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Between the Temples

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Between the Temples
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNathan Silver
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySean Price Williams
Edited byJohn Magary
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Classics
Release dates
  • January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) (Sundance)
  • August 22, 2024 (2024-08-22) (United States)
Running time
111 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2.2 million[2]

Between the Temples is a 2024 American comedy-drama film directed by Nathan Silver and written by Silver and C. Mason Wells. The film stars Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane, Caroline Aaron, Robert Smigel, Madeline Weinstein, Matthew Shear, and Dolly de Leon.

Between the Temples premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, and was released in the United States by Sony Pictures Classics on August 22, 2024.

Plot

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Over a year after his wife, Ruth, died after slipping on a patch of ice, cantor Ben Gottlieb is suffering a crisis of faith, and is unable to sing. He moves back in with his mothers, Meira and Judith. After getting into a fight at a bar, Ben encounters Carla Kessler, who was his music teacher in elementary school. The next day, Carla comes to one of Ben's classes for boys and girls preparing for their bar and bat mitzvahs. Carla says that she has always wanted a bat mitzvah, but she was a red diaper baby; her parents, who were communists, did not allow her to have a bat mitzvah when she turned 13. Ben agrees to teach Carla and gets a ceremony approved by Bruce, the synagogue's rabbi.

As they become friendly, Ben brings a tape of his own bar mitzvah to Carla's house to watch on her VCR. Carla's friend accidentally gives drugged tea to Ben and Carla, and Ben hallucinates interactions with his younger self. Carla lets him sleep in her son Nat's bed. Ben has been suffering from insomnia since Ruth's death, but he sleeps comfortably in Nat's bed. Nat and his family visit the next day. The family and Ben go out to dinner, but when Carla announces her intention to have a bat mitzvah, Nat objects. He explains that he is an atheist, and thus he objects to any of his other family members participating in the bat mitzvah, although his wife and two young daughters are supportive of Carla and express interest in helping her.

Judith and Meira have been trying to set up Ben with women, preferably Jewish. These include Bruce's daughter, Gabby, who reads a book Ruth wrote and is excited by its sexual nature. She meets Ben near Ruth's grave and professes her attraction to him; they subsequently have sex.

Carla has a stroke. Nat does not visit her in the hospital, but Ben does. Ben presses Bruce to move Carla's ceremony up to the upcoming weekend. In anticipation of the ceremony, Ben invites Carla to the Gottliebs' Shabbat meal; Bruce, his wife, and Gabby also attend the meal.

At the Shabbat meal, Ben announces that he is in love with Carla. Gabby begins crying uncontrollably. As Bruce and Judith lambast Ben, Carla flees and Meira encourages Ben to go after her. Ben does, but slips on ice and injures his head outside Carla's house. Carla takes Ben inside and treats his wound. He stays at her house that night. Recalling Carla's memory that the first bat mitzvah was performed in 1926 in a home, Ben performs the ceremony the next day in the backyard of Carla's house, and sings with her while she chants her Torah reading.

Cast

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Production

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Cast and crew of the film at the Berlinale 2024.

In May 2023, Schwartzman, Kane, and De Leon were confirmed to be starring in the film. Also in the confirmed cast were Caroline Aaron, Robert Smigel, Madeline Weinstein and Matthew Shear. It is produced by Ley Line Entertainment and Fusion Entertainment with producers Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page, Nate Kamiya, Adam Kersh and Taylor Hess.[3] Principal photography wrapped in early 2023 with filming locations including Kingston, New York.[4]

Release

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The film premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024.[5] In February, Sony Pictures Classics acquired distribution rights to the film.[6] It also screened at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama section.[7][8] It was later also added to the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival lineup, which ran in New York City from June 5–16, 2024.[9][10] It was released on August 22, 2024.[11]

Reception

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Box office

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In the United States and Canada, the film made $647,757 from 576 theaters in its opening weekend.[12]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 111 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "Immeasurably elevated by the chemistry between Carol Kane and Jason Schwartzman, Between the Temples uses engrossing, character-driven dramedy to explore deeply relatable aspects of the human experience."[13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 83 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Between the Temples". Sundance Film Festival. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  2. ^ "Between the Temples". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  3. ^ Lang, Brent (May 10, 2023). "Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane Starring in 'Between the Temples,' an 'Anxious Comedy' About a Cantor and His Student (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  4. ^ Friedman, Gabe (May 11, 2023). "Jason Schwartzman is a cantor and Carol Kane is his bat mitzvah student in comedy 'Between the Temples'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  5. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 6, 2023). "Sundance Unveils Packed 2024 Lineup That Includes A.I., Pedro Pascal, Kristen Stewart, Satan, Devo & Steven Yeun". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  6. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (February 9, 2024). "Sony Pictures Classics Takes Worldwide Rights To Nathan Silver's 'Between The Temples' With Jason Schwartzman & Carol Kane". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  7. ^ Shafer, Ellise (January 17, 2024). "Martin Scorsese's 'The Departed' to Screen at Director's Berlin Golden Bear Ceremony". Variety. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  8. ^ "Between the Temples". Berlin International Film Festival. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  9. ^ Dunn, Jack (April 17, 2024). "Tribeca Festival Reveals 2024 Feature Film Lineup Including New Movies With Lily Gladstone, Jenna Ortega and Michael Cera". Variety. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  10. ^ "Between the Temples:Spotlight Narrative". Tribeca. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  11. ^ Grobar, Matt (April 24, 2024). "Sony Pictures Classics Dates Sundance Comedy Between The Temples Starring Jason Schwartzman & Carol Kane". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  12. ^ "Domestic 2024 Weekend 34". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  13. ^ "Between the Temples". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 19, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  14. ^ "Between the Temples". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
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