KEEPING UP WITH THE STEINS: DVD

SYNOPSIS:
When the Steins, (Larry Miller, Sandra Taylor) put on a blockbuster Bar Mitzvah for their son Zach (Carter Jenkins), Adam Fiedler (Jeremy Piven) - a business competitor - feels bound to not merely keep up with but surpass the Steins' extravagance with the upcoming Bar Mitzvah for his son Benjamin (Darly Sabra). Benjamin's not at all sure about the big plans until he realizes that perhaps this could be the occasion to reconcile his still angry dad and his estranged grandfather Irwin (Garry Matshall), who abandoned his dad and his grandma Rose, Doris Roberts) over 20 years earlier.

Review by Andrew L. Urban:
Mark Zakarin's entertaining script manages to fuse the warm and fuzzy family comedy with the not too subtle satire as he takes shots at the one upmanship of Bar Mitzvahs 'in certain neighbourhoods' - like the one where the Steins and the Fielders live. As Benjamin (Daryl Sabra) starts to narrate the story of what happened before and at his own Bar Mitzvah, a huge passenger lines floats into view, its bow bearing a giant sign proclaiming the Steins' boy's Bar Mitzvah (which is a Titanic themed on board spectacular). The jokey tone is well maintained, and the serious stuff that the subject touches on is all handled with a brief but earnest touch.

The tone is all important because there are several opportunities for fakery, where self indulgence would undermine the comedic plans of the filmmakers. For example, grandpa Irwin comes out of the reservation where he has a gentle teaching job, in the company of vegan earth-linked beauty, Darryl Hanna, whose adopted name is Sacred Feather. This pairing has the potential to derail the movie into different directions, but that doesn't happen.

Disciplined direction also helps when it comes to Benjamin's journey, from insecure nerd to self confident young man. Excellent performances from Sabra as Ben, Jeremy Piven as his grumpy dad, Garry Marshall as the contrite grandpa - not to mention Doris Roberts as the forgiving grandma - all help to make the film entertaining on all three levels: as Jewish comedy, as Jewish satire and as universal comedy.

Published January 24, 2008