These TV Shows and Movies Depict Passover – But Are They Accurate?
Passover appears in several TV shows and movies, from comedies to dramas and everything in between. By watching this media, kids and adults alike can learn about the holiday and get into the spirit before the seder.
However, the depiction of Passover is not always accurate. Sometimes, when adding a dramatic or comedic spin, TV shows and movies will use creative liberties… which is why it’s best to take each with a grain of kosher salt.
When watching these TV shows or movies in preparation for the holiday, make sure you keep that in mind.
“It’s Passover, Grover!” from “Shalom Sesame” (Season 2, Episode 2)
There are high stakes in this episode of “Shalom Sesame”: Grover and his friends want to celebrate the Seder that night, but they don’t have horseradish, and the stores are already closed. They go on a journey to find the maror they need for their Seder plate. The episode gets everything correct halachically, and it’s refreshing to see a cartoon set in Israel with Israeli actors on screen.
“The Seder” on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Season 5, Episode 7)
In typical “Curb” fashion, the seder episode is an absolute disaster. Larry David invites over a very unsavory guest, played by Rob Corddry, who has a checkered past. Plus, he brings latkes to the meal; who does that on Pesach? Some of the men at the table don’t wear yarmulkes, and they’re giving out dollar bills on the holiday, so it’s not exactly a halachic seder by any means. But Larry David is not there to accurately portray Judaism. He’s there to make it absurd… which he does successfully in this episode.
“When Do We Eat?”
@salvadorlitvak 🎞️ The crazy story of my film “When Do We Eat?” the Passover comedy that became a cult hit! Trailer and links to Prime, Apple, Google Play, Vimeo and Roku at whendoweeat.com Starring Max Greenfield (New Girl), Ben Feldman (Superstore), Michael Lerner (Barton Fink), Jack Klugman (The Odd Couple), Lesley Ann Warren, Shiri Appleby (UnREAL), Mark Ivanir “A classic holiday comedy. Magical” -Chicago Sun-Times The world’s fastest Seder gone horribly awry! Ira (Michael Lerner) prides himself on running the fastest Seder in the west, much to the chagrin of newly religious son Ethan (Max Greenfield). Things get screwy when younger son Zeke (Ben Feldman) slips his ornery dad a dose of special psychedelic ecstasy at the beginning of the evening. Mom (Lesley Ann Warren) brings a special friend to dinner and now the family is taking sides. By the end of the evening, Ira has become a modern day Moses leading his family to the promised land of family forgiveness. “When Do We Eat?” is rated R for some language and drug-related subject matter. #jewish #jewishmovie #jewishhumor #passover #passoverseder #whendoweeat #accidentaltalmudist #entheogen
Sal and Nina Litvak, who are married baalei teshuva filmmakers, released “When Do We Eat?” a movie about one family’s zany Pesach seder, in 2005. This indie film, which became a cult classic, depicts the Stuckman family gathering around the table for a seder they won’t soon forget. Let’s just say that the family’s patriarch accidentally takes something that, eh hem, enhances his Seder experience. It also features Max Greenfield (“New Girl”) as a baal teshuva who becomes Hasidic – but after this seder, it doesn’t look like he’s going to stay that way for long. The movie pokes fun at family drama while taking liberties with the rules of the seder, but the viewer clearly understands this is a comedy and not meant to be taken seriously.
“A Rugrats Passover” from “The Rugrats” (Season 3, Episode 23)
“The Rugrats,” a Nickelodeon cartoon from the ‘90s, depicted two Jewish holidays: Chanukah and Passover. Not only is the Passover episode adorable – who can resist Tommy Pickles as Moses parting the sea? – but it is also surprisingly accurate. Of course, the episode is kid friendly, so Pharoah (played by Angelica Pickles) doesn’t drown at the sea. However, a shark does eat her favorite doll, which is punishment enough.
“The Prince of Egypt”
If you were a Jewish kid growing up in the ‘90s, “The Prince of Egypt” was a must see. With cast members like Val Kilmer as Moses, Michelle Pfeiffer at Zipporah, and Ralph Fiennes as Pharoah, you can’t go wrong. The movie doesn’t get all the facts right; for instance, Moses grew up in the royal palace but was never the actual prince of Egypt, and the roles of Aaron and Miriam are much bigger in the Torah. For a kids film, though, it does a good job of teaching about Moses’ story, Passover, and the Exodus – with catchy tunes to boot.
“The Ten Commandments”
How could we forget the classic film, “The Ten Commandments,” on our list? This Cecil B. DeMille masterpiece stars Charlton Heston as Moses as he leads the Hebrews out of Egypt and into the desert, where they receive the Torah and become the Jewish people. It brings the Torah to life, showing Moses speaking to Hashem through the burning bush and again on Mt. Sinai as his people build the idolatrous Golden Calf below. The screenplay takes some liberties, like showing fewer plagues than actually occurred and depicting the Hebrews as standing silently as the Red Sea parted – which in actuality they celebrated with singing and dancing – but for Hollywood, it’s pretty darn close to the original text.
“Uncut Gems”
@a24 Happy Passover from the Ratner fam #uncutgems
“Uncut Gems” is a wild cinematic experience, with Adam Sandler playing a degenerate but somehow likable gambling addict. The seder scene is full of tension, as Sandler says the names of the plagues and everyone dips into their fingers into the wine to put it on their plate. One of the plagues is foreshadowing the end of the movie, but we can’t tell you which one. The film’s depiction is accurate, even though one of the teens at the table puts the drop of wine in his mouth – a big no no at the seder table.
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