Sophia Michaels
“We got to do the real-life bat mitzvah and then left to make the movie.”
Speaking with People shortly after the film premiered on Aug. 25, Director Sammi Cohen reflected on what it was like for the cast and crew to jump from witnessing a real-life coming-of-age moment to capturing the experience on film. “What’s really funny is right before we started prepping for the film, Sunny had her actual bat mitzvah,” Cohen said of Sunny’s big day. “So I went to that service, and we got to do the real-life bat mitzvah and then left to make the movie. It was a really fun life movie moment.”
While Cohen didn’t share details about the 14-year-old’s party, they said it “felt equally as fun as the parties you see [in the film].” “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah” features a range of themed parties, complete with candy buffets, live DJs, and over-the-top decor. “It was really, really fun,” Cohen said. “And it was, again, it was just such a perfect moment of life meets movie. It was just magical.”
Sandler’s daughters have joined him on the red carpet in the past and even made cameos in his films, including “Jack and Jill,” “Grown Ups,” and “Pixels.” “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah” also marks the latest time the whole family have been on the call sheet: his wife, Jackie Sandler, appears in the film as Lydia’s mom, Gabi Rodriguez Katz. The whole family also starred in Sandler’s seasonal film “Hubie Halloween” in 2020. It’s unclear whether Sandler’s daughters plan to pursue acting full-time in the future. The fact that Sunny’s real-life bat mitzvah took place shortly before the movie, however, makes it one the entire Sandler family are sure to remember for years to come.
