Keeping Up with the Steins (2006)

Director:

Scott Marshall

Writer (WGA):

Mark Zakarin (written by)

Release Date:

28 December 2006 (Israel)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Something's not quite kosher.

Plot:

A 13-year-old boy uses his upcoming bar mitzvah to reconcile the strained relationship between his father and grandfather.

Plot Keywords:

Bar Mitzvah | Party | Rite Of Passage | Male Full Back Nudity | Male Nudity

Cast

Daryl Sabara	...	Benjamin Fiedler
Jami Gertz	...	Joanne Fiedler
Jeremy Piven	...	Adam Fiedler
Cheryl Hines	...	Casey Nudelman
Marc John Jefferies	...	Tim (as Marc John Jeffries)
Tom Hines	...	Master of Ceremonies
Carter Jenkins	...	Zachary Stein
Sandra Taylor	...	Raylene Stein
Larry Miller	...	Arnie Stein
Miranda Cosgrove	...	Karen Sussman
Brittany Robertson	...	Ashley Grunwald
DJ Quik	...	Himself
Doris Roberts	...	Rose Fiedler
Garry Marshall	...	Irwin Fiedler
Sky Bear Aguilar	...	Native American Boy

Also Known As:

Lucky 13 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some crude language, nudity and brief drug references.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:PG-13 (No. 41523) | South Korea:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating)

Filming Locations:

Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

DJ Quik makes a cameo as himself as the rapper at the Stein's Bar Mitzvah, which is one of many things that makes Jeremy Piven's character jealous. In episode 10 in the second season of "Entourage" (titled "The Bat Mitzvah"), DJ Quik makes a cameo as himself as the deejay at Piven's daughter's Bat Mitzvah.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Benjamin is reading his Haftorah at his Bar Mitzvah, he fails to say the required prayer that precedes it. Instead, he goes right into the Haftorah portion itself.

Quotes:

Irwin Fiedler: Well hello there, Mister nose-picker man!

Movie Connections:

References Shenmue II (2001) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Any Place I've Lived

Interesting Things...

Interesting thing about having seen 'Keeping Up with the Steins' on a Sunday at Fallbrook in the Valley - there was a fieldtrip of some school that had seen fit to come see the film as a group, then hold a sort of Q&A in the lobby. Ages of the folks in attendance ranged from 12 to about 60 and over. I love being in a full theatre when going to a film, particularly a comedy as you'll get laughs out of people that become infectious and actually make seeing the film that much better of an experience.

Another interesting thing about the 'Steins' film: while Jeremy Piven and the young hero of the film are the driving characters, the lasting memories of a film-goer actually belong to Gary Marshall & Doris Roberts. The backstory of their relationship, how it affected Piven, and how they've let by-gones be by-gones while Piven clutches to his old grudges is beautifully and deftly handled by the director. Marshall delivers the father figure as likable to an audience as the characters he created on network television back in the 70's.

One more interesting thing about the 'Steins': you don't have to be Jewish to appreciate the humor, you just have to recognize the strengths and failings of every human being represented in these characters.