Arts & Enter ainment
AT THE MOVIES
What, Meryl? from page 71
encourage patients to have rela-
tionships within their respective
faiths. It's easier. I encourage
them to go to mosque or church
or whatever. I think religion is
paramount in a person's life."
David: "OK, yes. But encourag-
ing them is not discouraging
them. And I know that you draw
the line there. Would you tell
your patient not to date someone
that they don't think they're
going to marry?"
Lisa: "Oh quit asking me what
I tell my patients. They're not my
children."
The Dilemma
Therein lies the dilemma.
Parents teach their children to
love everyone equally, to not dis-
criminate, to help the poor, heal
the sick, defend the weak — but
only date within the faith?
"We can have all sorts of rules in
the world, but when it's our own
children the rules go out the win-
dow',' Streep said. "You know, what's
objectively best is different from
what's subjectively understood to
be the best for your own kids."
In real life, of course, Streep is
not Jewish, and she does not
believe in marrying within the
faith: "I believe in diversity. And
mixing up the DNA — I think it's
very good. I believe in making a
mess in life. And as for my
daughter's husband, I have one
demand: He better be nice!"
Even so, Streep did not find it
difficult to play Lisa.
"I wanted her to be kind of
momish, roundish',' Steep said.
"We picked clothes that were a lit-
tle bit too tight so that everything
looks lumpish. She's nicely
grdomed and everything, but she
doesn't care about the style label
and I'm sure she goes to
Loehmann's and tries to get a bar-
gain. She spends a lot of money on
her jewelry basically [because]
they don't make clothes for
women her age, her size, her style
— that's not what fashion is about
anymore, so you sort of compen-
Playing Streep's Son
1 Suzanne Chessler
I
Special to the Jewish News
B
ryan Greenberg, who plays
David in Prime, wasn't
born in Michigan, but he
has strong Michigan roots. His
mom and dad, Denny (Barsdorf)
and Carl Greenberg, met while
they were students at Wayne
State University and married
before taking psychology jobs
outside the state.
A personal tie to Prime might
Although this will be the first
New York opening that Denny and
Carl Greenberg will be attending,
sate with interesting necklaces:'
Streep said her character has
a universality beyond Judaism:
"At base we all feel the same
things: You want to protect
your kid. You want them to
move out, but you want them
to come around all the time —
I mean you're very conflicted
as a parent and it goes forever."
But Streep also understands
her character's concern about
intermarriage. "When you
marry outside of your religion, In her Upper West Side home, Lisa Metzger (Meryl Streep) discusses
Raft's (Uma Thurman) dating her son.
you set up a whole different
bunch of difficulties and chal-
lenges:'
Although Prime is just a
good as we say it is, why is it
when it comes to dating as well.
movie, and only one man's take
threatening to speak to someone
"If Judaism is so wonderful
on such a heavy topic, perhaps
who isn't Jewish?"
— and it is — then why close
such pop-culture works are a bet-
Said Younger: "It is a great reli-
yourself off?" said the tall, New
ter indicator of the cultural zeit-
gion; it is a great way of life. It
York hipster. "Anyone who
geist than proclamations from on
touches on your daily life in a way
knows me knows it's so
high.
that I haven't seen any other reli-
ingrained, I am Jewish through
Younger believes the Jewish
gion — so why this fear?" he
and throughout, and it's how I
community — the religious com-
said. "Why immediately close off
am, so why not share that with
munity — needs to be more
someone from your world?
someone else?"
open to the "other" in the world,
Maybe they'll love it, too." ❑
He could have been quoting
when it comes to the arts and
the David character: "If it's as
they were at one in Los Angeles.
They went to see the debut of The
Perfect Score and met the other
stars, including Erika Christensen
and Scarlett Johansson.
"Premieres are not quite what
be that the movie has to do with
the analyst mother character por-
trayed by Meryl Streep, but mom
says there's a stronger tie. In the
film, Streep's character stresses
that she wants her son to marry a
Jewish woman, which is what
Denny Greenberg repeats to her
son.
"Bryan told me that when he
went to audition and found out
about this Jewish angle, he said,
'I live this role:" Denny Greenberg
laughs. "I'm very excited that
Bryan got the part and that we
were invited to the premiere"
72
they seem on television" says
Denny Greenberg, who lives in St.
Louis. "The stars come in formal
wear, but others are in business
suits or even jeans. Basically, it's a
chance for people to promote
their product and network with
others."
Bryan, 27, who was born in
Omaha, knew from childhood that
he wanted to be an actor. His par-
ents did not discourage him, but
they encouraged him to take part
in a variety of activities beyond
theater. He started working in his
chosen field when he was a stu-
dent at New York University.
"I wanted him to stay ground-
ed, and encouraged him to get a
good education" says Bryan's
mom, a 1969 Oak Park High
graduate who was active in B'nai
B'rith Girls and lived in the area
until she was 25. "My philosophy
is to expose children to lots of
experiences."
The Greenberg family, with
includes kindergarten teacher
Rebecca, enjoys turning on the
television to see Bryan on many
shows, such as One Tree Hill,
Boston Public, Third Watch and
Law & Order.
"I'm very proud of Bryan:'
Denny Greenberg says. "I also
find this all very surreal."
Rebecca, Carl, Bryan and Denny Greenberg in a recent family photo
October 27 . 2005