'Love, Lights, Hanukkah': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about Hallmark’s nod to the Jewish holiday
Hallmark Channel has launched its ‘Countdown to Christmas’ event with the premiere of an impressive movie lineup. This includes movies that have a common template of charity, faith, traditions and celebration of gala time with loved ones. The adorable movie lineup has ‘Love, Lights, Hanukkah!’, a movie that revolves around the Jewish festival, Hanukkah. This drops some hints that the movie might be about exploring a faith-based narrative. And indeed the festive spirit is incomplete without traditions and customs, so here’s a look at what the movie is all about.
Release date
The movie premieres Saturday, December 12 at 8 pm ET/PT on Hallmark Channel
Plot
The synopsis of the film reads, “As Christina prepares her restaurant for Christmas, a DNA test reveals that she's Jewish! The discovery leads her to a new family and a new, unlikely romance over eight crazy nights.”
Cast
Mia Kirshner as Christina
Born in Toronto, Canada, Mia Kirshner comes from a family of Holocaust survivors. Her journalist father was born in a displaced camp in Germany and her mother was a Bulgarian-Jewish refugee as reported by Hallmark. Mia embarked on an acting career in the early 1990s. She is best remembered for roles in ‘Love and Human Remains’, ‘Exotica’ and ‘The Grass Harp’. She has also essayed the lead role opposite Vincent Perez in ‘The Crow: City of Angels’ in 1996 and featured in spoof comedy ‘Not Another Teen Movie’, action-filled drama, ‘24’, acclaimed series ‘The L Word’ to name some.
Ben Savage as David
Ben Savage kickstarted his career in the field of entertainment at the tender age of five. The actor grabbed his first breakout role with NBC television series ‘Dear John’ in 1988, followed by his film debut in ‘Little Monsters’. He featured in many television movies and miniseries and in 1993, started essaying the lead character of Cory Matthews in the popular ABC series ‘Boy Meets World’. After the show was done, Ben enrolled in and graduated with honors from Stanford University. His guest television series credits include ‘Chuck’, ‘Homeland’, ‘Without a Trace’ and ‘Bones’. In 2014, the star reprised his role as Cory Matthews on Disney’s show ‘Girl Meets World’.
Brandi Alexander as Janet
Born and raised in Vancouver BC to a Filipino mother and a father of African/Aboriginal and European descent, Brandi Alexander was always interested in expressing herself through creative mediums. Be it drawing, and painting to her passion for performing arts, the actress had taken part in many creative endeavors right from her school days. She was approached by a modeling agency at the age of 13 where she worked as a fashion model in print, commercials, and runway. Later in her career, she was chosen as a contestant in Canada’s Next Top Model and also worked on Deal or No Deal Canada. Her television credits include ‘iZombie’, ‘Phantom’, ‘Blackburn’, ‘Psych’, ‘Motive’, ‘Girlfriends Guide to Divorce and Supernatural’ to name some.
Creator
“Love, Lights, Hanukkah!” is produced by Lighthouse Pictures Inc. Jamie Goehring, Shawn Williamson, Joey Plager and Ellie Kanner serve as executive producers of the television film while Mick MacKay serves as the producer. Mark Jean is on the director’s chair while the movie has Karen Berger for scripting credits.
Trailer
The film centers around the Jewish festival, Hanukkah and the two leads are of Jewish descent and/or faith. Watch how the magic unfolds
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