By Nate Bloom
Contributing Columnist
“The Amateur” opens in theaters on April 11. It’s a spy thriller that is based on a 1981 novel of the same name by ROBERT LITTELL, 90.
Littell was born and raised in Brooklyn. His parents were born in New York and their parents were born in Russia. His brother, ALAN LITTELL (1929-2024) was a prominent travel news journalist (“NY Times,” etc.). Robert’s son, JONATHAN LITTELL, 57, lives in France and writes novels in French. His novel about the Holocaust, “The Kindly Ones” (2006), won the highest French literary award.
Before becoming a journalist (Newsweek), Robert Littell served in the Navy where he was a ship’s navigator and an anti-submarine officer.
Here’s the movie’s premise: Charles Heller (Rami Malek), a CIA code expert, loses his wife in a terrorist act. He realizes his bosses are doing nothing to find and kill the terrorists. He blackmails the CIA bigwigs to train him as a field officer and he makes them stand aside as he hunts down his wife’s killers. JON BERENTHAL, 48, and MICHAEL STUHLBARG, 56, have big supporting roles.
In 1981, a film with the same name and the same plot was released. The screenplay was written by Littell and it was based on his novel. It starred John Savage and Christopher Plummer. Reviews were mixed. The 1981 film recently began streaming on Disney/Hulu.
Here’s a catch-up and more: on March 28, Disney/Hulu premiered “Mid-Century Modern,” a comedy/drama series. All (ten) first season episodes dropped on the 28th.
I am glad I didn’t write about the first season before it premiered. A brief advance synopsis, I know, couldn’t cover how Jewish this series is, and no advance publicity said that there was a special episode. The 9th, special episode lauded the wonderful actress LINDA LAVIN (1937-2024), a series star who died before the last episodes were filmed.
Nathan Lane stars as Bunny Schneiderman, a gay Jewish man who owns and runs a successful company that makes and sells bras. We only see him once in one of his stores. The unexpected death of a close gay friend moves Nathan to invite two other close gay friends to live with him in his large, luxurious Palm Springs home. (The friends are a Mormon flight attendant and a Black fashion expert.)
Bunny’s Jewish mother, Sybil Schneiderman (LINDA LAVIN), also lives in this home. She loves her son, but that doesn’t stop her from criticizing Nathan and his friends. It’s a comedy — so her acerbic remarks are often funny. Sometimes her comments have a Jewish angle and Bunny often makes Jewish-related comments.
PAMELA ADLON, 58, has a recurring role as Mindy, Bunny’s sister. Like Bunny and Sybil, she can verbally joust when criticized.
Guest actors included RICHARD KIND, 68, VANESSA BAYER, 43, JUDD HIRSCH, 90, and RHEA PERLMAN, 77.
Linda Lavin died last December, age 87. She never stopped acting: films, TV, stage plays and stage musicals. Yes, she was the star of “Alice,” a hit TV show (1976-85), but that was just a highlight in an amazing, long career.
I thought the special episode would have a Jewish funeral when I heard Bunny say, after his mother’s death, that he has only two days to bury her. But instead, Nathan, his friends and his sister came back from the funeral and talked about Sybil and how much they loved her. That was very nice. Of course, they were also saying how much they loved Linda.
Nathan Lane is one of those not Jewish actors who can really credibly play a Jew. In a 2005 interview with The Jerusalem Post, Lane said “I’m really an honorary Jew, you know, all the best people are. I really do feel Jewish, even though I’m a Catholic. The way the Church has been behaving, I’m happy to be Jewish.”
“Mid-Century Modern” was created by MAX MUTCHNIK, 59, and DAVID KOHAN, 60. They wrote four first season episodes. The duo is best known for creating “Will and Grace.” They are both gay and Jewish.
JAMES BURROWS, 84, the top TV sitcom director for decades, directed all ten, first season episodes.
“Hacks,” the hit HBO comedy series, premieres its fourth season on April 10. In the last episodes of the third season, comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) finally lands a network late night talk show. She got this position with the invaluable help of Ava Daniels (HANNAH EINBINDER, 29), a comedy writer. Suffice it to say that they are not on good terms as the third season ended.
Jean Smart (as Vance) keeps on winning the best comedy actress Emmy (three in a row). Einbinder was three times nominated for the same Emmy. It’s time, I think, to give Einbinder that Emmy.