Daniel Robbins’ frenetic comedy, Bad Shabbos, unfolds in a finely- furnished flat in New York City’s Upper West Side, long the abode of secular middle-class Jews. There, during a Friday night sabbath dinner, acrimony and chaos erupt, tarnishing what was supposed to be an intimate family gathering.
The central figures in this edgy and sardonically entertaining film, which opened yesterday in South Florida, are David (Jon Bass), a Jewish New Yorker, and Megan (Meghan Leathers), his Catholic fiancé from Wisconsin.
Where and when this interfaith couple met is shrouded in mystery, but they are obviously in love.
David’s parents, Ellen (Kyra Sedgwick) and Richard (David Paymer), have invited them for a pleasant social evening. Joining them around the table are David’s two siblings, Adam (Theo Taplitz) and Abby (Milana Vayntrub), and Abby’s boyfriend, Benjamin (Ashley Zuckerman).
Megan’s father and mother, John (John Bedford Lloyd) and Beth (Catherine Curtin), arrive a little later, just in time to partake in the festivities.
As might be expected, David and Megan hope that their parents will like each other and that there will be no nasty surprises.
Prior to the meal, Megan tells Ellen that converts bring new genes to the genetic pool. Ellen listens politely, but leaves the impression that she is lukewarm to their union. And when Megan offers to help Ellen in the kitchen, Ellen seems quite upset. The glaring absence of chemistry in their budding relationship is skillfully conveyed by Sedgwick and Leathers in understated performances.
Another problem arises when Benjamin, a sarcastic type, clashes with Adam, a sensitive soul who is thinking of enlisting in the Israeli army. David, a conciliator, attempts to defuse the tension. In this key role, Bass delivers a credible performance.
At this fraught point, Abby informs David that she is thinking of breaking up with Benjamin. The issue becomes irrelevant when Benjamin slips on the bathroom floor and fatally injures himself. Benjamin’s accident sets off a commotion, prompting the assertive African American doorman, Jordan (Cliff Smith), to take charge.
The already dicey situation deteriorates with the arrival of Megan’s parents. Richard, in a vain effort to impress them, chants off-key Hebrew melodies and tosses chunks of challah bread in their direction. Soon enough, Beth wonders why the rules governing the sabbath are “draconian.”
John, for his part, raises an embarrassing question when he asks why Benjamin has not appeared.
Pretending to be Benjamin, Jordan, much to John’s and Beth’s curiosity, portrays him as an Ethiopian Jew. In a jarring moment, Jordan triggers nervous laughter when he sarcastically claims that Jews control the media and the banks. This assertion, though meant ironically, comes like a bolt out of the blue and contributes little of value to the movie’s substance.
The dinner is also marred by two silly incidents that offend John’s sensibilities.
By now, the sabbath meal has degenerated into something approximating a train wreck. Yet, as viewers will discover, this is not the end of the story. Ellen, much to David’s relief and delight, warms to Megan, her future daughter-in-law.
Bad Shabbos ends on an optimistic note, underscoring the universal belief that the murk of darkness will always give way to the incandescence of light.