entertaining look at a familys atempts to put on a great bar mitzvah, a jewish ceremony, and the kids dealings with the process, jerem piven turns up as the father, playijng another agent, good to see after entourage, but nowhere near as slimeball, and jamie gertz, looking stunning after years going nowhere, and film maker gary marshall as a old randy granfather, a good watch
not a flawless comedy, shiny and glamour like those big hollywood productions generally are, but a smart and not so predictable overview on "generations-fights". Should have more visibility.
nada a ver o título. o filme é muito mais sobre a união de três gerações de uma família, do que sobre competir com os Steins. típico filme Sessão da tarde.
The idea of young boy arriving at the age where he is considered a man is celebrated traditionally by Jews. In this age of consumerism, most 13 year old boys are given lavish feasts in which expense seems to be no object by parents that have the means to do so. The feasts evidently must have a theme. When we first meet the people in this mildly funny movie, they are in the middle of a bar mitzvah with a Titanic theme. We watch as the young boy arrives in a replica of a ship posing as Leonardo DeCaprio and even colliding with an iceberg. This party cost about half a million dollars to Arnie Stein, a Hollywood type that can well afford it. As Benjamin's own bar mitzvah approaches, his parents, Adam and Joanne Fiedler must make a decision about how big a party they want, and what theme will their son choose. Benjamin, who appears more grounded than his Hollywood agent's father, only wants to have his paternal grandfather, a person he has never met, at the party. Benjamin plays a trick by sending Irwin Fidler an invitation with a date of two weeks before the actual event. Little prepares him for the character his grandfather turns out to be. Irwin, who left his family when Adam at a young age, comes to town with his New Age-type girlfriend, who goes by the name of Saved Feather, to stay at his son's mansion. This brings back bad emotions Adam has kept bottled inside him. He can't forgive his father for what he, and his mother Rose, had to endure. The old man is a changed man and his love for his newly found family serves to get Adam's forgiveness. Garry Marshall steals the show with his Irwin. Mr. Marshall knows comedy well and knows what buttons to press to put the audience in his pockets. Doris Roberts is tremendously appealing as Rose, the wife that has had to endure a lot after Irwin left her. Jeremy Piven and Jamie Gertz are perfect as the parents facing a dilemma about to go broke in order to keep up with the Steins. Daryl Sabara is an excellent actor who shows he knows what he is doing. Daryl Hannah has some good moments as the evolved New Ager. Larry Miller and Richard Benjamin are seen in supporting roles. Basically, there was no cussing, sex, or violence to mar this nice piece of family entertainment.
The one problem I've had with Jewish movies is that I'm not Jewish so 99.9 percent of the jokes aren't funny to me, not because I'm not Jewish, but because their writers suck.
this movie is about this boy who gets ready to become a man. in order to do that he has to get his dad & his grandpa back together! this is one movie to have on your List!
Kate Hudson twinkles as the heroine of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, a magazine writer assigned to date a guy, make all the mistakes girls make that drive guys away (being clingy, talking in ...( read more )baby-talk, etc.), and record the process like a sociological experiment. However, the guy she picks--rangy Matthew McConaughey--is an advertising executive who's just bet that he can make a woman fall in love with him in ten days; if he succeeds, he'll win a huge account that will make his career. The set-up is completely absurd, but the collision of their efforts to woo and repel creates some pretty funny scenes. McConaughey's easy charm and Hudson's lightweight impishness play well together and the plot, though strictly Hollywood formula, chugs along efficiently. At moments Hudson seems to channel her mother, Goldie Hawn, to slightly unnerving effect. --Bret Fetzer
Cute, but that's it.. at least from my perspective as a very NOT Jewish Pagan.. The acting was mostly great.. (not my favorite Daryl Hannah role, although I did think the character was interesting) Garry Marshall was.. well.. come on.. he's Garry Marshall..
This one is worth a watch.. but I wouldn't run out and buy it right away..
This was an ok family movie. It had it's funny moments, but it also has it's slow moments. It's basically about a kid who wants to get his dad off his back, so he invites his grandfather to come and stay with them and tries to make them get along. I can't say this is a must watch movie, but if you like family dramas, you might like this.
Like the young Indian braves of long ago, Benjamin Fiedler is about to undergo an initiation rite that will take him from boy to man. But, rather than face the perils of the hunt, he must endure something far worse -- a Bar Mitzvah in Brentwood, Cali...
Depending on your point of view, this is either a simple, safe, sitcom-stereotypical family comedy or a passive-aggressive, inadvertantly anti-Semitic come-laugh-at-the-Jews cartoon. Either way, it ain't kosher. (Oy!) Don't let the box art fool you; the prominently featured (and always reliable) Larry Miller doesn't play a very large role in the story, and Jeremy Piven, an actor of considerable charisma with the right material, carries the burden of making the mawkish plot palatable. Unfortunately, he can't, as the movie employs every cultural stereotype since Shylock demanded his pound of flesh. The difference is -- get ready for it! -- that these cliches are used in the service of comedy! Well, sonuvabitch, what a concept. That's not to say "Keeping Up" is totally devoid of charm; there are a few chuckles to be found amid the pandering. But the movie's saving grace is a career-best performance by Garry Marshall (granted, that isn't saying much) as the erstwhile patriarch-turned-hippie. Marshall manages to take a one-dimensional character and transform him into something that transcends the movie's cardboard ideas; he exudes real warmth, instead of pinning that obligatory heart to his sleeve.
It's a little disconcerting watching Jeremy Piven play an agent without swearing and with caring about his family, but overall, it's a really nice little family film about the importance of family.
Ah yes, reeling me in with a movie poster that looks just like the movie poster for every other comedy that's been released in the last 10 years. Clever.
Good
Johnny Depps best film and performance by a long shot. I really need to watch this movie again to be able to give it an honest review I have only seen it once but I do remember loving this movie and loving the performance that Johnny Depp gave. If you are a fan of Johnny Depp you need to watch this movie.
All right Bar Mitzvah movie. A little over the top, and it drags towards the end, but a couple good laughs and a good message about Bar Mitzvahs. I liked the Neil Diamond cameo.
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