Netflix’s You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah Director Says Working With Adam Sandler’s Family Was “Magic”

Adam Sandler’s newest movie is the definition of a family affair. The Sandman produced and co-starred in Netflix’s new teen dramedy, You Are So Not Coming to My Bat Mitzvah, which debuted on Netflix at the end of last week. The film also stars both of Sandler’s daughters — Sunny and Sadie — as well his wife, Jackie Sandler. Everyone in the Sandler family was involved in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, making for a unique experience on set for everyone involved.

During a recent interview with EW, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah director Sammi Cohen opened up about the “magic” that came from working alongside the entire Sandler crew.

“It’s kind of this magic. I don’t think I’ll ever experience something quite like this [again],” Cohen said. “It’s almost surreal because, first off, the Sandlers just made me a part of the family. I never felt like the outsider, I never felt like a guest. And what’s incredible to watch is they do that with community. I think community and family are such pillars of being a Jewish person, and the Sandlers have this way of really making everyone feel like family and feel at home. And there’s this sense of ease and show up as you are. When you feel like you’re around family, you can just be more yourself. And that, I think, elicits just funnier jokes and there’s less of a filter on everything. You can kind of just drop your shoulders and relax and have fun.”

Cohen went on to say that all four Sandlers are among the hardest-working people around, making the experience one that fostered creativity and a good work ethic from everyone.

“Adam is doing everything right. He’s producing, he’s acting, he’s being a dad. The whole family — him, the girls, Jackie — they’re all really talented and they are the most hardworking group of people I think I’ve ever met,” she continued. “And Sadie and Sunny in particular were really interested in the filmmaking…. The cast of kids as a whole, some of them want to be writers and directors, and that was just a fun thing too, to see and help foster that kind of creative itch as well.”

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah is based on the novel of the same name by Fiona Rosenbloom, with a script from Alison Peck. The film is now available to stream on Netflix.