EIGHT DATES AND NIGHTS

Hannah Levin loves celebrating Hanukkah with her family—unfortunately, this year she’s stuck in Texas with her somewhat distant grandmother and a couple of horses.

New Yorker Hannah is determined to be miserable during her four-day stay in Rosenblum, Texas. It’s a small, slow-moving town with spotty cell service, and Hannah is allergic to the horses. She misses her friends and family back home, especially during the winter holiday. There’s also tension Hannah doesn’t fully understand between her parents and her grandmother; last year, her older brother visited Texas on his own, and now it’s her turn. But when Hannah meets cute, sweet (and Jewish) Noah Blum at the local deli, her short vacation becomes a lot more interesting. When snowstorms lead to flight cancellations, Hannah is stuck in Rosenblum for most of the rest of the holiday. Noah is determined to cheer her up and show her his Texas-style traditions for creating a magical Hanukkah. While Hannah spends each day helping Noah out in the deli, Noah organizes eight romantic nights all around town and even beyond. The adorable meet-cute involving a giant hot dog costume should launch a sweet romance full of Jewish joy, but instead what follows is a clunky narrative weighed down by repetition and some inconsistencies. While the voice is authentic, the romance is lukewarm at best.

This holiday romance is kind of a schlep.