By Nate Bloom
Contributing Columnist
Sandler Musical, Overlooked Flick, Two Aussie Hebrews
“Don’t Say Good Luck” is a musical teen drama. It is an original film that premieres on Netflix on Aug. 14. The film was produced by ADAM SANDLER’s company and his daughter, SUNNY SANDLER, 17, has the star role.
Here’s the “official” premise: “Sophie Birenbaum (Sunny Sandler) is a theater kid preparing for her leading role in her high school musical of Waitress, when suddenly family drama overtakes the drama on stage.”
This premise doesn’t say that the Birenbaums are Jewish. However, it’s likely they are — filming “info” got out: the Birnbaum family run a Jewish deli.
Not much info out about the other characters. I can guess that Elizabeth Birenbaum (Melanie Lynskey) is Sunny’s mother and EITAN and MATAM FREIDMAN (both about 10 years old) play Sunny’s brothers.
About half of the cast are Jewish. Here’s “the rest”: MAX GREENFIELD, 46 (“New Girl,” “The Neighborhood”); JON LOVITZ, 69 (“SNL”); and BEBE NEUWIRTH, 67. Neuwirth is best known as Lilith on “Cheers” (Frasier Crane’s wife). She won two Emmys for that role. She also won two Tonys for lead performances in (two) Broadway musicals. Her musical talent fits with this movie.
The film was directed by Julia Hart and she co-wrote the film with her husband, JORDAN HOROWITZ, 46. Both are seasoned screenplay writers.
I chanced to read a list that said that “Normal,” a film, would premiere on HBO Max on Aug. 14. I checked and I learned that this film opened last year in theaters and it got almost all good reviews. I never heard of it — probably because it “died” quickly in theaters.
I read that HENRY WINKLER, now 80, had a big “Normal” role. A role that I didn’t expect. I thought: a Jewish actor is in a good movie that almost nobody has seen — tell the world!
“Normal” is set in Normal, Minnesota. It’s a fictional, prosperous, small town. Bob Odenkirk co-wrote the film and he has the lead role. He plays the interim sheriff of the town. (The town’s sheriff recently froze to death. Was that really the cause of his death?)
Winkler plays Mr. Kidner, the mayor of the town. He seems “nice” — but what is the big bad secret that he might know?!
I read the whole “Normal” Wikipedia article and it “ruined” all the surprises for me. So, trust me, just watch “Normal” if you have HBO.
As I wrote last week — I am providing, this week, information about the Jewish background of “NY Times” reporter JONATHAN SWAN, 41. He’s the co-writer of “Regime Change,” with MAGGIE HABERMAN. Their book about the Trump administration is likely to get a Pulitzer and other awards.
Swan was born and raised in Australia. He began his journalist career in Australia in 2011 and then came to the States (2014) in a special program that allowed him to be an American congressional aide. He decided to stay in America, working first for “The Hill” (2015), then “Axios” (2018), and then with the “NY Times” in 2023.
In 2022, he talked to the “Jewish Insider,” an online site aimed at serious Jewish-related issues. Here is a summary of what he said about his Jewish background.
Jonathan’s father grew up very poor in Glasgow, Scotland. Glasgow, Jonathan said, had few Jews, but had plenty of anti-Semitism. His grandparents left Odessa in 1905. His great-grandfather had died in a pogrom. His “grands” took a boat that only took them to Glasgow. They thought the boat was going to America.
Jonathan’s father, NORMAN SWAN, now 72, managed to go to a U.K. college and he got a medical degree. He moved to Australia in 1976. He became a top journalist covering medical/health issues. Jonathan said his family, in Australia, was not very observant, but did have a Shabbat dinner, and went to temple on High Holidays.
Jonathan’s wife, journalist Betsey Woodruff, is not Jewish. They have 2 children.
Well, I just happened to see a web note about “Aussie at Heart,” a new Hallmark Channel romantic movie (premieres on Aug. 15; 8 p.m.). I noticed the co-star is DANIEL LISSING, 44. Could he be Jewish? Yes, like Swan, he’s Jewish and he was raised in Australia, too.
The movie plot: Lissing’s character, and his old flame, fall in love again. They do this all in Queensland, an Aussie state.
Lissing got so-so roles in Australia and America from 2004 until 2018. After that he has starred in MANY, MANY “schmaltzy” Hallmark and Great Family Channel TV movies and series. He has lived in America since 2011. He once said his Catholic wife and him celebrate Chanukah and Christmas.
