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IN CONCERT
Tuesday, December 6
7 p.m.
Adat Shalom Synagogue
Richard Gere as Jewish academic Saul Naumann and Flora Cross as
his daughter Eliza in Bee Season
Gyllenhaal recalled. "But I also
associated Judaism with an intel-
lectual tradition and acts of social
justice.
"My problem with religion in
general has to do with people's fail-
ure to understand that we're all
reaching for the same thing."
Though Gyllenhaal can't say that
working on Bee Season has
brought her closer to Judaism, she
does have a newfound respect for
Kabbalah.
"I'm not the type to wear a red
string around my wrist, but I
appreciated what I learned. It's
similar to what I understand about
Buddhism," she said. "The themes
are the same for anyone on a spiri-
tual search!'
Lead actor Gere, a practicing
Buddhist for some 30 years, also
likened the movie's spiritual
aspects to Buddhism. For the
movie, his character, the father, has
been changed from a synagogue
cantor to a religious studies profes-
sor. Still, the actor decided that
extensive religious preparation was
in order, during which he felt like
he "spoke to every rabbi in
America."
Regarding kabbalistic teachings,
he added: "The more I learned, the
more interesting I found it."
Devoted Mom
Gyllenhaal hadn't expected to
end up a screenwriter. With an
English degree from Barnard
College and a master's in develop-
mental psychology from Columbia
University, Gyllenhaal initially
thought she would work in politics
or as a journalist.
Instead, she accepted a produc-
tion job at Children's Television
Workshop and worked on shows
such as Sesame Street and Electric
Company. The experience "taught
me a lot about writing and how to
reach a particular audience she
said.
After relocating to Los Angeles
jrNi
November 17 2005
with her director husband Stephen
and pursuing a career as a screen-
writer, Gyllenhaal has consistently
been drawn to "stories about fami-
lies in extreme circumstances. It's
my own issue, as I've always been
looking at the effects of parenting
on children',' she said.
"But it's also the world's issue.
Political struggles are so often larg-
er-scale family feuds."
As a mother, Gyllenhaal says
she's done her best not to be like
Saul in Bee Season and steered
clear of becoming "a pushy stage
mother.
"I didn't want my children act-
ing, even when they were in high
school," she said of 27-year-old
Maggie and 24-year-old Jake. "I
wanted them to wait, to be old
enough to make the decision for
themselves. In my house, they
learned that the [movie] process
wasn't glamorous."
Gyllenhaal attributes the deci-
sion to stay home with her chil-
dren as one reason why years
passed between screenwriting
gigs. She credits her role as an
adviser for the Sundance Film
Festival with "reminding me that
I'm in this because I want to tell
good stories."
She has just completed a new
screenplay about Grace
Metalious, the author of Peyton
Place. She's also working on a
new script about the 19th century
feminist Victoria Woodhull and
hopes to branch into directing.
As for Bee Season, Gyllenhaal
hopes that "people will come
away thinking about it and for-
giving what isn't perfect.
"Perfect things are boring',' she
said. "Our children aren't perfect
and we love them. That's how I
feel about this movie."
with SHERE
The LeeVees
Guster's Adam Gardner
and the Zambonis'
Dave Schneider
have put together
a new album of
songs called
"Hanukkah Rocks."
$15 general public
$10 religious school students and members of Jewish youth organizations
$25 patron ticket (includes meet-and-greet with the band)
Tickets are available at Adat Shalom during weekday business hours
and on Sunday mornings.
For information, call 248-851-5100 or visit www.adatshalom.org.
1048140
FROM THE ACCLAIMED NOVEL
COMES THE FIRST EXTRAORDINARY
FILM FOR THE HOLIDAYS
'OURNEY
Mica
' go Sun-Times;
ASTONISHINGLY GOOD...
INTELLIGENT UNUSUAL,
CHALLENGING,
THOUGHTFUL."
ROGER EBERT
MAGINATION
richard gere juliette binoche
Bee Season
❑
Bee Season, rated PG-13, is
scheduled to open Friday,
Nov. 18, at the Uptown
Birmingham 8. Check your
local movie listings.
-ay"
(PG 13
FAALCLILF±SLY
www.foxsearchlight.com
EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT
STARTS FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18
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RELEASED BY 1N1ENTIER1 CORRY FOX
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