Simchas and Sorrows

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Simchas and Sorrows

2022

1h 56m

Comedy

Drama

Romance

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Popcornmeter

78%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

SIMCHAS AND SORROWS is an independent romantic comedy about a secular, free-spirited artist and former Catholic school girl, Agnes, who must come to terms with religion in order to marry the love of her life -- Levi. Shocked by a surprise pregnancy, the earnest Agnes agrees to begin converting to Judaism, in an effort to be accepted by Levi's more conservative Jewish family. Learning to join the tribe and follow the herd proves no easy task for someone who has spent her whole life questioning, and then breaking, the rules. As Agnes and Levi study with the progressive, courageous Rabbi Cohen, they discover all is not what it appears to be on the surface. As family secrets come to light, Agnes and Levi are forced to grapple with life's big questions. The film explores an evolving, modern Judaism, orthodoxies and hypocrisy, sibling rivalry, modern love, mental illness, artistic inheritance, and anti-Semitism.

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Stephen Silver

Splice Today

09/30/2022

3/5

Skillfully navigates about a half-dozen of modern Judaism's most frought topics, but is nevertheless too long by about a half hour

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Robert Denerstein

Denerstein Unleashed

09/19/2022

No arguing with the message, but a last-minute revelation feels like a cop-out and, to me at least, it didn't feel as if the movie had fully engaged with its subject.

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Neely Swanson

Easy Reader (California)

09/14/2022

Just sit back and enjoy. You don’t always need a masterpiece to have a good time.

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Josh Bell

Crooked Marquee

09/14/2022

C+

Winds through their relationship for nearly two hours, only to end up with shortcuts and compromises that seem dissatisfying for both the couple and the audience.

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Harvey S. Karten

Shockya.com

09/11/2022

B

Bittersweet tale of an atheism who is converting to Judaism without great fanfare.

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Jonita Davis

The Black Cape (Medium)

08/09/2022

2/5

The story is easy to comprehend but may prove too dull in several places for those who have no connection to the Jewish culture. Rabbi Cohen offers some goods but not enough. I certainly wanted to fast forward to the Rabbi's sermons and skip the rest.

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M L

@Enigo Aug 4

Underwhelming and often offensive. The "Jewish" characters largely exist in this film to lecture you about how Jews shouldn’t care about the Holocaust, or their religion, or feel any affinity towards the Holy Land. Most of the "Jewish" characters are portrayed as cruel and unpleasant, while the non-Jewish characters are universally portrayed as kind and empathetic. This film is what you get from people who grow up in a city like NYC where indoctrination into antisemitism is part of the formal educational curriculum. The film argues that Jews are essentially awful, but that non-Jews might be willing to accept them if they give up everything that makes them Jewish. Welcome to NYC

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11/27/2022

Awesome movie and incredible acting!

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Griffin A

@RT56904331 11/09/2022

Best indie I've seen in a long time. Thought provoking and profound reflections on religion, love, and commitment. Rocking performances from Adams and Nef.

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Genevieve Adams

Director

Genevieve Adams

Agnes

Thomas McDonell

Levi

Hari Nef

Rabbi Cohen

Luke Forbes

Everett

Julie Halston

Maude

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Goyo

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Before We Begin

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Synopsis

SIMCHAS AND SORROWS is an independent romantic comedy about a secular, free-spirited artist and former Catholic school girl, Agnes, who must come to terms with religion in order to marry the love of her life -- Levi. Shocked by a surprise pregnancy, the earnest Agnes agrees to begin converting to Judaism, in an effort to be accepted by Levi's more conservative Jewish family. Learning to join the tribe and follow the herd proves no easy task for someone who has spent her whole life questioning, and then breaking, the rules. As Agnes and Levi study with the progressive, courageous Rabbi Cohen, they discover all is not what it appears to be on the surface. As family secrets come to light, Agnes and Levi are forced to grapple with life's big questions. The film explores an evolving, modern Judaism, orthodoxies and hypocrisy, sibling rivalry, modern love, mental illness, artistic inheritance, and anti-Semitism.

Director: Genevieve Adams
Producer: Genevieve Adams, Matt Ott, Jackie Donohoe, Hari Nef, Hannah Swayze, Lila Claghorn
Screenwriter: Genevieve Adams
Distributor: Gravitas Ventures
Production Co: Ataria Pictures, Term Paper Productions
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 16, 2022, Limited
Runtime: 1h 56m

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