Lancoor A very feeble attempt at affirmatie action

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Allissa .Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

talisencrw Previously I had really enjoyed Donna Deitch's earlier lesbian romance period piece, 'Desert Hearts', and I had found Kirsten Dunst and Brittany Murphy amazing in 'Melancholia' and 'Sin City' respectively, but a TV-movie utilizing time-travel as a plot device for a spoiled Jewish teenager to come to grips with her heritage seemed quite a bold and intriguing cinematic experiment, not to mention being an entirely different can of worms than ever I've been privy to watching. Even though personally I have as little to do with Jewish customs as lesbian issues, like Deitch's earlier work, I was able to appreciate it, though I still prefer her earlier film, if I was held at gunpoint and had to rank the two.It's a crying shame, looking at Deitch's IMDb page, that this talented San Francisco native, now 71, has been relegated to basically doing TV episodes since this came out.

Honors English Thorpe/West (Second Hour's Review) "The Devil's Arithmetic" is heart-racing, historical fiction, stomach churning, and completely sorrowful movie. The movie, released in 1999, stars Kirsten Dunst as Hannah. Who is portrayed as a modern, city-girl who doesn't want to learn about her cultural history until she is forced. Director Donna Deitch does a phenomenal job exploring the plot in an emotional way. Hannah's experience starts by being taken from her Aunt Eva's, played by Louise Fletcher, Seder dinner and transferred back to the beginning of the Holocaust. Along the way she meets Rivkah, played by Brittany Murphy, and many others that help her get back home. For historical fiction, the "Devil's Arithmetic" was wonderful! I would give this film 4 out of 5 stars. I thought that the "Devil's Arithmetic" portrayed the Holocaust very well and very emotionally. The actors chosen for the film did a phenomenal job portraying the characters. The setting was realistic and very detailed. This movie is great at teaching young kids that family and remembering history and your culture is important. I believe that teens and young adults will be able to relate to Hannah's character and her journey. (6th Hour's Review) The holocaust was dreadful, filled with pain and anguish. Jane Yolen is a Jewish author that brought us a thrilling yet sad story, The Devil's Arithmetic, of an ordinary girl remembering the past. Since many of us are way too lazy to sit down and read a book the director took the liberty of making a movie of this fascinating novel.Directed by Donna Deitch, this 1999 filn stars Kirsten Dunst as Hannah Stern, Brittany Murphy as Rivkah, and Louise Fletcher as Aunt Eva. The documentary-like drama follows Hannah Stern, an American teenager who would much rather hang out with her friends then go to her family's Seder dinner, during Passover. She reluctantly comes home late and the family goes to their Aunt Eva's for the celebration. Hannah participates, but is very hesitant to be included in the family's customs. After the traditional dinner and wine drinking, she is chosen to open the door for the prophet Elijah and is transported into another world where she relives the Holocaust as a young Jewish girl in Poland. It is at this time her cousin Rivkah is introduced into the plot and the two experience the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp together. This film was exceptional on many levels. The casting was fantastic! Kristen Dunst and Brittany Murphy really portrayed the characters well. Giving this movie a solid 8 stars, I would recommend that you see it.

davea0511 First of all, remember this is a low-budget made-for-TV show that crams way too much stuff into too little time, suitable for viewing for just about any audience, dealing with the most difficult and harrowing subject matter of the past 100 years through the eyes of a shallow self-centered post-Reagan brat by some cosmic wrinkle in order to set her straight. When you consider all that it's not all that bad and probably a fairly good way to introduce younger children to the subject matter without giving them the nightmares like Schindler's List might do. The weakest performance is that of Kristin Dunst who at times (perhaps more often than not) seems like she's on prozac, and if you can get over that and the simplistic stereotypes then give it a shot. I only wish they had cast someone for the main character who tried harder to connect with her character when she experienced devastating things like being ripped away from her family by time instead of seeming mildly put out - but then part of that was also bad writing due partly I'm sure to time and budget constraints.

Markus Merin (mnirem) Now, I think everyone on the face of the Earth with an age over 4 and an IQ over 50 knows something or other about the Holocaust. We've seen movies, we've read books, and if you're like me, spent several hours rotting in front of a screen watching the history channel. It's a horrorsome and scary premise that with interest and disgust anyone.Now, just because a movie follows such a premise as this, does this make it good? The answer, in so many words, is no. Quite honestly, this movie wasn't even trying. The actors were laughable and the scenery and costumes looked fake. They put no effort into this movie. It's a horrible adaption to a rather interesting and well done book. This movie is simply trying for tears by choosing a topic that people cry at and hope it's enough to keep people interested.Don't say that I'm an anti-semite or don't care about the holocaust, because it's simply not true, I'm Jewish and easily moved emotionally. The fact is there are far superior movies about this. Life is Beautiful. Schindler's List. The Pianist. This movies Isn't even close to something so great. For crying out loud, the 'Springtime for Hitler' sequence from the Producers was a more accurate portrayal of what happened in this time period, and it never even mentioned The Holocaust!