those meddling sneaky mother set ups that Hallmark is so fond of. Ben’s mother, who has taken the rest of the family skiing leaving Ben alone in the cabin, is, as they say, “a lot”, and does not like Olivia because she blames their split on her, even though he was the one who left for New York. Anyway, being set in Minnesota in the winter, they get snowed in alone together.

This was basically a very simple and pleasant romance as the two leads slowly iron out their problems and resume their relationship. I liked it pretty well, mostly for what did not happen, rather than what did. First there were no festivals, and nothing needed to be saved. There was no flirty food fight or other silly tom foolery (Mostly because there was no food in the fridge except for a banana.) No ice skating or snowman construction or snow ball throwing. It was positively refreshing! It was just Ben and Olivia talking and stuff like finding Christmas decorations in the basement and Olivia showing Ben her bow making  accumen (bow making is Olivia’s specialty.) Ben’s mother tries to fix up Ben with Jen, the local store owner from afar, but Jen was nice. No cattiness at all. In fact, Olivia invites her back to the cabin for Christmas as her family is away. There is some simmering suspense as to what Mom’s reaction will be when she finds out that the (w)itch who broke her baby’s heart has been alone in the cabin with him the whole time.  And the confrontation did not disappoint. Mom was very rude, but is swiftly set right by Ben and all was smoothed over. Best of all, there was no last minute misunderstanding that has half of the fledgling couple stomp off into the sunset. Olivia in fact does hear part of a conversation while eavesdropping, but what she hears is Ben defending her to his mother and it seals the deal on their happy ending. That has got to be a first. Admittedly, there was a hint of “bad business” but it had to do with Jen, the nice store owner and was very much a side issue. Jen even gets a hint of a happy ending of her own. So nice.

This low key easy-going little diversion would not have worked without likable actors and characters. Ben is played by Jake Epstein who is a favorite of mine. He and Cindy made a good pair and I have always really liked Cindy Busby too. Going off topic here, but she deserves props for not hiding her age on IMDb even though she is one of the older actresses for Hallmark. She looks as great as ever and (also off-topic) her makeup is pretty and natural, as always. Seemingly, Hallmarkies either love her or hate her. But will the bridge be repaired in time for Olivia to make it to The Gala in time to win the bow-making contest? We already know the answer as we have seen Cindy’s dramatic entrance, with Ben in tow, in the three previous movies. There were some continuity problems and other head-scratchers in the movie (like why is Cindy’s dress red in the movie but gold on the poster?). But they were easy for me to shrug off. **7 stars/10**- The best of the bunch.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

Hearts Around the Table: Kiki’s Fourth Ingredient.

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I Didn’t know Whether to Add Stars or Subtract Them.

**Spoilers**

Jenna and Andrew are getting married in 4 days. Will Kiki, the last foster child on the docket, be able to meet, get to know, and fall in love with some man, have a big conflict, and then make up with him all the while preparing to cater her sister’s 100 guest wedding out of a food truck? It won’t be easy, but it’s Saturday night on the Hallmark Channel, so the answer is “yes.”  We see the road forward when we are introduced to Andrew’s best man who just happens to be the executive chef and owner of one of the most well-established restaurants in town. He is played by Torrance Coombs, who has been in a Hallmark and similar movie a time or two. There was one I didn’t like, but one I really did. And it turns out that he was the best thing about this one. He brought a suave and sophisticated mature older-man vibe to the proceedings that I really liked. Even though he was supposed to be the same age as Andrew. Kiki is supposed to be somewhat younger, so it was OK. I bought it.

Kiki is rather prickly with Clay when they first meet and she finds out his status in the local restaurant scene. She understandably feels a lot of pressure to make things perfect for her sister and now feels that she and her food truck will be judged and found wanting. And unexpected problems and glitches do seem to be mounting up. And no wonder, because she seems to be doing everything as if she didn’t know she was going to be the caterer until yesterday. Clay is very nice and makes it clear he has nothing but respect for her talent, admires her spirit and creativity, and even envies her freedom to create and serve what she wants.  Mainly, he points out that she is so preoccupied by prepping for the reception that she is missing out on her sister’s wedding and her bridesmaid duties. Kiki conquers her “I-can-do-it-all-by-myself-itis” and she lets him advise and help her. Only one day to the wedding, and they even have time to help out a local food bank.

