Sunday, January 25, 2009
Actor lives amidst Hasidic women to research role
To prep for her role as a widowed member of a Hasidic community in CBS' movie "Loving Leah," former "Six Feet Under" star Lauren Ambrose spent time with women of the devout faith.
"I didn't know a lot about the Hasidic community at all," Ambrose told the Daily News. "They let me hang out and talk with them and were really open about their lives."
"Loving Leah," which premieres tomorrow night at 9, explores the ancient Levirate marriage law that says a deceased husband's brother, if single, must marry his widow, in this case is Leah, played by Ambrose.
"I thought it was a very sweet story about a regular girl who lives in this very sheltered community," Ambrose said. "But she needs to see a bigger world and finds a way to do it."
Ultimately, Leah and her brother-in-law, Jake, played by Adam Kaufman, devise a plan that satisfies both the tradition and allows Leah to pursue her dreams.
"This character does leave the community, but the people that I met were so joyful in their faith and so believing that it wasn't out of obligation that they lived the way they do, it was out of a deep faith," said Ambrose. "But they felt that if someone has a different calling or a different passion in life, then they should explore it."
Ambrose, who just wrapped voicing a character for Spike Jonze's upcoming "Where the Wild Things Are" and is rehearsing for the Broadway play "Exit the King," says what audiences should take away from "Loving Leah" is that her character isn't running away but rather trying to find her own way.
"This wasn't a harsh, strict religious place that was hard to be in. She's leaving a supportive community of people that love her," said Ambrose.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/01/24/2009-01-24_lauren_ambrose_plays_hasidic_role_in_lov.html
"I didn't know a lot about the Hasidic community at all," Ambrose told the Daily News. "They let me hang out and talk with them and were really open about their lives."
"Loving Leah," which premieres tomorrow night at 9, explores the ancient Levirate marriage law that says a deceased husband's brother, if single, must marry his widow, in this case is Leah, played by Ambrose.
"I thought it was a very sweet story about a regular girl who lives in this very sheltered community," Ambrose said. "But she needs to see a bigger world and finds a way to do it."
Ultimately, Leah and her brother-in-law, Jake, played by Adam Kaufman, devise a plan that satisfies both the tradition and allows Leah to pursue her dreams.
"This character does leave the community, but the people that I met were so joyful in their faith and so believing that it wasn't out of obligation that they lived the way they do, it was out of a deep faith," said Ambrose. "But they felt that if someone has a different calling or a different passion in life, then they should explore it."
Ambrose, who just wrapped voicing a character for Spike Jonze's upcoming "Where the Wild Things Are" and is rehearsing for the Broadway play "Exit the King," says what audiences should take away from "Loving Leah" is that her character isn't running away but rather trying to find her own way.
"This wasn't a harsh, strict religious place that was hard to be in. She's leaving a supportive community of people that love her," said Ambrose.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/01/24/2009-01-24_lauren_ambrose_plays_hasidic_role_in_lov.html
Comments:
I'm waiting for "Hasidic woman lives among actors to research Pirke Avos"
Comment Credit ---This article posted by 
: January 25, 2009 9:34 PM
: January 25, 2009 9:34 PM
Ambrose is a pretty bad researcher because she wears off-the-shoulder revealing, short-sleeved dresses and her own natural blonde hair in the show (I saw a review of it in a financial newspaper.)
Her portrayal of a grieving Hasidic widow is about as accurate as Obama's portrayal of a sitting U.S. president. That pretty much sums it up. She looks as Jewish as the Bush twins at a shiva call.
Her portrayal of a grieving Hasidic widow is about as accurate as Obama's portrayal of a sitting U.S. president. That pretty much sums it up. She looks as Jewish as the Bush twins at a shiva call.
Comment Credit ---This article posted by : January 25, 2009 9:49 PM
: January 25, 2009 9:49 PM
I watched the movie with my
wife. The movie is what it
is a TV movie.
I remember the lead actress
from Law and Order.
In response to posting
at 9:49. What doe's a Jewish
woman look like. Also you
attitude toward the new
president just shows how
small minded you are.
wife. The movie is what it
is a TV movie.
I remember the lead actress
from Law and Order.
In response to posting
at 9:49. What doe's a Jewish
woman look like. Also you
attitude toward the new
president just shows how
small minded you are.
Comment Credit ---This article posted by : January 26, 2009 6:40 AM
: January 26, 2009 6:40 AM
The crappy "research" is jut to add credibility to still another anti-Chassidim hate series.
They will make believe they are portraying the Chassidim "accurately" and with "sensitivity" ... and all the while, their hidden agenda will be that it is a good idea for these precious women to leave the fold.
That will be the end result of the movie no matter what they claim its intent is.
Here is the key quote:
"But she needs to see a bigger world and finds a way to do it."
There is no question this is quietly aimed at making it appear that it is a good thing for her to see a "bigger world" ... clearly implying that staying and not seeing this "bigger world" is somehow frowed upon by the author, and by implication, by the world.
Bottom line: This movie ATTACKS the very core of our life, portraying it as somehow inferior to the "norm."
They will make believe they are portraying the Chassidim "accurately" and with "sensitivity" ... and all the while, their hidden agenda will be that it is a good idea for these precious women to leave the fold.
