User reviews

This is a coming-of-age story with a twist. There is more than one person coming-of-age.

In a nutshell, it is the story of an angst-ridden thirteen year old boy whose troubles are doubled by his pending bar mitzvah.

His father (Jeremy Piven) is a Hollywood agent intent on turning the bar mitzvah into a recruiting event to keep and grow his client base. This is complicated when his former partner, played by Larry Miller, throws a mega bar mitzvah for his own son, with the same intention in mind.

Piven's angst at creating the perfect bar mitzvah/recruitment event is made worse by the arrival of his hippy-like father (Gary Marshall), who is attached to an early 40-something New Ager (Daryl Hannah) and teaching English to children on the Navajo reservation. I guess it's supposed to be funny, just looking at Marshall and Hannah. Marshall's and Piven's characters are estranged, the father having walked out on Piven and his mother (Doris Roberts) 26 years earlier.

We have an angst-ridden triangle between the three men: grandfather, father, and grandson. (The trinity in a Jewish story?) Indeed, the only struggles in the story are between men. The men have no plot difficulties or unresolved issues with the women, or the women with each other. Frankly, there is no way men can have unresolved issues and not emotionally involve the women in their lives. It's just not realistic, not even in a satirical sense.

I gave this film a "4" because of the story. It has a significant flaw. There is just no moment when I felt a human connection with the three men. I was shown all the events that led to the all-important climax, and then I felt nothing. It was like discovering I had swallowed a Chicklet instead of Viagra. No emotion. No "ah ha!" moment. I was more concerned that there wasn't enough butter on my popcorn. And because I felt no emotional connection with or between the three men, I did not feel their catharsis. And that's a real problem for a coming-of-age film. There were a few nice moments between the grandfather and grandson, but that was it.

Not good.

Regardless of what several "mainstream press" critics wrote and to the writer's and director's credit, I didn't see one stereotype. There were a few undeveloped characters, caricatures really, but that, too, is the fault of the storytellers— it's lazy, not malicious.

Why it happened this way, I have no idea. Maybe they were forced to cut the film strangely or leave out things they wanted put in, due to money constraints. It just doesn't work.

The acting was fine, featuring some of the best actors on television today. That made it marginally watchable. Maybe television is where this film should have been sold. I see this as a Starz film. Not quite HBO or Showtime material. IFC or Sundance will be its home in about six months.

I counsel the writer and director to learn from this experience. You have to flesh out your characters more and let us in on their inner struggles. Don't tell us. Show us. That's what makes drama and comedy work, especially on film. Make us as tense as the characters appear because of the conflicts within the situation, and then resolve the audience's and characters' tensions at the same time. To paraphrase Woody Allen, if it's a comedy, make us bend with the character; if it's a drama, make us break.

For example, don't match Richard Benjamin's Bill-O'Reilly-loving rabbi character with Marshall's tolerant grandfather, and do nothing with it. That could have been some very funny stuff as the two men synthesize their worldviews. Instead… pffft. Nothing.

And finally, have a bigger theme— something the audience can sink its teeth into. I'm still not quite sure what it is. (And I won't venture a guess, because I don't want to spoil the ending for anybody.) Go back and watch how Chaplin created and then unknotted tension in "City Lights", how Sam Woods did it in "A Night at the Opera", how Marshall did it in "The Flamingo Kid" (another coming-of-age story), or even how it's done in the simplest episode of Piven's "Entourage". Have somebody check the treatment and script thoroughly for theme, conflict and catharsis. Then try it again.

I don't want this to sound angry or mean-spirited. But the situation within the film was just lousy with potential for a better film. It was all wasted. And that's a shame.

Ah, how is it like to "keep up with the Steins"? The answer is that it is much like keeping up with the Joneses, except this competition is more Jewish. Well, if you call attempts at reading Hebrew "Jewish".

