Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Oy to the World!’ on Hallmark Channel, in which Christian and Jewish faiths come together for a special holiday season full of music, community, and love
The Hallmark Channel is kicking off this first day of Hanukkah with Oy to the World! This new romance movie blends ideologies as a reverend’s daughter (Brooke D’Orsay) and a rabbi’s son (Jake Epstein) go from childhood friends to teen rivals to competing adults that are forced to put aside old differences in order to successfully run a joint holiday choir. But in working together, the two come to find that they’ve always been more alike than different, culminating in an interfaith relationship that helps each one to reach their full potential during the holiday season.
The Gist: Nikki Roberts (Brooke D’Orsay) and Jake Cohen (Jake Epstein) were childhood best friends whose competitive natures forced them to become rivals as teens. On one especially formative occasion, the two went head-to-head singing in the Pine Bend High School Holiday Talent Show, only for Nikki to falter in front of the entire community while singing “Ode to Joy,” leaving her humiliated enough to swear off singing in public for decades after. Although their families stayed friends, Nikki and Jake only grew further apart as Jake moved away to New York City to pursue his musical dreams, while Nikki stayed in Pine Bend to become the choir director at her father’s (Harrison Coe) Episcopalian church.
Even in the big city, Jake’s life hasn’t turned out the way he’d hoped, as he works in a guitar store alongside his best friend and bandmate, Dave Zolotnik (Curtis Lovell), chasing their next gig and hounding record labels to give them a chance. But just when it looks like Jake is finally going to have a chance at a big break, his mom (Stellina Rusich) calls him back home after his beloved bubbe (Patti Allan) slips on the wet floor at temple following a burst pipe, relegating her to the couch and forcing Jake to temporarily fill in for her as the temple’s new choir director.
In the winter chill, the temple’s busted heating system proves to be quite an issue, but when Reverend Paul Roberts offers Rabbi Levi Cohen (David Julian Hirsh) and his congregation space in his church to celebrate Hanukkah, they find a solution that makes almost everyone happy. Only their kids, Nikki and Jake, are left frustrated as the joined congregations eventually necessitate their respective choirs combining for one big holiday concert that falls on December 24th, which happens to be both the last day of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve. But the more time they spend together, the more that Nikki and Jake are drawn to one another, rekindling an old bond, finding themselves, and overcoming past hangups along the way.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of? You might be reminded of other Hallmark holiday romance movies that feature both Christmas and Hanukkah, like Hitched for the Holidays, Mistletoe & Menorahs, and Double Holiday.
Performance Worth Watching: Patti Allan might not have the most screentime as Jake’s precocious bubbe, Sarah Markle, but she steals the show with her lovable warmth and sassy one-liners (“I’m 80 years old, what else am I going to do? Base jump?”) whenever she’s onscreen.
Memorable Dialogue: I enjoyed this exchange from when Jake sees his father downtrodden after the rabbi received the official, steep bill for the temple’s burst pipes:
“What’s going on?”
“Your father checked his email.”
“Dad, we talked about this. The Nigerian prince isn’t real.”
A Holiday Tradition: With the Roberts and Cohen families combining their personal and religious traditions, there are so many to choose from. A few of these traditions include: a bake sale, holiday bowling ft. ugly seasonal sweaters, and a big choir concert.
Does The Title Make Any Sense? The song “Joy to the World” is a recurring sound throughout this movie, and with the combined choir’s big final number being a musical mashup called “Oy to the World,” that certainly makes sense as the film’s title, too.
Our Take: When I first saw the title of this movie, I wasn’t sure what to think, especially after learning that the film’s writer doesn’t appear to practice Judaism. However, after watching Oy to the World!, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the care that seemed to go into this to represent both Christianity and Judaism faithfully (ha), showing both religions respect and honoring traditions from both theologies. Sure, there are plenty of cheesy moments and some where you may get second-hand embarrassment or feel the urge to cringe, but what’s a holiday movie without a little schmatlz?
Oy to the World! isn’t the best movie you’ll see this holiday season, but it does have enough amusing moments, commitment from the cast, and genuine warmth to still feel worth watching. In a time where it’s easy to feel divided, it’s just refreshing to see a movie where the point is that’s despite our seemingly opposing beliefs, we’re more alike than different, and that everyone’s united in love. And that alone is enough to make this movie unexpectedly charming and feel worth many people’s time, even in all its pun-filled, occasionally over-the-top holiday glory.
Our Call: While the movie definitely has its fair share of schmaltz, Oy to the World! is generally more sweet than cringey, and the actors seemed to have fun making it, so why not give it a shot? Spread “oy” this holiday season and STREAM IT.
How To Watch Oy to the World!
The only way to watch Hallmark Channel live without cable is by using a live TV streaming service. We recommend DIRECTV, which comes with a five-day free trial before payment begins.
DIRECTV offers a number of flexible subscription options, including Genre Packs, so you can best choose which streaming plans fit your needs and budget. Plans start at $49.99/month.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! (At least, that’s what Andy Williams promised.) The holidays are a time to celebrate with family, friends, food, and, let’s not forget, fun things to watch. Whether you’re huddled up with the whole family in your living room or cozying up under the covers with your tablet, let Decider be your guide to all things festive this holiday season.
Maddy Casale is a Chicago-based writer and comedian who covers everything from animated series to Hallmark movies. Follow her on Duolingo @MCasale.
