It is a classic girl meets boy story.
Except this time, it’s a classic “girl sculpts the perfect lover out of clay, brings him to life by invoking an ancient Jewish folktale, and realizes he might not be the one she’s looking for” story.
That’s more or less the plot of the new Hallmark romantic comedy “Made for Each Other,” which premieres Saturday. Centered around a magical Jewish amulet and a 16th-century myth, the film is an eyebrow-raising effort for the US cable network best known for its cheesy Christmas movies.
But make no mistake: “Made for Each Other” is definitely still cheesy.
In the film, Rachel Baker, a sculptor and art teacher, feels unlucky in love, played by Alexandra Turshan. She fashions her ideal man out of clay and, adored by her neighbor Doris (Illeana Douglas), places an old pendant with Hebrew letters around his neck. The next day, her perfect man came to life, named Clay, of course.
“I took the best of every man I could think of,” Rachel says in the film. “Couldn’t find a perfect boyfriend, so I made one.”
But as it turns out, it’s not true that it’s cracked up to be. Lawyer-turned-comedian David Cohen – played by Matt Cohen and endowed with a name as liberal and stereotypically Jewish as possible – enters as Clay’s romantic rival for Rachel’s affection.
The film was written by Adi Blotman, an Israeli-American comedian and screenwriter.
“Still can’t believe I wrote a Golem rom-com and Hallmark made it. It’s magic,” Blotman tweeted this week.
For the uninitiated, the golem is a Jewish mystical legend about creatures made of clay or clay through the power of Hebrew letters. most likely to be famous Prague to GolemIt is said to have been brought to life in the city in the 1500s by a rabbi sage known as the Maharal in order to protect the Jewish community from anti-Semitic attacks.
The legend gets a 21st-century update when Rachel meets her ideal man—complete with a six-pack and chiseled jaw—and wishes him into existence.
Doris tells her, “My Bubbe used to tell me about the legend of the Golem… It’s Jewish folklore.” Together, the pair place a pendant from Doris’ grandmother – emblazoned with the Hebrew words “smart, strong, good, faithful” – around the statue’s neck.
Aaron O’Connell as Clay and Alexandra Tershen as Rachel in Hallmark’s Made for Each Other. (Steve Ackerman / Hallmark)
Surprise, surprise, the statue — which had a tea towel conveniently placed around its waist — comes to life, everything Rachel has been dreaming of.
This isn’t the first foray into Jewish fare for Hallmark — known for its family-friendly programming and a history as a conservative Christian network. the tv station is aired a series Of hanukkah films With its wide range of Christmas movies in recent years.
And it has dabbled in some of the more obscure parts of Jewish customs before. The 2009 Hallmark film, “Loving Leah,” depicts a Jewish couple who marry through an ancient Jewish rite. yibbumin which the brother of a man who dies married but childless is encouraged to marry his widow (starring Ricki Lake as a rabbi and a pre-fame Timothée Chalamet).
Golem origin story aside, “Made for Each Other” is a notable Jewish film, notable in that it is not tied to any particular Jewish holiday that may be more familiar to a wider audience.
Alexandra Tershen as Rachel and Matt Cohen as David in Hallmark’s Made for Each Other. (Steve Ackerman / Hallmark)
Although it veers a little too hard into the pushy Jewish mom stereotype, there are hints throughout the film that Jewish audiences will enjoy, including the ubiquitous chocolate rugelach. It also features a Jewish wedding scene so precise that – the actors were Jewish – they may have needed to obtain a rabbinic divorce.
David’s stand-up routines are likely to get both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences laughing, though his jokes may hit a little too close to home for some members of the tribe.
“My family definitely wanted me to be a doctor, and I rebelled against that Jewish stereotype—and I became a lawyer,” he jokes. “Then I decided to do comedy and really crossed a boundary… They haven’t answered my calls in a year.”