The Fiedlers are trying to one-up the Steins post-Bar Mitzvah party. Their son doesn't much want it, but instead wants to see the grandfather he didn't know. Combine that with the fact that his dad doesn't like grandpa for an obvious reason leads to an interesting confrontation.

There are a few funny things. Yes there is nudity, but not many people go for old man nudity in a pool. Also his cane is a nice addition because of its usefulness with annoying drivers.

The downside is that is comes off like a quasi-false documentary. While that is nice, knowing the soon-to-be man's thoughts, it doesn't play out too much further.

Overall, it had some entertainment value. "C+"

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.

I am Jewish, and saw this with a Non-Jewish friend. Neither of us thought this was any good. I wasn't offended by any of the humor...there just wasn't any. It wasn't funny. Garry Marshall clearly must have called in a lot of favors to get this film made for his son, as we see Darryl Hannah, Richard Benjamin, and Neil Diamond being dragged into this eminently forgettable film.

The plot was alternately clichéd and incredibly unrealistic. The only positives I'll give to this movie are:

1. Jami Gertz - Absolutely perfect as the Jewish mother. My friend's wife is exactly the same.

2. Former Penthouse/Playboy model Sandra Taylor is actually quite good in a supporting role as the "trophy" Mrs. Stein. She hasn't acted in awhile, and certainly not in a film like this. And she actually gets on the cover of the movie poster too! I doubt she's going to be the next Diane Lane, but I do think this role will deservedly give her career a shot in the arm.

Adam (Jeremy Piven) and Joanne Fiedler (Jami Gertz) have their son Benjamin (Daryl Sabara)'s bar mitzvah coming up. They attend Adam's former best friend and Hollywood agent partner Arnie Stein (Larry Miller)'s son Zachary's grand bar mitzvah. It's Brentwood and the Fiedlers decide to top it. Casey Nudelman (Cheryl Hines) is the planner. Benjamin has a crush on Ashley Grunwald and Karen Sussman is his know-it-all classmate. Rose (Doris Roberts) is his grandmother. He doesn't like his parents' outlandish plans and invites his wacky estranged grandfather Irwin (Garry Marshall) who is living with Sacred Feather (Daryl Hannah) on an Indian reservation.

This dysfunctional family is wacky. Their problems are not that relatable or actually that funny. It's broadly sit-comish. For example, it isn't enough for Irwin and Sacred Feather to be hippies but they have to live on an Indian reservation. Everybody has to be wacky on the next level. I would also like to like Daryl Sabara more but he doesn't have quite the right adorable loveability. There is a nice message in the end but I would have preferred better laughs.

Look, I am 18 and Jewish. I saw this with 2 of my closest also Jewish friends. Of the three only one of us had a barmitzva. But none the less I am convinced that you will find this movie funny if you are Jewish. This was the conclusion my friends and I came up with. This movie has a target audience, and that is the audience that to any extent of the way can relate to it. Its a little slow and at some times feels as if you are missing a scene. Nevertheless the jokes are there, and I did laugh. As a coming of age story I would give it a 5 but as a Jewish comedy I would give it a 9, so that brings us to a seven. Jermey is funny as always and a couple camio roles that I don't wish to reveal really brings the whole movie together and at the same time has you brawling in your seats.

Great movie!! I was in a bad mood all day until I saw this movie. It made my day!! From the audience's responses, it made their day, too! I found Jeremy Piven's performance to be in line with his usual comedic excellence. When it comes to comedy, Jeremy is king. Excellent performances from other cast is definitely worth noting. Even though I'm not Jewish, I found the film totally entertaining. This film is more than slap stick comedy woven into a worn out display of one-liners. The characters are not static, and there is a serious current underlying the funny moments. It's a redemptive story about family being more important than money--in grand style. Good job, guys!