All proceeds as expected on the romance and professional front until the night of the rehearsal dinner, when all things go to hell in a handbasket. Clay warmly introduces his female friend and colleague, another prominent chef, to the group and praises her skills and her restaurant. He praises Kiki and introduces her especially, and the lady makes some subtle digs at Kiki and her food truck.  Kiki goes on high alert, insecurity rears its ugly head again, and she gets huffy and sneaks out of the dinner. At first I thought she was being overly sensitive and overreacted. But looking at the exchange again, I didn’t really blame her for getting her panties in a twist. But she shouldn’t have walked out of her sister’s rehearsal dinner. She missed all of the drama.

While the Clay and Kiki saga was going on, Angie, the foster mother, tracked down Jenna’s long lost father behind her back as a special treat for Jenna. In the middle of the dinner, in he walks, still in his work clothes. What was the normally wise and caring Angie thinking? Not surprisingly Jenna was not pleased that the father who abandoned her and her mother (It wasn’t my idea!) shockingly intrudes uninvited by her on her happy (except for Kiki) rehearsal dinner. He didn’t even know her mother had died 20 years ago, and that Jenna had been raised in foster care (And why not, may I ask, you Jerk? That $64,000 question never gets answered.) She even turns on Andrew, the fiancé, in her anger and disgust. Uh Oh, SpaghettiOs.

And things go downhill from there! It got very awkward. As awkward as I’ve ever seen in a Hallmark movie. In fact, it was such a trainwreck, I almost gave it extra stars for the entertainment value. I’ll try not to give a play by play, but it mainly involves Kiki chopping vegetables like a maniac in her food truck the morning of the wedding after firing all of her temps instead of being a help and support to her traumatized sister. Also, Jenna refuses to walk down the aisle without the stranger she met the night before at her side (Don’t ask about the change of heart, because I have no idea). She keeps her Groom and his Groomsmen standing awkwardly in front of all of the guests in the pews waiting for her to appear while dear old “Dad” is rounded up.  They stand there quietly panicking and being stared at in silence without even any organ music for at least 20 minutes. They have no idea what is going on! And don’t get me started on Josh’s honey walking down the aisle like a hotdog in the middle of it all to straighten his tie. And the baptismal font in the middle of the aisle which Jenna, Deadbeat Dad, and Angie have to dodge on the trip to the altar.

Anyway, just to wrap up, the wedding happens in spite of itself and Kiki and Clay declare their undying love after knowing each other for 4 actually 3, days during which a good chunk of that time she was mad at him. What was the fourth ingredient? Another question goes unanswered. Stars for Mr. Coombs and all the craziness.

Rating: 6 out of 10.

Hearts Around the Table: Josh’s Third Serving

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Hallmark Takes on ADHD

As an After School Special exploring the topic of ADHD, this was excellent. As a Hallmark movie, it was just OK. And I didn’t understand the title. No third servings to be found. Angie welcomes a new foster to her table as brother Josh meets the new English teacher at his school. Thanks to the charm and good acting of Millie Davis, who played Gina, the second teen foster child to be taken in by Angie, this movie did keep me engaged. She was a star. I did question the wisdom of having two equally attractive unrelated teenagers of opposite sexes living in the same house. But that’s another subject. The romance between Josh and Ella, the new teacher, who also was put in charge of running the extra-curricular music program, definitely took second stage to Gina’s troubles with studying and Josh and Ella’s efforts to raise money for their Track and Music programs, respectively.

The two teacher’s initial friendly encounter turns to rivalry as Ella’s little music group has the unmitigated gall to practice their rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” outside on the school’s lawn within earshot of Josh’s apparently very unfocused and easily distracted track team. I was firmly on Ella’s side in this dispute, despite the screechiness and lack of musicality of her half dozen little chicks (which include Gina). The alternative to practicing outside on the lawn is to use the music room which is full of toppling junk and infested with (possibly dangerous?) mold. When the two teachers receive the news that their budget has been cut in half, they start competing for money with fundraising, from the PTA, the Board of Education, and the Alumni Association. Josh’s track team needs new uniforms and Ella needs a complete renovation of the dangerous, possibly deadly, music room. Ella gets a tip from the head of the PTA that the wealthy Alumni Association might be interested in funding a new project. Because the decision maker, Mr. Gupta, is a “go big or go home” kind of guy Ella very nicely invites Josh to team up with her to pitch funding sports and the arts together. Their mild flirting is kicked up a notch to include a hug in the classroom (which was kinda weird) and a date in a restaurant. Meanwhile, we spend a lot of time delving into Gina’s ADHD and the reasons why some may be resistant to being tested, the resources that can help them, and some pep talks and words of wisdom in dealing with those challenges. Also we spend some time with Steve Lund (yay!) who is trying to figure out a good way to propose to Jenna.

