American Diner meets European Bistro- • garden patio • gourmet weekend brunch specialties ?tekeiticr - contradictions in all of us are written large in Danny and played out to the extremes. tions, and the things that are funny in it [to me] may emerge. There are some people who think it's funny, but very few. JN: What questions does the film open for audiences? HB: Its deepest question is JN: Why did you decide about the contradictory feel- to do a book about the ings that we have for things film? that are very important to us. HB: A friend thought The film begins with a ques- that the screenplay and tion: I hate and I love; who commentaries might be can tell me why? Danny hates Filmmaker Henry useful in high school and Bean: "The film Judaism, and he loves it. I college classes on' racism, begins with a don't think anybody can tell identity politics and question: I hate him why, but we can explore things like that. I'm vain and I love; who the fact of that seemingly like any other writer, and can tell me why?" contradictory set of feelings. the idea that somebody There are other questions: Is might publish my screen- God irrational? Can mankind know play was appealing to me. God? Can a person who listens to the I liked the idea of writing the essay truths of his own heart live in the world? because I still had more to say. I was What's the nature of faith? What's the thrilled [with the people] willing to connection between religious love and put their work into it David Kraemer, sexual love? a professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary; Sander Gilman, a writer JN: Have you learned anything about about self-hatred and Jewish identity; your film from hearing the reactions and Beth Pinsker, a reviewer. ❑ of others? HB: Despite my intentions, the film was not nearly as comical to other Henry Bean will discuss The people as it was to me. I still think Believer following a 9:45 a.m. that the film is darkly funny. A Jewish screening Sunday, June 2, at the Nazi is a funny idea [to me], but it Maple Art Theatre, Maple at doesn't play that way. That's been both Telegraph in Bloomfield the biggest — and painful — lesson Township. $5.75. (248) 851- I've learned. 1100, Ext. 3142. The film opens My dream is that if the film endures to the general public at the and people continue watching it, they Maple Theatre on Friday, June 7. will be less frightened by the initial reac- the other actors went and I could totally understand that, but for me it feels a little theme-parky." The actor points out that he didn't need to see a crematorium in order to prepare for his role since his character, Mischa, wasn't aware that an extermina- tion of Europe's Jews was taking place. But don't jump to the conclusion that the 30-something Schreiber is one of those people who can't be bothered with the past. While they were making the movie Sphere in the San Francisco Bay Area a few years ago, Dustin Hoffman asked Schreiber — as a friend — to read a script he was producing titled A Walk on the Moon. "I was really moved by it because it was exactly the story of my grandfa- ther," Schreiber confides. The actor was cast as the blue-collar Marty Kantrowitz and gave a sensitive, mov- ing performance. There's a little more to the story. Schreiber's grandfather had died a year earlier and, the actor says, "I did- n't really know anything about mourning. It was one of those syn- chronous things where your life meets something that it needs to meet at a time when it needs to meet it." That may sound New Age, but Schreiber understands just as well the power of belonging to a people whose history extends thousands of years. "The Haggadah is very careful to catalog the relationship between spe- cific peoples over the course of hun- dreds of years," Schreiber points out. "I think that's a very Jewish thing, and a very smart thing. It gives you a context for your life. It's a network, it's a community and it's very intelligent." I I The Sum of All Fears opens in Detroit Friday, May 31. 77:7•777.77.777.7•7777777777 - Ruttiest% Rug SALE Persian SO% oft Real •Owls- June 14016-10 pm Joe 156 9-6 ion Oeik 34edi &Peefiiii • complete event planning • corporate functions • outrageouslq original Mrs featuring our 17' grill • weddings - bar/bat mitzvahs • bris fr babq naming • restaurant available for private parties 23144 woodward ave • 240.390.0444 • Www.geocities.com/toastferodale toes - fri lam - 3 pm, weekends 8 am - 3 pm • 3 blocks n. of 9 mile, e. side of inoodulard •SCRUMPTIOUS APPETIZERS •DELECTABLE HOT DINNERS •FABULOUS PARTY TRAYS •TANTALIZING DESSERTS 6646 TELEGRAPH • AT MAPLE • BLOOMFIELD PLAZ ay 5:30 - 9:30 day 5:30-10:30 S unday 12.: . 00-9 30 Sundaibrunch fro Not good with any other offer exp 6noio2 jikitManle 17546 WOodward Ave. (2 bibcics nOith of McNichols) Detroit (31) 865-033i Enler rear a Wel parking 5/31 2002 79