Don't be misled by the title, which suggests a plot reminiscent of some awful reality show such as "Bridezillas" or "My Super Sweet Sixteen," in which a pretentious family with more money than taste turns a family celebration into a vulgar carnival. The original title of this film was "Lucky 13;" whoever decided to change it did the movie a disservice. It's really a sweet little story about a boy who tries to reconcile his embittered father with his paternal grandfather, who disappeared from his family's life for many years and has only recently reappeared. This all takes place during the boy's impending bar mitzvah, the preparations for which are mildly amusing. Garry Marshall's especially entertaining, and touching, as the grandfather. Nothing's really new here, and while the material may not have been enough to sustain a theatrical film, it's a nice little time-waster if it shows up on TV. If you enjoyed "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," you're likely to find this to your liking as well.

This was a quaint, sweet movie depicting a boy struggling with his impending manhood. There isn't much more you can say about the plot, than that.

The performances here are better than adequate, and the direction seems competent enough, but the truth be told, this movie doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be a comedy, a drama, or some uneven measure of both. It is not as bad as that statement may make it seem, however, as it is entertaining, if only mildly so.

All in all? This is sweet and sentimental, but not overly so, and that's about all you can say about it. No matter how deeply you dig into this plot and its characters, there seems to be little substance beneath the surface.

It rates a 3.8/10 from...

the Fiend :.

Unfunny comedy that had no bite nor perspective. A waste of time and film stock, who thought this thing was worth distributing? Why was this junk even made?

The plot revolves around a young Jewish boy who is about to go through his bar mitzvah. Just about every cliché and caricature is utilized to slap this thing together because the plot is so ridiculous and unbelievable that it makes me wonder if anyone read the script prior to filming. Not worth your time, cutting your toenails would be far more satisfying. This was the last film that Mike Eisner picked up for Disney prior to his leaving. Now I can see why he was let go, his mind must have been on vacation when he agreed to spend money on this thing...

Greetings again from the darkness. Of course, it is a comedy ... Neil Diamond is the musical guest at the bar Mitzi's! Talk about a stretch - Jeremy Piven is playing a Hollywood agent. Oh wait, that happens every Sunday night on HBO. What about Jami Gertz as a slightly off-center mom? No, that happens once a week on TV as well. OK, how about Doris Roberts as the butt-in-ski grandma. You got it. That happened every week on TV until "Everybody Loves Raymond" went off the air. Last try ... Larry Miller as the wise cracking, arrogant nosy neighbor. OK, that happens a lot as well, but he always seems to be hilarious.

The point is this is all very familiar ground, but nonetheless, remains pretty funny and a very cute, light-hearted film. Piven and his dad (played by Garry Marshall, dad of director Scott Marshall) have their bitter moments, but for the most part it is played pretty straightforward as a coming of age comedy with more adult roles than usual.

Daryl Sabara plays 13 year old Benjamin Fiedler, who is preparing for his bar Mitzi's, the rite to manhood in the Jewish religion. "Helping" him are Richard Benjamin as his Rabbi and his long lost grandfather played by the charming Garry Marshall, who shows up with his significantly younger hippie girlfriend played by Daryl Hannah (the second "Kill Bill" reference of the film). Benjamin is a wreck as his parents compete with the Stein's over the size of the party, while he dreads the chants that must be performed in front of the audience.

The best scenes are between Marshall and Sabara, but Piven delivers his usual fine work as the bitter dad/grown-up son. You definitely don't have to be Jewish to "get" this movie or to enjoy it. It doesn't aspire to be much more than a cozy couple of hours at the theatre and that front it succeeds.

Another wannabe comedy with a boring LA setting. Shame on Piven and Marshall for this monstrosity. Doris Roberts deserved so much better. She must have needed the money. Awful all the way around.

This endearing movie is a coming of age film in an upper upper middle class family in a Jewish neighborhood in LA. Meet Benjamin Fiedler (Daryl Sabara) age 13. Ben has reached the age where he undergoes the bar mitzvahs ritual to mark the entrée to adulthood. Of course his friend Zachary Stein (Carter Jenkins)who precedes Ben warns "this doesn't mean you can drink or drive a car.

