Hasidic actor walks off Portman movie

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Mama Bear

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 3:17 pm

amother wrote:

So on the "agent emes" movies, I thought it a bit strange that two married people- not married to each other, play a husband and wife. But it is not such a huge big deal. What is sooo different here?

cuz it's a frum film, a frum story, all created for frum people, not a hollywood film meant for the entire world.

amother

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 3:32 pm

ok mb, that is a fair point of view.

I just think ppl should let it go, he did show where his priorities were by quitting...

Blossom

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 3:35 pm

I had to LOL that he didn't even know who he was shooting with.

I mean Natalie Portman.........she's like one of the biggest Hollywood stars.

That proves mama bears point to me. He didn't know exactly what he was doing.

ChossidMom

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 3:39 pm

I still have no idea who Natalie Portman is Rolling Eyes

Can't remember the last time I saw a movie...

Blossom

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 3:43 pm

ChossidMom wrote:

I still have no idea who Natalie Portman is Rolling Eyes

Can't remember the last time I saw a movie...

chossidmom, good for you. Actually I haven't watched a movie in a while either. But I do have my favorite celebrities and she's one of them.

Mimisinger

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 3:46 pm

Natalie Portman (Hershlag) is an Israeli born actor.

Shaz

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 3:46 pm

I think the issue is not whether he should or shouldn't have been in the movie. My question is why did he talk to the reporters afterwards? Why did he say that he was threatened, etc. I think that it might have just blown over if he'd backed out without giving a reason, instead of going into details about community pressure, etc. JMHO.

Clarissa

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 3:49 pm

Shaz wrote:

See, this really bothers me. The big problem is that somebody told about what goes on? This reminds me of the situation where the woman didn't dress "properly" and was threatened, but the big crime would have been for her to speak to the outside world. Maybe if it's understood that we are part of the planet, we'll behave accordingly. If we have nothing to be ashamed of in terms of how we live, then it doesn't matter who learns anything about us. If he was pressured and/or threatened, he can say so. If he wasn't and he said so, he's a liar.

Mama Bear

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 3:56 pm

blossom it probably surprised him that this Hollywood star went to a Jewish elementary school and was able to have a decent converstion with him, even in Hebrew, about Yiddishkeit matters.

Trust me, my dh hasnt heard of Natalie Portman either. Why would a non-movie-watching chasidishe guy hear of her?

btw Natalie's father is an IVF doctor in Long Island Smile

HindaRochel

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 5:07 pm

Am I the only one who doesn't think it would have been so terrible for him to make the movie in the first place? And that if he had done so and stuck firm to Torah values and laws he could have brought about a Kiddush Hashem?

amother

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 5:07 pm

I wish he could have stayed in the film! I would love to see a real chossid play Natalie's husband. It's too bad he's bowing out because of community pressure. He has talent and they are stifiling it. He doesnt need to sell kitchen cabinets anymore, he's a born actor! STAY IN THE FILM!

Clarissa

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 5:09 pm

HindaRochel wrote:

No, I agree. On the other hand, I've never lived in a community like that, with all of that community pressure, so that kind of thing is not something I can personally relate to. The other women here can answer this better than I.

Mama Bear

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 5:25 pm

This link explains a lot.

http://rdaam.blogspot.com/

Maya

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 5:39 pm

Thanks, MB for the link. The following paragraph made me laugh! :

"We knew something was up, when Abe took off his white socks after he got married" They said he is from a very frum family and his wife is from the frummest of the frum Satmar families, for "Not only does she have a shaved head and wear a sheitel and hat over that but she even wears a Shpitzel" Don't ask me was a Shpitzle is but it sounds very frum.

yikes!

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 5:46 pm

ChossidMom wrote:

I still have no idea who Natalie Portman is Rolling Eyes

Can't remember the last time I saw a movie...

ChossidMom, U haven't heard of Natalie Portman? I thought everyone in Israel heard of her after that kosel fiasco! She was shooting another movie in Israel and had a kissing scene at the kosel which was totally uncalled for!

Mama Bear

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 6:09 pm

btw I just confirmed that his name isnt Yoily as I thought, it *IS* avrum. I was wondering why theyre calling him Abe!!!

Maya

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 8:28 pm

Quote:

naive chevremans can sometimes do funny things

So you think he was really naive, and didn't know what he's getting himself into?

Clarissa

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 8:31 pm

sleepless-n-ny wrote:

theres something called a union worker-anyone that fills in for a small part without bid deals. thats what he did. I very much believe he didnt know who she is. naive chevremans can sometimes do funny things

Sorry, but I don't understand what you're saying. You think that because it was a small part they were going to put absolutely anybody into the movie? A movie with Natalie Portman, Nic Nolte, Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon? I'm not saying anything about his motives, but things don't work that way in casting, even in low-budget films. And this film has big names.

Mama Bear

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 8:35 pm

Okay. I got some more info.

Karpen DEFINITELy knew Natalie before this. He met her somewhere... be it the mitzvah tank, or who knows where else. natalie recommended him for the part. That's strange and unusual for a Satmar guy too. What I'm learningn about this guy as we go along, is that he enjoys life and enjoys pushing the envelope without breaking any real rules or doing aveiras. He learns a mean blatt gemara, so it's not like he's going to fling his shtrimel into the Hudson anytime soon and run away to join the circus. But- he did know what he was getting into, and didnt stop to consider the consequences before.

Whatever the case, let's leave him and his family alone.

mama-star

Sun, Mar 16 2008, 9:34 pm

I find this interesting on many levels.

I'm not so impressed with satmar after reading the comments from the nydaily news article that they "wanted to kill him" for being in the movie, or that he had to flee the community for the weekend. whether it was right or wrong for him to do the film, I'm not pleased with the community response.

that said, I remember seeing the israeli movie "ushpizin," and reading about the halachic issues. the lead actor (shuli rand I believe his name is) said that the rabbonim he was working with forbade him to have an actress play his wife...that it had to be his real wife in the movie, or no movie. and I think there's something very powerful to that, al pi chassidus, about "acting" and donning levushim like that. I mean, there's a very fine line sometimes with acting, and you hear all the time about lead actors in hollywood falling in love with each other...but they were only supposed to be "acting" and "working." so I don't think it was the greatest idea spiritually for that chossid to be acting as someone else's husband. I'm surprised his wife supported him in that role.

very mixed feelings about the whole thing.

oh yeah, and to that person who commented in the article's comment section, about how she wanted the non jews away, about how disgusting they are, etc etc...and how chassidic homes are always perfectly spotless, well that lady is seriously in denial.

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