You Can Thank Me Later (1998)

In a Catholic hospital, a dysfunctional (with a capital D) Jewish family gathers together during the patriarch's major life threatening surgery. Accusations, anger, tears, deceit, secrets and sex rear their collective heads. If one didn't already know this was based on a play (HYPER ALLERGENIC by Oren Safdie), it's pretty easy to guess that it was. Almost the entire film is set in a hospital room and its corridors with B&W flashbacks with various family members in psychiatric therapy. It's a dramedy though it's more successful with the dramatic aspects than the comedic ones. The family's Jewishness is constantly emphasized (there's even a documentary on the Nazis playing in the background on the TV) and the family brings it up a lot, not to mention the Hebrew song over the end credits. This is in contrast to the Catholic hospital with priests (one of the sons sneaks into a confessional to talk to a priest) and nuns hovering, it's a world where Protestants don't exist! The characters are archetypes and stereotypes which limits the actors and Ellen Burstyn is no more convincing as a Jewish mother here than she was in REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. Two actresses manage to break through though. Genevieve Bujold as the dying man's mistress masquerading as a nun and especially Amanda Plummer (an actress who deserved a better career) who brings an authentic sensitivity and quirky likability as the patronized daughter. The film doesn't work but you can't look away. Directed by Shimon Dotan. With Mary McDonnell, Ted Levine (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS), Mark Blum, Jacob Tierney and Roc LaFortune.