Lifetime's Mistletoe & Menorahs Is the Jewish Holiday Movie You've Been Waiting For
Julianna: And what I love about Hanukkah is that Guy and I can come together for a quiet moment at the end of every single day of Hanukkah to light one candle on the menorah. It’s just nice to be able to put a pause and spend time together and celebrate this tradition that Guy has had since he was little.
Guy: There’s another bit that we put into the movie is me teaching Julianna how to do the prayers while lighting the candles on the menorah.
Julianna: In the film, Kelley [Jakle, who plays the main character, Christy] has a beautiful voice. When we were developing the script, it wasn’t initially intended to have the actor singing in that moment. It’s when we cast Kelley and we knew she’s so talented as a singer that we revised it to have her sing. It was the same with Jake. He’s a singer, too. So when “Oh Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah” comes on… we changed all of that to be included because of the actors who were cast. They’re talented in so many arenas.
Important question: fruitcake plays a big part in this movie. Was it as good as it was made out to be?
Julianna: We tried to make sure that the fruitcake wasn’t that bad because it’s definitely not a great dessert. I think part of Guys writing was to try to bring fruitcake back.
Guy: I love fruitcake. I really do. And that is something I discovered from Christmas is how much I love fruitcake.
Julianna: Oh, I’m not a fan. But the latkes and jelly donuts were fantastic. We tried to make sure that the actors like them so that they wouldn’t have a look of of anything on their face but joy.
And what’s next? Would you like to do another film for the holidays next year?
Guy: I would like to bring a Passover movie [into the fold]. There’s holiday movies all year around…spring movies and summer movies. But as far as Hanukkah, there’s still a lot of stories out there that can be explored. Whether it’s romance stories that involve someone being Jewish or two people being Jewish or just somebody going to a Hanukkah party, [I’m interested]. When pitching season comes around, I certainly hope to have a bunch of ideas.
Mistletoe & Menorahs airs Saturday, December 7 at 6 P.M. ET on Lifetime. Jessica Radloff is the Glamour West Coast editor. Follow her on Twitter @JRadloff.