Adam Sandler’s dad jokes finally seem to hit that much harder now that he is tackling what seems to be his most personal role yet. The role of a father to his own real life daughters, Sunny and Sadie. Based on the book of the same name by author Fiona Rosenbloom, You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah (2023) is directed by Sammi Cohen and follows Stacy Friedman as she plans her Bat Mitzvah, the coming-of-age ceremony for Jewish girls. Starring Sunny Sandler as Stacy, alongside her older sister Sadie Sandler and their father Adam Sandler, the family’s real life chemistry, portraying the novel’s believable and relatable family You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah is sure to become a staple in the repertoire of coming of age films that will define this current generation of tweens and young teenagers.

You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah (2023) follows Stacy Friedman as she prepares to turn thirteen and plans her bat mitzvah. When she faces an embarrassing moment in front of her classmates and crush, loyalties will be tested between friends when said crush pursues other girls and teen jealousy ensues. Faced with struggles in her friendships, while also dealing with new feelings towards boys and her peers, Stacy must begin to figure out who she is and what matters to her as she takes the next steps into becoming a woman.

Free of too many cliche “Sandler-isms” the comedy in You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah is refreshing and finds a perfect balance between jokes for children and more suggestive quips for tweens, young teenagers, and adults alike. The film seems to completely understand its audience, both the young girls coming of age in 7th and 8th grade, and the parents who will inevitably sit down with their children to watch the film. With a cliche story and predictable ending, as most coming-of-age stories for tweens follow, Adam Sandler’s recognizable comedy and chemistry between the family, combined with a unique perspective of a Jewish family experiencing a coming-of-age make this film stand out from some others. It is through its unique point of view, the coming of age of a Jewish girl preparing for her Bat Mitzvah, that the film is set apart from other films of its kind.

While the film can be enjoyed by all, experiences unique to a young jewish family will likely be more understood by viewers who have specifically experienced Jewish Culture. Although the main plot point of the film relates to being Jewish, as well as the film containing many jokes that specifically relate to Jewish Culture, It is Stacy’s experience as a young girl coming-of-age that is relatable to all. Stacy’s experience as she grows up with her friends and faces all kinds of troubles in figuring out who she is, is one that is recognizable to every viewer, especially young girls, no matter what their background is. For the young Jewish girls, You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah provides them with new and refreshing representation of themselves on screen, and all the tribulations that come in the time surrounding becoming a woman.

Adam Sandler, like in many of his recent films, seems to be playing an embellished version of himself, getting away with his dad humour by quite literally playing the father of his two real life daughters. Unfortunately for fans of Sandler, he takes a step back in this film, letting the new generation take the lead. The real standout of the film is Sunny Sandler, as Stacy Friedman, the girl whose Bat Mitzvah you are so not invited to. Existing in a world full of discussions and harsh opinions on the nepotism baby, her ease on camera and ability to articulate the very real anxieties of that every girl, Jewish or not, experiences in 7th grade. Supported by many other strong child performances, it will be a joy to see what Sunny Sandler does next, hopefully outside of the confines of the Sandler universe.

Sammi Cohen’s You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah (2023), the latest addition to the Happy Madison family of films, hits a soft spot for any girl who struggles to find her true friends and true self at 13 years old. Moreover, this film will be important for the young Jewish girls, coming of age and planning their own Bat Mitzvah, as exuberant as Stacy Friedman’s or not, seeing their own unique experiences reflected on the big screen. Sure, the story is cliche, often cringe-inducing, and still a very obvious SandlerxNetflix Production. But although never free of the often cringey jokes of this Sandler universe, they seem to work in this family story, as does the reflection of the real life chemistry between the Sandler family throughout the film. Sunny Sandler shines in leading this film, leaving viewers excited for what the Sandler family will tackle next.

You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah (2023) is out now on Netflix in Canada.