The big conflict right before the happy ending is particularly weak and manufactured because it depends on Josh losing his frigging mind. He is approached by a sports agent who offers to help Josh secure the money for his track program as he is an old buddy of Mr. Gupta. Josh conveniently forgets to tell the guy that the pitch is for the school music program as well as the track team. He is just shocked when his and Ella’s joint pitch is cancelled because Mr. Gupta was won over by the sports agent to generously fund the track team by itself, as requested. Let me tell you, Ella was shocked as well, to put it mildly. Josh redeems himself by refusing the money unless Mr. Gupta funds both programs. Mr. Gupta kindly declines and neither program gets the money. Hilarious. The whole thing was weird because the also very influential Mrs. Gupta turns out to be a big proponent of music programs and is a musician herself. It was very strange and harsh of Mr. Gupta but luckily, out of nowhere, the PTA steps in to save the day. Perhaps someone important got a whiff of that music room and pointed out the school was ripe for a lawsuit on the grounds of child endangerment.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

Hearts Around the Table: Shari’s Second Act.

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Everyone’s Confused. Including Me.

**Spoilers**

Now it’s time for the oldest sister Shari’s story. I really liked Shari in the first one. She was very fierce and sarcastic in protecting her sister against Andrew who did her dirty when they were teens. The movie opens shortly after the first one as Andrew and Jenna are an established couple although Andrew does not appear in person but only on the phone. Shari is coming back home to D.C. after divorcing her diplomat husband in Zurich, Switzerland. It starts off kind of cute as Shari and her siblings are on the phone, each one accusing the other of not going to pick her up from the airport and leaving her to find her own way home with a ton of luggage. When Shari walks outside the airport though they are all there together to pick her up as a surprise with signs and balloons and stuff. Group hug.

As we know, Shari is an artist, and she has snagged a huge commission for a painting, as well as a spot in a very luxurious apartment/studio/gallery for a below market rent called an “Artist’s Co-Op and Studio.” Except she seems to be the only one to ever be there. Except for the GQ/romance novel-cover-model-handsome-caretaker/handyman who turns out to be the owner, that is. It’s a little unnerving. Their whole romance consists of “You Lied to Me!” “I need some space!” “No, I need some space” “It’s a date” “It’s not a date” “Is something Wrong?” “I just got divorced and can’t get involved with anyone right now.” “Leave me alone. I need to chase my own dreams.” “I need some some space and told him to leave me alone but he’s pushing me away. What did I do wrong?” “Maybe he’s confused?” Ya think? The sisters’ advice consists of encouraging her to pursue love with this cute guy and then telling her to back off from any relationships because it’s literally days after she got divorced after hoping for a reconciliation. That last part made a ton of sense to me and I am sure any amateur or professional therapist would advise the same. But this is a Hallmark and we can’t have a happy ending unless that happy ending includes a pair-up. At the end, Evan the cute owner, gets a huge opportunity to repurpose some warehouses in San Francisco. It is the chance of a lifetime. And we have another round of confusion. “I must go to San Francisco to chase my dreams.” “Do you really want to go?” “I’m really happy for you.” “I love you but I can’t ask you to stay.” “This job is incredible. I want to take this job.” “I want to see if we fit”. “Maybe it will lead somewhere. Maybe it won’t.” “You must go. I love you but I can’t ask you to give up your dream job.” “Please stay.” “This is my dream job but it’s missing you.” They decide to take it slow. They kiss. She introduces Evan to her family as her best friend, muse, and soulmate. Yikes. Slow down, girl. It’s been how long? Two weeks? Three? At the end, I really don’t know if he went or not, or if he went, if Shari went with him. I kind of doubt it. Unfortunately for all concerned, I think he stayed.

We have some side stories too. The brother, Coach Josh, helps a troubled teen and his sister. Their father gets some help in the end too. Kiki can’t  decide whether to go to a funeral. Evan’s grandmother, a former artist who doesn’t paint anymore (why?) had to sell off all of her work “for pennies” and regrets it. It is Evan’s life’s work to find one of the lost paintings to give back to her. Grandma must have been pretty renowned and celebrated because one of her paintings is auctioned off to a collector or dealer for $10,000. Questions questions. It turns out one of her paintings was right there at Foster Mother Angie’s house all along. Thank God Shari stopped him from selling his car to up the $10,000 bid. She takes it right off the wall. No charge.

