The Sandler Family Show
Film
Adam Sandler Netflix movies tend to be pretty hot and cold so I was a little hesitant at first for You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah. However, Sandler takes a back seat in a supporting role (that he crushes) to pave the way for the lead entrance of his youngest daughter Sunny Sandler. His eldest daughter, Sadie Sandler, is also in the film in a supporting role, along with Adam's wife Jackie Sandler who always plays a delightfully unhinged character in his movies. The whole Sandler family is present for what turned out to be a wonderfully heartfelt and hilarious film about growing up and finding your place in the world amongst family, friends, and religion.
You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah takes place some time prior to Stacy Friedman's (Sunny Sandler) Bat Mitzvah, where she and her best friend Lydia (Samantha Lorraine) are planning/hoping for the ultimate party. An event so perfectly orchestrated, that it launches the two of them into social prominence along with getting Stacy the boy of her dreams, Andy Goldfarb (Dylan Hoffman). Things begin to get dicey when Stacy has a classic embarrassing moment. Well, it's classic that something like it is in a coming of age movie, but the way it was done and what it was, was equal parts shocking, funny, and heartbreaking. Outside of that, her best friend Lydia has developed feelings for Andy, creating a rift between the two that's explored throughout the film.
The introduction of the film, along with our first glimpse into the lives of Stacy and Lydia is provided by a narration from Stacy. While in the past I've voiced my displeasure for narrations, but You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah utilizes it perfectly. There's not an excessive amount of information given nor is it used frequently enough to drive you crazy. In fact it fits the tone of the movie perfectly, seeing as it is often an internal conversation between Stacy and God, emulating a sort of diary entry.
Not to mention the balance between humor and heart is spot on. Stacey's older sister Ronnie (Sadie Sandler) along with her friend Zaara (Zaara Kuttemperoor) are hilarious intermittent characters, and her father Danny never misses a beat. Then of course there's the outrageous Rabbi Rebecca (Sarah Sherman) who embodies the crazy funny energy of a camp counselor but in the context of a spiritual leader. Having a character like Rabbi Rebecca teaching these kids in Hebrew school is a wonderful reminder that your sense of childlike wonder and imaginative spirit should never disappear.
But none of the character performances work without the witty yet loving script from Alison Peck and Fiona Rosenbloom. Full of great jokes, cringey teenage moments along with likely an all too accurate representation of middle school where every moment is documented through Tik Tok dance videos. Combining that with patented Adam Sandler delivery, great performances by his daughters Sunny and Sadie, along with Sammi Cohen's sturdy vision results in You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah being an unexpected joy!
Froth
Speaking of unexpected joys...
I was recently back in my home state of Wisconsin for a family wedding, which meant I needed to carve out some time to visit Eagle Park Brewing in Milwaukee (or Muskego). They became one of my favorite breweries when I first visited their taproom a few years ago and it's almost a mandatory visit when I fly into MKE. Eagle Park was the first place I ever tried a milkshake IPA and to say my life changed would be an understatement. So when I saw that there was an Oat Cream IPA on the menu I needed to figure out what exactly any of those words meant. I Can Go For That is the name of the brew I received and it was also an unexpected joy.
The oat gives it a thicker mouthfeel while the delicious trio of Chinook, Citra and Simcoe provide a wonderful floral aroma and citrus taste. There's a fair amount of dankness in the taste as well but it's a great balance and experience with the thicker feel of the beverage. While coming in at a hefty 8% ABV it drinks like a lighter beer, isn't overly filling, and is overall a great beer!
Adam, Sunny and Sadie Sandler are basically the equivalent of Citra, Simcoe and Chinook hops but in movie form. I was delighted by both trio's performances today. Great job everyone, including myself.