The Stern family threw a lavish affair with a movie theme based upon the Titanic. Ben's dad Adam Fielder decides the Fielders must outdo the splendor of the Sterns by renting out Dodger Stadium. Adam Fielder (Jeremy Piven) is not a little sore that his own bar mitzvahs was a subdued affair and that his father Irwin Fiedler (Garry Marshall) deserted the family.

Religion and the meaning of the rite has taken a back seat to the planning of an extravagant event. Enter grandpa Irwin who arrives a week early. As Dad bristles with a contempt grandma Rose (Doris Roberts) cannot bring herself to bear, grandpa with his ding-a-ling left-over hippie girlfriend Sacred Feather sets up his rusty RV on the driveway depreciating the property values.

Can Ben and Grandpa Irwin set the ceremony back on track?

There is an excellent performance of Richard Benjamin as Rabbi Schulberg.

While there is a gratuitous nudie scene when grandpa goes skinny dipping in the Fielder's pool with Sacred Feather, the film is excellent family comedy which speaks to a universal theme, the importance of simplicity and the eloquence of understatement. It is too bad more films are not made in this spirit.

I bought this movie because I saw that Darryl Hannah was in it, but sadly she has very little screen time. That being said, then this movie is still entertaining enough for what it was.

"Keeping Up With the Steins" is a movie about a boy's journey towards adulthood, roughly put. But it is also a movie about reconciling with the past and about forgiveness.

What worked out for the movie was the cast and how well they performed. The performance of Daryl Sabara (playing Benjamin), Jeremy Piven (playing Benjamin's dad) and Garry Marshall (playing Benjamin's grandfather) really carried the movie amazingly well, and they made it worth watching the movie.

Story-wise then "Keeping Up With the Steins" is adequate, but I am not overly familiar with Jewish customs and traditions, so how well the movie translates to real life I have no idea of.

However, this is the type of movie that you watch once, then am likely to never watch it again. The story and movie itself just doesn't have enough contents to sustain multiple viewings.

But labeled as a comedy, you should take into consideration that the laughs are few and far apart. I actually don't recall laughing at all. But still, it is the type of movie that will make you feel good.

Keeping up with the steins is the type of movie that studios can be proud to release to the public. The acting is great, the script is well written, there is nothing bad about this movie. The lessons to be learned from this story are such that everyone viewing this movie can take something from it. I applaud the actors, the writers, the directors, and the production company who have placed a small gem on the market. This will not be a big market high grossing film, but if what you want is true entertainment and a feel good movie do not miss this. The large companies should produce a lot more movies like this one.

Keeping up with the Steins is about a young Jewish boy named Fiedler in the days leading up to his bar mitzvah who learns what becoming a Jewish young adult is all about. Add to that the long lost grandfather coming back into town and the tension that causes between his father and his grandmother and you have some good comedic kindling. An additional plot point is the initial scenes as everyone is taking part in the Steins bar mitzvah on a cruise ship – very expensive and intricate planning. Will the Fiedler's keep up with the Steins in spending for the occasion? The acting was good and everything was timed perfectly for the delivery of some good humor, especially if you speak pig Latin.

We saw this in a small art house movie and I gotta tell you, they should make a heck of a lot more movies like "Keeping Up With the Steins" than the big block-buster movies which everybody sees and are basically wastes of time. This is a wonderful movie, tasteful in every aspect. You find yourself smiling throughout the 1 1/2 hour movie. My only negative is that I wish it were longer! It is not a knee slapping kind of comedy even though two or three times I laughed at loud. How I wish Hollywood would stand up and take notice about this kind of film. To me, this is the standout of the season so far. You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy this film, but as they say, "it couldn't hurt!" Run - don't walk to see this film. My rating - EXCELLENT!!