a fun Holiday Date | B

Hallmark Channel Premiere | December 14, 2019

We're here to offer you a high-paying job in the city. But we know you'll turn it down so that you can design costumes for a community theater. No one actually needs to make money in the Hallmark world.

In this movie, Brooke heads home for Christmas to introduce boyfriend Ethan to her family. Unfortunately, she and Ethan break up just before the holidays, so Brooke brings actor Joel to pretend to be architect Ethan. (Yes, we've seen this plot before, but this one is cute.) Joel is Jewish, so celebrating a traditional Christmas creates a comedy of errors and leads to many fun moments.

While the plot is juvenile at times, this is a fun movie with some new elements for Hallmark. I love the integration of Hanukkah with Christmas, and the way the family embraces Hanukkah traditions is enjoyable and charming. There are some comedic moments (in the style of Meet the Parents), and all of the characters are likeable and quirky. It's not going to win any awards, but this is worth watching while you do some last-minute gift wrapping.

Hallmark gets an A on: Matt Cohen (Joel); no orphans; the kiss under the mistletoe; fun plot

Hallmark gets a D on: Ethan (the real one); Joel's singing; the play

Grade: B

* Note Grading Scale:

A = This is seriously a good movie. It will remain on my DVR for the season.

B = Totally exceeded my expectations. I'm happy to recommend.

C = This is an average Hallmark movie. Good holiday fun.

D = I'm disappointed... but I watched it. Why not?

F = I actually had a hard time getting through this one. And that says a lot.