Director: Sammi Cohen
Writers: Alison Peck and Fiona Rosenbloom
Stars: Idina Menzel, Jackie Sandler, Adam Sandler
Synopsis: It follows Stacey Friedman as she prepares for her Bat Mitzvah, but her plans comedically unravel and threaten to ruin the event.
Did Adam Sandler buy his kids a movie instead of throwing them a Bat Mitzvah? I have a soft spot for films starring Adam Sandler under the Happy Madison brand. For one, the Sandman is so loyal to his friends and colleagues that he creates scripts and productions based on beach locales for an extended holiday. Sandler consistently hires and casts friends and family in roles, keeping them in the black for decades, not to mention lead roles for Spade and Schneider. He even has faith in his nephew, who has directed a couple of films from time to time.
I’m not saying these men and women aren’t worthy or untalented. In fact, far from it. (I refuse to be another critic to kick Schneider back to the ground.) However, when Sandler cast his children in lead roles in his latest comedy, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, I was worried for the sole reason that the Gen Z/Millennial cinephile would unleash a snark cannon on some defenseless teenagers. Yet, to my mild surprise, not only do the Sandler girls hold their own, but they practically shine.
Adapted from the Fiona Rosenbloom YA novel of the same name, the story follows Stacey Friedmann (Sunny Sandler), a young woman on the verge of the biggest day of her adolescent life: her Bat Mitzvah. It’s such a big deal in her eyes that she creates a presentation, with the help of her best friend Lydia (Samantha Lorraine), for Stacey’s parents, Bree (Idina Menzel) and Danny (Adam Sandler), to convince them they need to increase their budget.
How? By using her college tuition to book an international recording artist, Olivia Rodrigo, on a jet ski and some “old guy,” her dad would like to make her plan seem like a bargain (she’s referring to Sir Paul McCartney). Bree’s sister Ronnie (Sadie Sandler) smiles, and the Friedmans laugh. Still, they don’t understand—how else is Stacey supposed to get the Jewish high school bubby heartthrob, Andy Goldfarb (Dylan Hoffman), to ignore the “hideous” sequined dress her mom bought her, so he’ll make out with her on the dance floor. While at the same time, everyone busts a move on the dance floor to the hora?
It’s a delightful premise and a rite of passage. Watching You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah creates the type of humor you smile at when experience looks upon naive youth. Director Sammi Cohen captures and fills the source material with youthful exuberance and quirky adult characters who selflessly try to guide the next generation into making mature and positive decisions.
Working with a script by Alison Peck, Cohen captures something honest and refreshing about Stacey and Lydia, always acting their age and never stretching too dramatically outside their comfort zone. The way the girls are “twinning” in the film’s first act—crushing on boys, embarrassed by their parents, comparing themselves to others—and how their clique is lively, creative, caring, and intensely secretive.
Of course, you have your coming-of-age clichés, including Stacey’s crush liking Lydia, and most of the movie’s second half begins to feel like a revenge tale. Everything plays out as you think, and there’s no way it won’t end with anything other than “chicks before,” well, “Richards.” Distracting you from those tropes are well-timed supporting scenes from the paternal Sandler, who goes to a movie in public in a bathrobe and sleeps on a bench while his daughter tries on dresses. I also found Sadie Sandler’s Ronnie, the perfect snarky “too cool for school” teen, and the jabs at her father very funny. SNL’s Sarah Sherman is endearing, juggling amusing quirks and unbridled passion for her students.
You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah has its heart in storytelling akin to Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, with a sweet ’80s adolescent comedy vibe with dashes of the Sandman’s comedic sensibilities. You’ll even spot some Judd Apatow’s poignant moments, particularly in family scenes at home.
Yes, the movie is a tad too long; any scenes with Luis Guzmán could have been left off without much complaint. The ending is sweet but sappy for this critic by ignoring the fragile nature of relationships. Yet, it’s a sweet Sandler family affair. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah has a good message that will amuse parents familiar with their relatable child misfits and teenagers, connecting with the exaggerated coming-of-age themes.
