Triplex Screens 'A Real Pain'

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Triplex Cinema announced a special screening of the critically acclaimed film "A Real Pain," which includes a discussion about the film with Hevreh Synagogue Senior Rabbi Jodie Gordon.

The discussion and screening will take place at 7:30 pm on Dec. 12 and tickets can be purchased at thetriplex.org.

Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, "A Real Pain" tells the story of mismatched Jewish cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) who reunite for a guided tour through Poland to honor their beloved and recently deceased grandmother. 

According to a press release:

Released in November 2024 to great critical acclaim, "A Real Pain" has been a hit with audiences everywhere and is predicted to be a leading contender as awards season gets underway. In a starred review in the New York Times, Manohla Dargis wrote: "Jesse Eisenberg races straight into life's stubborn untidiness in ‘A Real Pain,' a finely tuned, melancholic and at times startlingly funny exploration of loss and belonging." Writing in Variety Magazine, Owen Gleiberman wrote: "Culkin, for all his crack timing, is not giving a ‘comedy' performance. He's doing a sensational piece of acting as a compulsive wiseacre addicted to the ways of one-upmanship…. [T]he movie, which Eisenberg has scripted with an ear for the music of ideas and contrasting voices, presents the story of these two cousins – how they interact, what they mean to each other, how their past intersects with the present – in a way that's so supple you can touch their reality."

Senior Rabbi Jodie Gordon came to Hevreh in Great Barrington in 2014. A graduate of The University of Wisconsin and Brandeis University, Rabbi Gordon has long ties to the Berkshires through her time at URJ Eisner Camp.  Rabbi Gordon is an active part of the community as a board member of Construct Inc. and is also involved in other local organizations.

Nicki Wilson, President of the Triplex Board of Directors, said: "Our community has already had an amazingly enthusiastic response to ‘A Real Pain,' and we cannot wait to hear what Rabbi Gordon says about this moving, beautiful and timely film."

 

 

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Reps. Leigh Davis, Bud Williams Filing Legislation Honoring Freeman

SHEFFIELD, Mass. — State Reps. Leigh Davis of the 3rd Berkshire District and Bud L. Williams, of the 11th Hampden District, are filing legislation establishing Aug. 22 as Elizabeth Freeman Day of Equality, Healing, and Remembrance in the commonwealth.
 
The legislation would direct the governor to annually issue a proclamation recognizing the courageous contributions of Elizabeth Freeman, an enslaved Black woman known as Mum Bett, whose landmark freedom suit helped spark the legal end of slavery in Massachusetts.
 
"Elizabeth Freeman's story began here in the Berkshires, but its impact reached every corner of the commonwealth," said Davis. "More than two centuries later, her legacy continues to inspire us. Establishing Elizabeth Freeman Day will ensure that future generations learn not only about her extraordinary bravery, but also about the power of one person to change the course of history."
 
In 1781, Freeman, of Sheffield at the time, challenged the institution of slavery by filing suit against her enslaver, Col. John Ashley. In the landmark case Brom and Bett v. Ashley, a Berkshire County jury ruled in favor of Freeman and her fellow plaintiff, Brom, granting them their freedom. The case demonstrated the power of the Massachusetts Constitution's declaration that all people are born free and equal and helped pave the way for the Quock Walker decisions that ultimately ended slavery in the commonwealth. 
 
"Freeman's courage changed the course of history in Massachusetts," said Williams. "At a time when the odds were stacked against her, she stood up and demanded that the promises of liberty and equality contained in our Constitution apply to her as well. She risked everything to challenge an unjust system, and her victory helped lay the foundation for the end of slavery in our commonwealth. Her legacy deserves to be recognized and remembered by every resident of Massachusetts."
 
Although unable to read or write, Freeman understood the meaning of freedom and equality and took extraordinary action to secure those rights for herself and others. Her story remains one of the most powerful examples of individual courage in the face of injustice. 
 
Elizabeth Freeman Day will provide an opportunity for reflection, education, healing, and remembrance, said Williams. 
 
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