Themes: Family Gatherings, Eccentric Families, Fathers and Sons
Main Cast: Michael Lerner, Lesley Ann Warren, Ben Feldman, Shiri Appleby, Adam Lamberg
Release Year: 2005
Country: US
Run Time: 86 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
An old-fashioned Jewish father vows to bring his stubborn family together after being slipped a dose of ecstasy during the annual Passover celebration in director Salvador Litvak's psychedelic Seder comedy. Family patriarch Ira Stuckman (Michael Lerner) has taken a few tips from his hard-nosed father, Arthur (Jack Klugman), when it comes to matters of the family. A strict disciplinarian with little tolerance for tomfoolery, stubborn Ira is insistent that the whole family come together for the Seder feast despite their lingering disagreements. When Ira's son, Zeke (Ben Feldman), drops a hit of ecstasy into his father's meal in hopes of opening the old man's eyes up to a "new perspective," the once curmudgeonly father turns suddenly touchy-feely before insisting upon on ushering in a new era of forgiveness among the notoriously disagreeable clan. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
When Do We Eat? is the story of a dysfunctional Jewish family's Passover Seder. This is the family's first Seder in three years and the tension is high. Before the Seder, Zeke (Ben Feldman) slips his father (Michael Lerner) a tab of ecstasy. As the night continues, the family releases secrets that cause fights but bring them closer in the end.
Characters
Ira - The father of the family. Ira manufactures and distributes Christmas ornaments for a living.
Peggy - A stay-at-home mother. Raises money for autism awareness.
Artur - Ira's father and a survivor of the Holocaust. Artur carries a suitcase wherever he goes in case the Nazis come and he has to run.