That will be the end result of the movie no matter what they claim its intent is.
Here is the key quote:
"But she needs to see a bigger world and finds a way to do it."
There is no question this is quietly aimed at making it appear that it is a good thing for her to see a "bigger world" ... clearly implying that staying and not seeing this "bigger world" is somehow frowed upon by the author, and by implication, by the world.
Bottom line: This movie ATTACKS the very core of our life, portraying it as somehow inferior to the "norm."
Comment Credit ---This article posted by : January 26, 2009 9:01 AM
: January 26, 2009 9:01 AM
The movie portrays that true happiness is only obtainable by a) leaving our 'insular' community, b) 'falling in love' and c) joining the reformed congregation. A shande.
Comment Credit ---This article posted by : January 26, 2009 12:53 PM
: January 26, 2009 12:53 PM
The movie was poorly done. I fell asleep as my wife watched it. I keep remembering her as Claire in "6 Feet Under" (admit it, you watch HBO too). While some of the women looked like Chasidishe, the men were poorly portrayed. The whole story line was bad and the ending was even worse. What a waste of time
Comment Credit ---This article posted by : January 26, 2009 3:28 PM
: January 26, 2009 3:28 PM
I saw it and immediately wrote about it on my blog - I liked the movie - it was entertaining and romantic and very unrealistic.
If this would have actually happened there is no way her mother (the only person who actually did a believable job) would have accepted the marriage and love to follow.
But I must commend them on trying - this wasn't half as sad or funny as the Hebrew Hammer or When do we eat? But it was interesting and fun to watch.
Now I wonder when they will have a real movie come out like this that actually has real rabbis without those crappy fake beards and peyos.
If this would have actually happened there is no way her mother (the only person who actually did a believable job) would have accepted the marriage and love to follow.
But I must commend them on trying - this wasn't half as sad or funny as the Hebrew Hammer or When do we eat? But it was interesting and fun to watch.
Now I wonder when they will have a real movie come out like this that actually has real rabbis without those crappy fake beards and peyos.
Comment Credit ---This article posted by : January 27, 2009 1:19 AM
: January 27, 2009 1:19 AM
I saw it too, found out about it as I was channel surfing..its about as realistic as saying that the Reform movement represents Orthodox Jews..it is truly ludicrous how LITTLE research goes into these things..No true Jewish girl would equate wanting to go to college(which MANY do) with leaving Orthodoxy to join reform, or marrying the non-religious brother (who remains that way, BTW) yet still claiming to be 'religious' in the same way as before. And yes, she does remove her sheitel, wear a very NOT tzniusdik dress to a 'business dinner', and behave in a way counter to everything she was taught. Had her mother been a REAL jewish orthodox mother, she never would have accepted this 'marriage' for her daughter..and had they really been married, in real life, surely they'd have been either divorced, or she would have left the entire Orthodox world, including her own family, behind. a more unrealistic, unresearched movie about our community is hard to find..However, for a really great movie, with a more realistic view, watch , I think its called, "more precious than Rubies'..very good and certainly thought provoking...
Comment Credit ---This article posted by : January 27, 2009 7:23 PM
: January 27, 2009 7:23 PM
Forget it guys.
Can't you see, Hollywood had an agenda. Just like the majority of non-observant Jews want to see Chareidim disappear, so does Hollywood. They want all to assimilate, so they can buy their products.
Besides, this also panders to those who feel warm and fuzzy by succeeding at getting another "trapped" and "opressed" woman to freedom.
The fact that they are not really trapped or opressed changes nothing. But, Hollywood gets the viewer to believe that these people are trapped and/or oppressed, so their hero/heroine can save the woman from that oppression.
The real tragedy, is that those who are not familiar with the REAL Chassidishe community, watches this crap, and believes it. They believe that the women need to be rescued.
Or worse, a young Chassidishe woman who is having a bad day or week, may just sneek away and watch a movie like this, and buy into this narishkeit that she is missing out on something if she does not see the "bigger world" and that she can't see it from where she is.
Can't you see, Hollywood had an agenda. Just like the majority of non-observant Jews want to see Chareidim disappear, so does Hollywood. They want all to assimilate, so they can buy their products.
Besides, this also panders to those who feel warm and fuzzy by succeeding at getting another "trapped" and "opressed" woman to freedom.
The fact that they are not really trapped or opressed changes nothing. But, Hollywood gets the viewer to believe that these people are trapped and/or oppressed, so their hero/heroine can save the woman from that oppression.
The real tragedy, is that those who are not familiar with the REAL Chassidishe community, watches this crap, and believes it. They believe that the women need to be rescued.
Or worse, a young Chassidishe woman who is having a bad day or week, may just sneek away and watch a movie like this, and buy into this narishkeit that she is missing out on something if she does not see the "bigger world" and that she can't see it from where she is.
Comment Credit ---This article posted by : January 28, 2009 9:53 AM
: January 28, 2009 9:53 AM
I was very confused as to which hasidic community she was coming from....is this the normal behavior for all hassidim?? it just generalized it all but don't hassidic women shave their heads? it was all very confusing, please do enlighten me. thank you!
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Comment Credit ---This article posted by : January 29, 2009 10:31 PM
: January 29, 2009 10:31 PM
