You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, 2023.
Directed by Sammi Cohen.
Starring Sunny Sandler, Samantha Lorraine, Idina Menzel, Adam Sandler, Sadie Sandler, Jackie Sandler, Sarah Sherman, Luis Guzmán, Ido Mosseri, Dylan Hoffman, Dean Scott Vazquez, Miya Cech, Ivory Baker, Dylan Chloe Dash, Millie Thorpe, Zaara Kuttemperoor, Judd Goodstein, Kasey Bella Suarez, Jackie Hoffman, Michael Buscemi, Grace Thompson, Bunny Levine, Beth Hall, and Allison McKay.
SYNOPSIS:
Stacey Friedman prepares for her bat mitzvah, but her plans comedically unravel and threaten to ruin the event.
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah wouldn’t exist.
For roughly ten years, Adam Sandler has found tiny background roles for his family, including his wife, Jackie Sandler, and daughters, Sadie and Sunny. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah marks the first time they have received major roles (especially the daughters), going as far as centering the narrative on Sunny Sandler’s 13-year-old Stacy Friedman, a standard Jewish middle schooler preparing for her bat mitzvah and the ensuing extravagant party that comes along with it, but more importantly, the complications of entering the first chapter of womanhood.
Setting aside the personal fulfillment aspect of Adam Sandler making a feature-length film primarily focused on his daughters also allows the usual comedic leading man to step into a supporting character role, making his time on screen cracking his usual smartass jokes more memorable. The chemistry between him and his daughters is unsurprisingly tightly sincere, although it is worth noting that his character Danny’s wife Bree is played by Frozen‘s Idina Menzel, to perhaps break the illusion a smidge and remind viewers that this is still a fictional story (and also because Adam Sandler appears chronically addicted to casting alternative gorgeous women as his cinematic wives.)
Nevertheless, the real surprise here is the solid turn from Sunny Sandler as the aforementioned Stacy, missing the point entirely of what a bat mitzvah represents while also losing her grip on what it means to be a selfless and thoughtful friend to her bestie Lydia (Samantha Lorraine.) Stacy is also crushing on Andy (Dylan Hoffman), an apparently attractive boy but one whose personality comes down to basic dullness. In her efforts to woo the airhead boy (his dialogue family consists of fragmented statements or sometimes responses such as a single word), drama drives a rift between her and Lydia.
The performances here are solid, but unfortunately, the direction from Sammi Cohen and screenplay by Alison Peck (based on the book by Fiona Rosenbloom) can’t help itself from coming across like a Jewish bootleg knockoff Are You There God, considering Stacy’s frequent narration calling out to a higher being for reasons and answers. That would also be fine if much of the story and events weren’t as overblown, favoring more natural and realistic dialogue. You can only watch Stacy go puppy dog eyes over Andy while pop music plays over the soundtrack so many times before it feels less about the real nature of pressures and more occasionally sloppy screenwriting.
That’s not to say the lifelong childhood friendship between Stacy and Lydia doesn’t feel real because it does; their performances inject it with that much. However, the falling out amounts to nastily trying to get back at one another (which includes a convenient plethora of embarrassing videos of Lydia on Stacy’s laptop), eventually jumping the shark into over-the-top humiliation. They also don’t have the funniest material, which belongs to the likes of Adam Sandler and some of his regular collaborators (such as Luis Guzmán and Jackie Hoffman), who fit so much better into these minor supporting roles where their jokes don’t come across as overwhelming, and if anything, come with worthwhile life lessons.
As for the bar and bat mitzvah parties, the filmmakers lean into the excessively elaborate themes and costly sets, speaking to a younger generation’s misunderstanding of these religious rituals. It also provides much material for Adam Sandler and company to poke fun at in their comedic wheelhouses (notably mocking a ridiculous-looking, self-serious DJ). By the end, though, the entire story loses some of that authenticity, not only ripping off other material, but material that was much better adapted months ago. Still, invite someone over to watch You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah for the breakthrough performance from Sunny Sandler and relatable teenage drama,
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
