It’s Purim once again! Time for hamantaschen, costume parties, and a retelling of the story of Esther. But it can also be time for a new annual tradition: watching “For Your Consideration,” Christopher Guest’s 2006 comedy about the drama surrounding the making of the fictional movie “Home For Purim.”
If you’re a fan of Guest’s other comedic work, like “Waiting for Guffman” or “Best in Show,” this film is a must-see, especially for its satire of Hollywood and awards season. With the Oscars just wrapped up, what better way to celebrate Purim than by watching this movie? (Bonus points if you dress as one of the characters for a Purim party).
A film about a film
“For Your Consideration” opens with Marilyn Hack (Catherine O’Hara), a seasoned but relatively unknown actress, heading to set for “Home for Purim,” where she plays the dying matriarch, Esther. Apart from a starring role in the 1989 film “Song For Rubin” as Imogen the blind prostitute, Marilyn has largely remained under the radar. But when she learns of an internet rumor suggesting she might get an Oscar nomination for her role, she and the rest of the cast become consumed by the possibility of Hollywood recognition.
The main cast of “For Your Consideration” is made up of typical actor archetypes: Callie Webb (Parker Posey), a comedian with a one-woman show called “No Penis Intended,” now playing Marilyn’s daughter Rachel; Brian Chubb (Christopher Moynihan), Callie’s boyfriend, is level-headed but serious actor who meticulously crafts a backstory for his character, Shmuel; Victor Allan Miller (Harry Shearer), a Broadway veteran most well-known as a footlong weiner mascot in hot dog commercials, plays the patriarch David; and Mary Pat (Rachael Harris) is a method actress who was trained by a famous European and insists on being called by her character’s name even during breaks.
“For Your Consideration” also stars comedic powerhouses like Jewish actor Eugene Levy, Jane Lynch, Sandra Oh, and John Krasin
As the Purim story is one about greed and power (along with antisemitism), the film cleverly mirrors this with the actors’ escalating egos as they chase fame and stir conflict on set. While Marilyn is the first to get Oscar buzz, Victor is next, followed by Callie (who claims she “doesn’t act for trophies”). But when Brian doesn’t get the same reception, Callie tells him he “doesn’t get it,” and, believing they are on different paths, ultimately breaks up with him. After the film wraps, Marilyn, Callie, and Victor embark on a relentless press tour in an attempt to nab their respective nominations. Ironically, the only one who gets an actual Oscar nod is Brian, who sleeps through the announcement.
In this way, “For Your Consideration” pays tribute to actors and serves as a reminder of the barriers of show business, similar to “La La Land.” After the film’s success wears off, the three non-nominees go back to business as usual, with Marilyn teaching acting, Victor selling products on a shopping channel, and Callie reviving her one-woman show.
The stereotype of Jews in Hollywood
While the film primarily focuses on its actors, the ensemble of behind-the-camera talent offers another layer of satire on filmmaking. Guest plays director Jay Berman, whose eccentric style and often contradictory directions makes him difficult to work with (in one scene, he demands the lighting guy Simon make it brighter. “It’s a sports stadium is what it is now,” Simon tells him). Jay’s muddled vision includes instructing actors to throw the scripts on the ground mid-scene (much to the chagrin of the screenwriters) and requesting the cinematographers do an “extreme close-up of the kugel” in one scene.
The rest of the crew is equally clueless, including producer Whitney (Jennifer Coolidge) and publicist Corey (John Michael Higgins), who struggle with navigating how the film should be marketed. Meanwhile, the studio executives have their own agenda, urging the filmmakers to “tone down some of the themes.” Specifically, “the Jewishness.”
“Have it there, but don’t shove it down people’s throats,” insists an executive (played by Ricky Gervais). Their solution? A title change from “Home for Purim” to the far more generic “Home for Thanksgiving.”
Purim itself is one of the more underrepresented Jewish holidays, and throughout the film, the characters constantly mispronounce its name. This running joke serves as a gentle reminder of both the antisemitism Jews still face today and the importance of accurate Jewish representation in Hollywood. While the antisemitic stereotype of Jews “running Hollywood” persists, the film’s title change suggests a deeper issue: not just an unwillingness to highlight Jewish identity but an outright rejection of it by mainstream audiences.
“Home For Purim” as a film
As a fictional movie, “Home for Purim” is a dramatic period piece blending the Southern gothic genre with the melodrama of a Bette Davis or Joan Crawford film. When Esther is diagnosed with a terminal illness, the Pischer family reunites at Purim to say goodbye. Esther’s son Shmuel returns from the navy while her daughter, Rachel, comes home after 12 years with her girlfriend, Mary Pat Hooligan. Esther and Rachel had a falling out, which we later learn was due to the family’s inability to accept their daughter’s sexuality. But with so little time left, the two forgive each other and celebrate a final Purim together at the table with groggers and singing.
“What is it about Purim that is so special to you, mama?” Rachel asks.
In a drawn-out monologue, Esther responds: “I’m an Esther, like the queen. She was a woman who came from the worst of times to the best. To a palace where she had everything she wanted: comfort, riches, power — and she risked it all, including her life, to serve a higher purpose, commit a selfless act, to save a nation. Your daddy was my king, this house my palace, and my selfless act was to protect my family from the Hamans. […] Only now do I realize the irony, that my selfless act was indeed a selfish one. ‘Cause the Haman I was trying to protect you from, Rachel, turned out to be me.”
This is just one of the many over-the-top but deeply Jewish lines this fictional movie provides, many of which are in Yiddish. Some of my favorites include:
- “Your mama was so happy to see you today. I know she couldn’t show it, but she was kvelling in her own way.”
- “Was that Rachel’s voice I heard? Or am I just going mashugana?”
- “What kind of girl doesn’t want to meet a nice fella? I only invited the best ones over, the ones whose daddies were professionals. There wasn’t a nebbish in the group.”
Read more: Which Esther movie should I watch for Purim?
Though we only glimpse a few scenes from “Home for Purim,” the story itself parodies old Hollywood melodramas from the 1940s, while also appearing as a made-for-Oscar-season movie. In fact, the film faces stiff competition from other dramas of that year, including the epic “Pride of Plymouth Rock.” But what makes “Home for Purim” different is its willingness to focus on a lesbian love story in the context of a Southern Jewish family celebrating Purim. Against all odds, the film stands out, a fact that Oscar voters see in the movie through nominating Brian.
It’s unfortunate that “Home for Purim” isn’t a real film, but alas, “For Your Consideration” is a reminder that maybe, just maybe, we could use a Purim film that isn’t just about Esther. Maybe, just maybe, we deserve to see other Jewish characters stepping into Esther’s shoes, taking up space on the silver screen.