What really got my goat is that Shari never works on the painting she was hired to paint. She claims that she just can’t paint out of nowhere but must wait to be “inspired.” The thing is that Shari is a portrait painter, so she must have been commissioned to paint a portrait. Just paint the damn face. No inspiration needed. She paints Evan’s portrait. At the end, I guess to symbolize that she has finally found herself and her inspiration, she paints about a dozen self-portraits. But she never paints the portrait she was hired to paint. BTW, she is not a good painter. The paintings she painted at the end are not good, in my opinion. I do not see success as a painter in her future.

Shari was not the same Shari as she was in the first movie. If she had been, I would have liked this more. The romance was ill-advised from the get go. Between the dubious viability of Evan’s “Artist’s Co-Op”, and Shari’s half-baked “I have to be free” approach to her painting career combined with her lack of talent (in my opinion), I’m afraid we have another case of what I call “Bad Business.” This is usually death to stars-This a 4, which is bad (swear words were uttered), but with a few bright spots and not actively revolting.

Rating: 4 out of 10.

Hearts Around the Table: Jenna’s First Love

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Second Chancy Romance

First off, Welcome Back to Hallmark, Steve Lund. I don’t know what you did to get yourself banished, or what Hallmark did to you for you to have to take a break (actually I think I do know), but Gosh, it was good to see you again. I guess absence does make the heart go fonder, because though he’s been a favorite for a long time, now I love him. Move over Kris Polaha. Unfortunately, the role he plays in this one leaves a lot to be desired.

Jenna is a former foster child who was taken in by Angie when she was 13-years-old, joining three other children she considers her brother and sisters. She has made a great success of her life which we know because in the opening scene she is strutting confidently down the city street in heels and a trendy power suit talking on a cell phone. She is an “event guru” who is going to a meeting with a tech billionaire about a charitable event he wants to put on. In the lobby, she runs into (Yes, literally, papers a-flying) Andrew (Lund) who is Billionaire Tom Redland’s right hand man and consultant. They have a “What-are-YOU-doing-here?” moment. They were high-school sweethearts who broke up when Andrew ghosted her and went to Paris to study. They will be working together to put on this huge and important Charity event which Jenna handles like a boss. Actually she is the boss, as Tom Redlands, who is a good guy, handsome and short, makes her the lead on the project. Andrew, who is handsome, very fit, and tall, is a good sport about it. He does show that he is a good guy in moments throughout the movie, but he does have a character arc, so he is not supposed to be perfect like Jenna. Unfortunately it wasn’t handled very believably or well, so while Steve Lund’s performance is a positive, the character he plays is a negative.

  • He ghosts Jenna after highschool and although he apologizes, he never comes up with a good explanation other than “we were kids.” In fact, he blames his wealthy mother (weak!) for not approving of Jenna’s background and insisting on getting him away to Paris. But when we finally meet his mother she is perfectly lovely and seemingly thrilled that her son is in love with such a beautiful, nice, and successful woman. And she greets Angie, Jenna’s foster mother like an old friend. Definitely not the sort who must have wrapped Andrew in duct tape and thrown him on the plane to Paris to prevent him from saying goodbye and I Will Still Love You Forever to Jenna. And kept him like that to prevent him calling her on the phone. So it makes him look like a liar.
  • When Billionaire Tom invites Jenna to discuss their project after hours at dinner, Andrew acts like a petulant child, jumping to all sorts of jealousy-fueled conclusions. Yes, Tom does seem to be interested in her personally (who wouldn’t be?), but Jenna is pretty clear that it is Andrew who holds her heart in his hands. He goes to the gym to work out his anger and frustration, and he is actually pretty scary about it, suggesting a possible issue there, in my opinion.
  • Thank goodness he didn’t know that Tom proposes marriage to her on their second date which was very weird. Jenna actually is like “Dude. What?” and leaves the restaurant with the intent of talking to Andrew. She finds him sitting on the sidewalk outside her apartment (also weird). He is about ready to confess his love and regret, when Tom’s chauffeur drives up with her purse which she left at the restaurant. For some reason, this triggers Andrew (who already knew she was out with Tom) into stalking off into the night with no goodbye (sound familiar?). Jenna calls out after him “Nice Talk!!” which was kind of funny. God, Hallmark, can you please lose this big last minute misunderstanding trope? He rudely ignores her for the remaining minutes of the movie until, thanks to a pep talk from Mommy, he makes up with her and the rest is history.

