Between the Temples is a quirky little melodrama tinged with dry humor and a 1970s aesthetic that is sure to conjure up Bar and Bat Mitzvah memories for people of a certain age. The film stars Jason Schwartzman as Ben Gottlieb, an anxiety-ridden cantor who finds himself unable to sing after the sudden death of his novelist wife. He’s moved in with his mother and stepmother who are anxious to see him get back into the swing of life, and dating. They try to set him up with the Rabbi’s daughter, Gabby, but Ben is ambivalent about everything, including his faith… Until he has a chance encounter at a bar on karaoke night while getting tipsy on mudslides. He’s approached by his former grade school music teacher, 60ish-year-old Carla (Carol Kane), herself a widow in search of purpose. When she learns what Ben does for a living, she prods him into giving her lessons so she can reconnect with her Jewish roots and have the Bat Mitzvah she always dreamed of.
Between the Temples (a double entendre given what’s going on in Ben’s head), explores themes of friendship, family dynamics, depression, grief, faith, and connection in a weird and sometimes weirdly funny way. The film’s pivotal (and largely improvised) scene is a shabbat dinner hosted by the Gottlieb moms (Caroline Aaron, Dolly De Leon) with guests that include Rabbi Bruce (Robert Smigel), his daughter Gabby (Madeline Weinstein), and Ben’s ‘student’ Carla. Oy. What a gathering!
The film was directed by Nathan Silver who found cinematic inspiration in his own mother’s decision to enroll in an adult B’Nai Mitzvah class. Mazel Tov! Unfortunately, though it does have some interesting and heartwarming moments, the film as a whole never quite clicked for me. I wouldn’t rush out to see it in a theater, but if the subject matter interests you, perhaps make a mental note to catch it when it hits the streamers. Or go to temple. If you’re lucky, a Cantor Ben is waiting, in full voice.
Between the Temples opens in theaters on August 23.