Sandler family offering for teens and parents, anywhere in the world
film: You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah
Director: Sammi Cohen
Cast: Sunny Sandler, Samantha Lorraine, Idina Menzel, Jackie Sandler, Adam Sandler, Sadie Sandler, Dylan Hoffman
Mona
Different cultures around the world celebrate coming of age in varied ways — there is quinceañera, sweet 16, bullet ant initiation. This Sammi Cohen directorial brings us Bat Mitzvah (traditionally Bar Mitzvah for boys), one such ritual from Judaism.
‘You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah’ charts the journey of two BFFs, Stacy Friedman and Lydia Rodriguez Katz, who have been dreaming of an epic Bat Mitzvah forever. It is a ceremony when a 13-year-old girl steps in front of friends, family and elders of the temple and reads from Torah (compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible), followed by a party initiating the entry into adulthood formally. Going to the same Hebrew school, the two end up fighting over a boy and as a livid Stacy sees Lydia kiss her crush, she proclaims — ‘We are not friends anymore’, ‘I am not doing your entrance video for the Mitzvah’ and ‘You are so not invited to my Bat Mitzvah!’
The film charts their friendship and the ensuing feud as the teens navigate their way in the middle school. It’s also as much a story of the Friedman family dynamics. Bree Friedman (Idina Menzel), Danny Friedman (Adam Sandler) and their two daughters — Stacy (Sunny Sandler) and Ronnie Friedman (Sadie Sandler), and how they are dealing with teen troubles.
Based on Fiona Rosenbloom’s 2001 book of the same name, this teen dramedy keeps one engaged from the word go. Written by Alison Peck, it’s a fun contemporary take on relationships. Produced by Adam Sandler (who is a Jew), it is, as envisaged by director Sammi Cohen, a modern retelling of the book seeped in 2023 lingo — the times of cancel culture, social media influencers, gaslighting, where being straight is rather lame.
Interestingly, Adam Sandler plays the dad, Danny Friedman, and his real-life daughters: the girls — Stacy (Sunny Sandler) and Ronnie Friedman (Sadie Sandler). Adam’s wife Jackie Sandler plays Lydia’s mom Gabi Rodriguez Katz. And, we love all the Sandlers coming together.
Danny as a doting dad, trying to keep pace with his growing girls, Idina Menzel as Bree Friedman, a supporting but tough mum, make an adorable couple. Sunny delivers the teen tribulations pretty well. Sadie Sandler portrays the elder protective sister role well. Among this Sandler overcrowd, Samantha Lorraine holds her ground and gives a fine performance as Lydia. The film also offers other engaging characters — we especially love Sarah Sherman as the quirky Rabbi Rebecca, Ido Mosseri as the popular DJ Schmuley and Dean Scott Vazquez as the exchange kid Mateo.
The dialogues offer punch, “You are the reason I will start doing drugs,” screams Stacy. “Same here,” shrieks the hapless dad. The film puts the materialistic world vis-à-vis the spiritual, what appears to what is! Dreaming of a super expensive dress and a New York-themed bash, Stacy goes around clearing her karma by doing good deeds.
Music is the high point of the film since it is centred around parties, and rightly so, one hears and enjoys — “Under Your Spell”, “Stupid Love”, “Past Life”, “God is Random”, “Wolves”, “Cha Cha Slide” and “Party of a Lifetime”, among others. Bits of these numbers show up at the opportune moments.
Topped with a moving finale, this simple, sweet Sandler family offering is for any teen and their parents anywhere around the world… an offering of the times today, packing in a lesson or two!
