Go Greek, Sandler Soars, the Rogens--Great Team

“The Odyssey” opens on July 17. It is another telling of the famous ancient Greek story or poem written by Homer.  “The Odyssey”  followed “The  Iliad”. “The  Iliad” is about the story of Greek warriors who attack the city of Troy to rescue Helen, a Greek queen. She was taken to Troy (“kidnapped”, the poem says).

In the “Iliad”, Helen is returned to her spouse, King Menelaus of Sparta. In the Odyssey, Helen and Menelaus seem to reconcile their lives (JON BERNTHAL, 49, plays Menelaus in “The Odyssey”.   Also, in this film is BENNY SAFDIE, 40. He plays Agamemnon, the brother of Menelaus and the commander of the Greeks.)

“The Odyssey” follows the struggles of Odysseus, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca. After the Trojan war, he had to travel for ten years until he returned home. He has many encounters with enemies, human—and mythical beings. Meanwhile, his wife, Penelope, cleverly does everything to turn-down marriage suitors.

Matt Damon plays Odysseus, and Anne Hathaway plays Penelope. Christopher Nolan directed the film and he wrote the screenplay. It’s his first film since “Oppenheimer” (2023), a smash hit film.

You probably heard that the very popular singer Taylor Swift married Travis Kelce, a “star” Kansas City Chiefs football player, on July 3rd at Madison Square Garden.

ADAM SANDLER, 59, a friend of the couple, received “a wedding officiant” license from the State of New York (an officiant license is a “common thing” in most states). Sandler legally presided over the Swift/Kelce wedding.

Sandler’s officiant role at this “mega-wedding” led the Jewish Telegraph Agency (JTA) and the Jewish Chronicle (U.K.)  to note, on July 4, just about every Jewish detail about Sandler—anti-Semitism during his childhood; his Jewish acting roles, his support of Israel and attacks on Sandler’s support of Israel, and much more.

Very few non-Jews read these sources. On the other hand, I am sure that literally millions have heard, or read, accounts of Sandler’s advice to Swift and Kelce while he presided over their wedding.

On July 5, the Kansas City football chief coach “spilled the beans”. He told the press that he heard Sandler’s advice. Here’s what the coach relayed: “Keep kissing, [Sandler said]…“In its simplest form…it’s hard to argue when you give your wife a kiss or your wife gives you a kiss. And make sure to do it every day.”

Sandler’s genuine, from-his-heart advice helps him remain very popular. Most Americans like Sandler and most have barely heard that Sandler is Jewish--and they won’t know all that “JTA stuff”.

American Jews, to some extent, still live in two worlds.

In my last column, I noted that SETH ROGEN, 44, is the star lead actor in “The Studio”, an Apple+ series. I also noted that he is also the series director, co-producer, and co-writer. Starting around 2014, Rogen has been involved in so many film/TV areas that I can’t relay all of them here.

But there is one very special area: Alzheimer’s disease. Seth Rogen met LAUREN MILLER, now 43, in 2004.  (They were “steadies”, and then in 2011, they married.  Lauren is now Lauren Miller Rogen.) A year ago, Seth and Lauren were guests on the podcast “IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson”. They were interviewed about how the couple came to be Alzheimer’s disease advocates and what they have done as advocates.

Lauren told how her mother, ADELE, a schoolteacher, began showing signs of Alzheimer’s in her early ‘50s. She was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s at 55. She was 59 when she died. Lauren added that the disease has affected other maternal relatives.

Starting in 2011, Seth and Lauren have done just about anything they can do to help. They founded the “Hilarity for Charity” organization (in 2012) to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s and to fund support for affected families.

In 2024, they produced “Taking Care”, a 38-minute documentary about Alzheimer’s. It can be seen on Apple+, Prime, and Fuse.

They produced an animated film entitled “Tangles”. (Top actors provide character voices).  “Tangles” just premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and got “raves”. It is based on a memoir by SARAH LEAVITT (her mother died of Alzheimer’s).

And for something else: Lauren Miller Rogen just completed “Babies”. “Babies” is the 2nd ‘entertainment’ film she has written and directed. Back in 2018, she directed and wrote “Like Father”, a Netflix comedy-drama. (Reviews were so/so).

I think “Babies” has a much better plot and I hope it will be a hit. Seth Rogen has a co-star acting role.