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Jewtopia
By Andrea Beach,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Crass comedy relies on stereotypes and profanity.
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Jewtopia
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What's the Story?
Christian (Ivan Sergei) wants to marry a Jewish girl because he never wants to have to decide anything for himself ever again. He meets and falls for Alison (Jennifer Love Hewitt), the rabbi's daughter, but his chances with her are slim to none because he isn't Jewish. Christian talks his childhood friend Adam (Joel David Moore) into helping him pass himself off as Jewish, going by the name Avi Rosenberg. Alison and her family start to notice things about "Avi" that don't quite add up. How far will he go to keep up the charade?
Is It Any Good?
JEWTOPIA strikes a single note, over and over. It takes a mildly amusing premise about cultural differences, exaggerates it until you want to squirm, and then derails it with crass sexual jokes and profanity. Humor that relies mostly on swear words and repeating body parts ad nauseum, especially "vagina," fail to cover up the lack of any real insight but guarantee appeal to the immature sense of humor. What little plot and characterization are present offer no surprise or insight, as they're mainly propelled by moving from cliché to stereotype and back again.
It was a somewhat successful play in the Los Angeles area first, which probably explains some of the surprises in the supporting cast (Rita Wilson? Really?). Some woeful miscasting aside -- Peter Storemare doesn't pull off an American accent -- they handle things about as well as you'd expect from the veterans. The lead love interests don't convey any real chemistry or seem like they quite believe what's happening to them. Pass.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stereotyping. If a group is stereotyping itself, does that make it OK? Why, or why not?
Do you have friends from ethnic or cultural backgrounds different from your own? What are some positive ways to explore differences or celebrate similarities?
Did any of the characters seem believable to you? Which ones, and what makes them believable or not?
Movie Details
- In theaters: April 7, 2012
- On DVD or streaming: February 11, 2014
- Cast: Jennifer Love Hewitt , Ivan Sergei , Wendie Malick
- Director: Bryan Fogel
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studios: Ministry of Content , Oops Doughnuts Productions , Tooley Productions
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Friendship
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 26, 2022
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