Danielle Solzman
Leah’s Perfect Gift is a Hallmark movie about a Jewish woman obsessed with Xmas and longing to celebrate a traditional Xmas. Movies and Chinese food aren’t enough? I mean, this year we have Chanukah starting on December 25 because that’s when 25 Kislev starts this year. Talk to any religious or observant Jew and they’ll tell you that the premise of Leah’s Perfect Gift is offensive and sickening. Is this what the Hallmark Channel thinks of the Jewish community? That we’d rather celebrate a Christian holiday than our own?!? It is bad enough that I only learned on motzi Shabbos that the film is based on a book! Hallmark, we need to have a talk.
Some of you are probably going to say, well, what about interfaith families? No offense to those couples and their families but we’re talking about a film where a Jewish woman is more obsessed with Xmas than the Christians in the film. I don’t think I need to remind anyone about the origins of Xmas and why it’s so offensive that a Jewish woman wants to celebrate Xmas more than the Jewish holidays. If you’re wondering, the same would apply if it were about a Jewish man, rather than woman. The mere idea is just so offensive. It’s as if Hallmark thought, the Jews are already feeling bad enough this year, how can we make it worse?!? That being said, Hanukkah on the Rocks (why not Chanukah, like the Hebrew pronunciation) is premiering on Shabbos. I’ll be watching it really soon. Let’s hope it’s better.
I had a bad feeling about this from the moment that I read the synopsis. Here’s an excerpt:
Though her family celebrates Hanukkah, Leah has longed to experience a traditional Xmas. When her boyfriend Graham invites her to spend the holidays with his classic Connecticut family, she eagerly accepts.
Where are the movies about Christians longing to celebrate Chanukah or participate in a Pesach seder (an actual Pesach seder rather than the Christian seders that culturally appropriate Judaism)? What about a film where a Christian wants to dress up for Purim and listen to Megillat Esther? Chances are unlikely that you’ll find those. Oh, my personal favorite, where are the films that showcase Jewish joy rather than Jewish tragedy? You’d be hard-pressed to find many of them because even though there is this idea of Jews controlling Hollywood, movies about Jewish joy feel very few and far between.
Not surprisingly, Leah Goldberg (Emily Arlook) finds that she does not fit in upon arrival. Things gets so bad that she hides in the bathroom to call (Bree Woodill) on the phone. Does it get any more of a cliche than this?!? She is more obsessed with wanting to celebrate Xmas than her boyfriend, Graham Westwood (Evan Roderick) or Graham’s sister, Maddie (Sidney Quesnelle). When the two siblings go home to Connecticut for the holidays, it feels like it’s work for them, whereas Leah is the type that really wants to be there. Also, what sort of house does not really have food to munch on?!? Sure, the film contains the predictable Hallmark moments but they feel very forced if I’m being honest. Meanwhile, Mitchell Westwood (Christopher Shyer) comes off as less uptight as his wife, Barbara Westwood (Barbara Niven),
I’m not making this up. Believe me when I say that I wish I were making this up. The amount of Chanukah featured in this movie is very slim, maybe five minutes at the most. Jonathan (Barry Levy) and Suzanne Goldberg (Robyn Ross) host Chanukah at their home. In what is no doubt a stereotype, Suzanne insists that their guests do not leave without food. Chinese food and the movies? We might be getting some Chinese food–if anything, it’s maybe the same amount as all of Chanukah in the movie–but not any movies. Oh yeah, the Jewish family is from New York City–the city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel. You start wondering how it is possible that Leah became more obsessed with Xmas than Jewish holidays.
Here’s the part that I don’t get, especially because you’d think people would at least read about Chanukah in the newspaper. Barbara Westwood knows absolutely nothing about Chanukah and seems shocked about Jews eating Chinese food on December 25. I’m sorry but WHAT?!? You’d have to be living in a cave if you’ve never heard of Chanukah, let alone Jewish minhag of eating Chinese food and going to the movies on December 24-25. Chinese restaurants are among the few restaurants that are open so it developed into a Jewish minhag to eat Chinese food. This year though, the first night of Chanukah coincides with December 25 so there will be plenty of Chanukah parties with a mix of latkes and Chinese food. One such party is currently on my calendar.
Leah’s Perfect Gift is horrendously terrible.
DIRECTOR: Peter Benson
SCREENWRITER: Emily Fox
CAST: Emily Arlook, Evan Roderick, Sidney Quesnelle, Christopher Shyer, Robyn Ross, Barry Levy, and Barbara Niven
Leah’s Perfect Gift premieres December 8, 2024 at 8 PM ET/7 PM CT on the Hallmark Channel. Grade: 1/5
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