Hanukkah on the Rocks

I'm not Jewish, I'm not a drinker and have never been to a bar, but i absolutely love this movie and will save it (I've already watched several times)! Stacey Farber is perfect in this role. I think this is third movie I've seen her starring in and she's been believable in each. I look forward to seeing her in more. I wasn't familiar with Daren Kagasoff but he played the grandson just right (I love his "calming" voice)! Marc Summers couldn't be more fitting for this role - loved him! Actually all the actors were great - seeming like a family! I loved the atmosphere and friendliness of the bar and would love being there even without a drink! 🤗

I never like it when the lead loses her job right off the bat. It's too depressing especially for a Christmas movie. Well in this movie, Tory bounces up right away. Believe it or not, she goes from a lawyer to a part time bartender and she's perfect for the job. So is Stacey Farber. She is really growing on me as a Hallmark lead. She and the rest of the cast have good dialogue to work with that is upbeat and fun. For a while the story isn't that complex. Obviously there is a guy spending time in the bar trying to convince his grandfather to go back to Florida to be with the rest of the family. But the story doesn't need more than that for a while because it's about the people with Farber's Tory being the center of everything. It works.

There is a secret hanging over Tory's head in that she doesn't want to tell her parents she lost her job. You know that will do something to interfere with how things are going at the bar and with Jay. That and the fact Jay lives in Florida. And there is an additional little surprise conflict.

Farber and Daren Kagasoff have great chemistry. The acting is good.

There is an element about family that gets stronger in the second half. It even leads into a really good ending, although a lot of things get tied up pretty quickly. (I was surprised the one big thing isn't completely tied down. Usually Hallmark movies put bows on every possible thing for an HEA.)

I watch just abouy all the new hallmark movies each year, this was already on my list with much knowledge of what it was abouy or who was in it. Then I heard Marc Summers on a radio show promoting the movie and then I was even more intrigued to watch it and it did not disappoint! I really enjoyed this one, Marc summers was SO good! I heard him saying he's not an actor but I thought he did a great job!! All of the actors really did in this. It was one of my favorites this holiday season.

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Excellent writing with several chuckle-worthy moments. Overall a fresh movie with only minimal use of standard Hallmark tropes. Throughout the movie we are treated to a believable story, and several fun and original moments. Acting is very good and the lead couple is believable. Another aspect which I greatly appreciated is that there were no groan-worthy moments with unrealistic story elements. Kudos to the producers, writers and actors. And, I would stop writing here except that IMDB requires a ridiculous long minimum word/character count so I guess I will just keep typing until...wait for it.. now.

As a 90s baby, I was a big fan of both Degrassi: The Next Generation and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. When I found out that Stacey Farber and Daren Kagasoff were the leads for this Hannukah film, I knew I had to watch it. When I saw Marc Summers playing sweet grandpa Sam, I started smiling ear to ear. After my viewing, I am happy to report that I loved it! This little movie was full of charm, tradition, community, family, romance...all the things that my Hallmark faves are known for. As a Christian who celebrates Christmas and the birth of Christ, I thoroughly enjoyed this Hannukah film. At its core, it had themes that everyone can relate to and enjoy, whether they are religious or not. I hope Hallmark Channel will continue to cast Stacey Farber and Daren Kagasoff in future projects because they are great actors with a sweet chemistry. Viewers will find themselves rooting for them every time.