Throughout the movie, we are treated to weekly dinners with Jenna’s foster family, setting up the next three movies in this Hearts Around the Table series which will feature Jenna’s three siblings. We also have a little story with Rory, a new arrival Angie is fostering. Angie is played by Mindy Cohn of The Facts of Life fame. She is great, looks great, and her character is very endearing. These home scenes are lively and warm. Older sister Shari seems like a real pistol. She is rightly very suspicious of Andrew, and makes her feelings crystal clear to the point of rudeness. And good for her. The other brother and sister are played by Jake Epstein, a big favorite of mine, and Kathryn Davis. In this one, talented actor Steve Lund conveys all the emotions his character is going through with skill and authenticity, even adding a little welcome humor that might not have been written into the script. Unfortunately I just didn’t like those emotions. I am optimistic about the next three movies, particularly Shari’s story and more of Jake Epstein (and hopefully, Steve Lund). And Mindy Cohn-loved her in this.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

The Wedding Contract

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Signing on the Dotted Line

I have always liked Becca Tobin in the movies I have seen her in and this was no exception. And I have really really liked Jake Epstein. He is good-looking, but with a nice normal guy-type vibe as well. They star together in this low-key Jewish-themed romance. Ms. Tobin has never looked lovelier. This one is a little different as the couple has a meet-cute, time goes by, Jake meets Rebecca’s close-knit family, and they are engaged to be married in the first 18 minutes. Rebecca teaches art, and we have a montage of pencil drawings of the couple having fun and such like to prove to the audience they have spent the necessary time together and they are a good match. And… it’s time to plan the wedding and bring home Jake’s single Mom ( I’m redecorating a Castle in Romania) from her world travels.

Of course, the mothers are…challenging. They have completely opposite tastes and lives. One likes lots of pizzazz and one favors understated sophistication. But their antics are mostly held in check. The conflict is limited to dirty looks and extreme civility. Plus, this bride actually has a backbone. There is also the matter of religious differences. Although they are both Jewish, Rebecca is fairly devout and holds to all the traditional customs and ceremonies. Adam on the other hand is Jewish in name only. His now-divorced mother married a gentile after his father died, and the pair lost touch with that side of things. There are a number of scenes of Adam getting immersed and educated in his heritage and he does it to make Rebecca happy. This involves meetings with a Rabbi, who looks more like an agent for the Mossad and is terrifying. The second and far more serious source of conflict is Adam’s career. After they are engaged and planning the wedding, Adam gets a big promotion to partner but it means he and Rebecca will have to move to Los Angeles. Rebecca is very close to her family and the after-school program she created and runs in Chicago. She is sad but rightly agrees with good grace that move is what they must do. Bonus Perk: He will be making twice as much money! So yes. Good decision. So far so good. They love each other and are willing to put the other first and work things out together. However,  after navigating their share of stormy waters the boat starts to flounder when Adam has to go to L.A. to handle an emergency just a few days before the wedding, and is late getting back in time for the rehearsal. Rebecca, already stressed and questioning Adam’s priorities walks out. I thought that was a little extreme.

All is (miraculously) resolved of course, with some thanks to the sage guidance of the two Moms. The actors were excellent. Becca Tobin managed to convey teacher-like qualities outside of the classroom without coming across as overly high-handed. Jake Epstein conveyed his character’s high-strung tendencies without making him seem like a ditz.  Jake’s mother, played by Laura Soltis had a lovely and touching scene near the end which softened her hard sophisticate facade. Oh! and good ol’ Peter Benson was in this. This was a low-key story that did include some drama and tension but didn’t turn into a silly circus. It was very pleasant.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

Christmas at Maple Creek (A Christmas Village Romance)

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A Sweet Old-Fashioned Vibe

I really liked this one for some reason. Maybe it was the perfectly lovely actress that played the lead. Maybe it was her character’s sweetness and shyness. Maybe it was the old-fashioned atmosphere and the historical village setting. It almost had a YA vibe. I know for sure that Jake Epstein, who played the love interest is quickly becoming a favorite of mine, had a lot to do with it. So far, whatever he is in, I’ll give it a try.

