Ben Stiller in Keeping the Faith (2000)
With New Year’s Eve raking in over $13.7 million at the box office this past weekend, movie producers are probably racking their brains to come up with the next holiday-centered film with romantic overlapping plotlines.
Love, Actually covered Christmas. Obviously, Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve are taken. Even pregnancy is getting its day in the sun.
No need to worry, creatively stalled producers. While the rest of the year’s holidays—Presidents’ Day, Easter, Memorial Day—all lack a certain romantic spark, there’s a whole Jewish calendar full of potential holidays.
Might we suggest something you’re already familiar with: Erev Rosh Hashanah a.k.a. Jewish New Year’s Eve?
- Natalie Portman is a Long Island bakery owner who needs to find a nice Jewish boy to take to her mother’s (Barbara Streisand) house for dinner.
- Adam Brody (because he NEEDS to be in more movies) owns a farm in upstate New York that supplies the eggs for Portman’s bakery. On route to deliver the goods to her bakery, his truck gets rear-ended by an elderly man (Eli Wallach). Brody accompanies Wallach to the hospital, while a high-strung Portman anxiously waits for her supplies.
- While no one is injured in the accident, Brody’s supplies spill out onto the highway, causing major delays due to egg cleanup. Stuck on a bus in bumper-to-bumper traffic, a law student (Jesse Eisenberg) and an out of work actress (Mila Kunis) attempt to find a quicker way into the city. They begin to walk along the highway to the closest Metro North station. Sparks fly.
Andy Samberg and Natalie Portman on SNL (Photo via Hipster Jew)
- ER doctor (Zach Braff), who has been trying to get out of the hospital for the past two hours before the chag, treats Wallach for minor injuries. With his car in disrepair, Wallach can’t leave and Braff tries to find someone to take the old man to his sister’s house for dinner.
- Meanwhile, Rabbi Jake Schram (Ben Stiller) is desperately seeking inspiration for his High Holiday sermon. The Mets’ All-Star pitcher (Liev Schreiber) is debating whether or not to play on one of the holiest days of the year and seeks out the advice of his Rabbi.
- Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill host a sports talk show in Manhattan. The day’s conversation has centered around how Schreiber’s decision to play or not will affect the Mets’ playoff chances. The show’s hotshot producer (Rachel Bilson) has been trying to secure an interview with the Mets’ pitcher. She calls upon her brother, Rabbi Schram, to convince Schreiber to make his announcement on-air.
By the end of the movie, overlapping plots and romantic encounters give way to happy endings. Rabbi Schram gives an inspirational sermon with most of the characters sitting in his congregation and we are reminded of the true meaning of Rosh Hashanah: being with ones you love or whatever the true meaning of Rosh Hashanah is.
Your move, Garry Marshall.
Tags: andy samberg, barbara streisand, eli wallach, jesse eisenberg, natalie portman
Yes! I would love to see this movie.