Snow in August

Last updated
Snow in August
Based onSnow in August
by Pete Hamill
Written byRichard Friedenberg (teleplay)
Directed by Richard Friedenberg
Starring
Music by Peter Himmelman
Country of originUnited States and Canada
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producers
CinematographySerge Ladouceur
EditorTatiana S. Riegel
Running time104 minutes
Original release
ReleaseAugust 12, 2001 (2001-08-12)

Snow in August is a 2001 film adapted by Richard Friedenberg based on the New York Times best selling novel by Pete Hamill. [1] Featuring a young boy from an Irish Catholic neighborhood of Brooklyn in 1947, the film follows the unlikely friendship that evolves between 11-year-old Michael and a Czechoslovakian Rabbi that stirs up the wrath of a local Irish gang from Michael's neighborhood. [2] After a tragic turn of events, Michael seeks the help of an ancient Jewish text to summon a protector in his time of need. [3] The film is a made-for-television movie that was distributed by Showtime Networks in 2001, and later released on DVD in 2003. [4]

Contents

Plot

In Brooklyn in the summer of 1947, 11-year-old Michael Devlin (Peter Tambakis) witnesses a brutal beating of a Jewish shopkeeper by a local Irish street gang called the Falcons. Scared to go to the police, Michael tells his widowed mother (Lolita Davidovich) who only consoles him by telling him God will judge the guilty. With a heavy feeling of guilt still following the young boy, Michael reaches out to Rabbi Judah Hirsch (Stephen Rea) who had fled Czechoslovakia during World War II. An unlikely friendship evolves between the two characters as they bond over baseball and alluring tales of Jewish folklore like the book of Kabbalah which has the power to create miracles such as snow in August. As a fatherless child, Michael eventually grows to see the Rabbi as close friend and father figure—a relationship that ends up costing him his friends and brings unwanted attention from Frankie McMarthy (Adam MacDonald ) and the rest of the Falcon gang. The Falcons attack Rabbi Hirsch and later threaten Michael and his mother, demonstrating their outright disapproval of the relationship between a Jewish Rabbi and a Catholic family. Determined to finally have the courage to stand up against the gang, Michael goes to Rabbi Hirsch in the hospital to learn more about an ancient Jewish text and the ritual for summoning the Golem to help him serve justice and protect his loved ones. [5]

Cast

Reception

The television film does not yet have a rating from major film critics, but it received a rating of 100 percent by audience reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes. [6] New York Daily News reporter Eric Mink noted that while the film includes harsh language and violent fight scenes, it is a fine film for all ages that is an "ambitious mixture of dramatic realism, morality tale and mystical fable." [7] Terry Kelleher of People magazine said the film including a good cast and a heart warming set of values. [8]

The film received three Emmy nominations including Outstanding Direction in a Children's Special for Richard Friedenberg and Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special for Stephen Rea. [4] Finally, the film was nominated for Outstanding Children's Special in which all the producers were credited including producers Jake Eberts, Lenny Young, Daniel Ostroff, Nancy Cooperstein, and Tani Cohen. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golem</span> Being in Jewish folklore made from clay

A golem is an animated, anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is entirely created from inanimate matter, usually clay or mud. The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th-century rabbi of Prague. According to Moment magazine, "the golem is a highly mutable metaphor with seemingly limitless symbolism. It can be a victim or villain, man or woman—or sometimes both. Over the centuries, it has been used to connote war, community, isolation, hope, and despair."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judd Hirsch</span> American actor (born 1935)

Judd Seymore Hirsch is an American actor. He is known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series Taxi (1978–1983), John Lacey on the NBC series Dear John (1988–1992), and Alan Eppes on the CBS series Numb3rs (2005–2010). He is also well known for his career in theatre and for his roles in films such as Ordinary People (1980), Running on Empty (1988), Independence Day (1996), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Independence Day: Resurgence (2016), Uncut Gems (2019), and The Fabelmans (2022).

Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities. Since 1911, through a capitulation by Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel, Israel has had two chief rabbis, one Ashkenazi and one Sephardi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion</span> American graduate school of religion

The Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion is a Jewish seminary with three locations in the United States and one location in Jerusalem. It is the oldest extant Jewish seminary in the Americas and the main seminary for training rabbis, cantors, educators and communal workers in Reform Judaism. HUC-JIR has campuses in Cincinnati, Ohio, New York City, Los Angeles, and Jerusalem. The Jerusalem campus is the only seminary in Israel for training Reform Jewish clergy.

<i>Weeds</i> (TV series) American dark comedy-drama television series

Weeds is an American dark comedy-drama television series created by Jenji Kohan, which aired on Showtime from August 8, 2005, to September 16, 2012. The series tells of Nancy Botwin, a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family. Other main characters include Nancy's lax brother-in-law ; foolish accountant ; narcissistic neighbor living with her husband and their daughter ; as well as Nancy's wholesalers and Conrad Shepard. Over the course of the series, the Botwin family becomes increasingly entangled in illegal activity.