Diana is a very successful romance novelist who has a crush on the guy who is the male model for her book covers but she really does not want to make a move. I think it’s mostly because she is shy and old-fashioned. If you immerse yourself in historical romance, it makes sense that you would tend to take on the attitudes of that time. She is basically being bullied by her editor to date him, which really annoyed me. The male model is clearly wrong for her because though he’s nice, he is not very smart, he’s shallow, is more interested in physical activities rather than more thoughtful pursuits. All he’s got is good looks and a good bod.

She decides to go to her hometown, which is a historical village like a very poverty-stricken man’s Williamsburg Virginia. Maple Creek is struggling and will soon have to be shut down unless they can up the attendance and make more money. There she meets a history professor (check) who is doubling as the town blacksmith (check, check) and is tall and good-looking in a down-to-earth way (check, check, check) I think we have our winner. He does not approve of the way she approaches history in her novels although he respects that she is a good writer. He teases her and is nice to her and soon she has come out of her shell and they have become friends with a lot in common. Plus, they are trapped in a storm together. Like something in a romance novel!

Of course, the male model shows up in the village, attracted more by the fact that she is not chasing him than by genuine affection and attraction to her, and the inevitable misunderstanding occurs with Carter. Seeing the two suitors together, she definitely knows which one is for her, and all proceeds to the happy ending for the couple and the village.

Jeni Ross is a perfectly lovely young actress and her chemistry with Jake Epstein was great. The only criticism I have is that she says her lines way too fast. The Gilmore Girls was canceled! Slow Down!

Rating: 8 out of 10.

December 15, 2021

Eight Gifts of Hanukkah

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The Eye Doctor Who Could Not See

This is the plot where the secret admirer turns out to be the dark horse best friend. Yes, it is a cliché, but, for me, it usually works. And by and large, it works in this one. I liked the male lead very well. He was appealing in an average guy sort of way and conveyed his love and longing hidden behind jokey behavior towards the heroine very effectively. The female lead was OK despite her voice being very high and girlish. Also, she giggled an awful lot for the mature usually poised and serious person she played. She was definitely channeling Lacey Chabert, Jen Lilley, or both. I got used to it eventually, though it was distracting at first.

Life-long family friend and buddy, Daniel, who is working with Sara to renovate her office, tries to woo her by sending a thoughtful meaningful gift, on each of the 8 days of Hanukkah. It starts out being fun for all concerned, but as each day goes by and she still can’t figure out who her secret admirer is he starts to feel hurt and a little disrespected. She is being distracted by two new serious suitors. And they are both very nice and very eligible. Even her ex who dumped her starts to make some moves. He is a weasel. When Daniel’s best friend, amusingly played by Doron Bell, asks him why he just doesn’t tell her, he says, “Now it’s becoming a test. I want her to figure out it’s me.” As they spend more time together (he teaches her to dance, for example) Inbar Lavi, as the beautiful but blind as a bat optometrist (Eye See You-not.) Sara, does a good job of showing the increasing attraction she has started to feel for her friend and being confused by it. He knows she is starting to feel something, but wants her to figure it out on her own. It’s a romantic dance and is very engaging. After nearing the last days of his courtship of gifts, which honestly only he could be the giver of, he overhears her speculating on the most unlikely possibilities and doesn’t even consider it might be him. He is fed up. She finally figures things out, but he has lost patience. Is it too late?

This has some corny lines and situations including an awkward Forrest Gump imitation, but I really liked it. Some of the efforts to infuse the story with Jewish culture and references seem a little forced, but who am I to judge? The ending and the 8th gift were sweet and perfect.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

December 6, 2021

A Storybook Christmas

/ Rebekahrox / 3 Comments

Thanks to the Leads, Worth Watching

Ali Liebert is back in form in this latest holiday offering. There was something about her in the last one, A Gift to Cherish, that seemed a little off. It’s been a week or more since I have seen this, so I’ll just make this brief. This was the unexpectedly male nanny plot. He is a well-known children’s author in disguise and she is an event planner who needs to wrangle this author to the career make or break event she is planning. Little does she know, this reclusive author is right under her nose. I loved that the male lead was just a normal-looking guy, and his rival, her boyfriend, was fictionally male model handsome. She is a controller and scheduler to the point that I really disliked her at times, and he has a more loosey-goosey approach to child raising. So it’s kind of two plots for the price of one. It wasn’t perfect. The constant mantra of “You are safe, You are loved” to her little niece (orphaned) was unbelievably cheesy. But all in all a complex story with a lot going on, some tension, and good chemistry make this worth watching.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

December 14, 2019