Lolita Davidovich is a Canadian film and television actress, best known for portraying Blaze Starr in the 1989 film Blaze, for which she received a Chicago Film Critics Association Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lizzy Caplan</span> American actress (born 1982)

Elizabeth Anne Caplan is an American actress. Her first acting role was on the television series Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000). She received wider recognition with roles in the films Mean Girls (2004) and Cloverfield (2008), she also starred on the television shows Related (2005–2006), The Class (2006–2007), and Party Down.

The 29th Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony, commemorating excellence in American daytime programming from 2001, was held on May 17, 2002 at the theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Hosted by Bob Barker, it was televised in the United States by CBS. It was also the first time the ceremonies were simulcast in Spanish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emile Hirsch</span> American actor

Emile Davenport Hirsch is an American actor. His portrayal of Chris McCandless in Into the Wild (2007) earned him widespread acclaim and multiple nominations. Other notable roles include The Girl Next Door (2004), Lords of Dogtown (2005), Alpha Dog (2006), Speed Racer (2008), Milk (2008), Lone Survivor (2013), The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016), The Chinese Widow (2017), An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn (2018), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Morrow</span> American actor and director (born 1962)

Robert Alan Morrow is an American actor and director. He is known for his portrayal of Dr. Joel Fleischman on Northern Exposure, a role that garnered him three Golden Globe and two Emmy nominations for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series, and later for his role as FBI agent Don Eppes on Numb3rs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Holcomb</span> American television director and producer (1943–2024)

Rod Holcomb was an American television director and producer, best known for directing the pilot and finale of ER.

Tani L. Cohen is an American film producer.

<i>Stargate SG-1</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of the military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 commenced airing on the Showtime channel in the United States on July 27, 1997, concluded on the Sci Fi channel on March 6, 1998, and contained 22 episodes. The show itself is a spin-off from the 1994 hit movie Stargate written by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. Stargate SG-1 re-introduced supporting characters from the film universe, such as Jonathan "Jack" O'Neill and Daniel Jackson and included new characters such as Teal'c, George Hammond and Samantha "Sam" Carter. The first season was about a military-science expedition team discovering how to use the ancient device, named the Stargate, to explore the galaxy. However, they encountered a powerful enemy in the film named the Goa'uld, who are bent on destroying Earth and all who oppose them.

<i>For Better or Worse</i> (film) 1995 American film

For Better or Worse is a 1995 American comedy-drama film written by Jeff Nathanson and directed by Jason Alexander, who stars alongside Lolita Davidovich and James Woods. The film was given a limited theatrical release, and aired on TNT in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Siff</span> American actress (born 1974)

Maggie Siff is an American actress. Her most notable television roles have included department store heiress Rachel Menken Katz on the AMC drama Mad Men, Dr. Tara Knowles on the FX drama Sons of Anarchy for which she was twice nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, and psychiatrist Wendy Rhoades on the Showtime series Billions.

The Synagogue of Neuilly-sur-Seine, located at 12 rue Ancelle, built in 1878, is the oldest synagogue in the Paris suburbs of France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankie Shaw</span> American actress, writer and director (born 1981)

Rachel Frances Shaw is an American actress, writer and director. She is best known for playing Bridgette Bird on the Showtime series SMILF, based on the 2015 short film of the same title, which she wrote, directed and starred in. Shaw is also known for playing Mary Jo Cacciatore on the 2010–2011 Spike TV series Blue Mountain State, and her recurring role as Shayla Nico in the first season of the USA Network television series Mr. Robot.

Ring of Fire is a 2013 American biographical drama television film directed by Allison Anders and written by Richard Friedenberg. The film is about the life of June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash, and is based on their son John Carter Cash's 2007 book Anchored in Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash. It stars Jewel Kilcher as June Carter Cash and Matt Ross as Johnny Cash. It aired on Lifetime on May 27, 2013, and was nominated for four Primetime Emmys in 2013, including Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special.

Solomon Ma'tuk, or Sulayman ben David Ma'tuk or Matuq was a communal leader, astronomer and Jewish devotional poet of Baghdad, whose piyyutim are still incorporated in Iraqi Jewish liturgy.

References

  1. ↑ Joshua Katzman. "Snow in August". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  2. ↑ Mark Deming (2014). "Snow in August (2001): Review Summary". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 2014-08-10. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "Snow in August". Showtime. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 "Snow in August (2001)". IMDB. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Snow in August (2001): Overview". TURNER ENTERTAINMENT NETWORKS: TCM. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Snow in August (2001)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  7. ↑ Eric Mink (10 August 2001). "'SNOW IN AUGUST' HAS REMARKABLE DEPTH". New York Daily News. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  8. ↑ Terry Kelleher (13 August 2001). "Picks and Pans Review: Snow in August". People Magazine. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.