Hester Street is a 1975 American independent drama film adapted from the 1896 novella Yekl by Abraham Cahan, written and directed by Joan Micklin Silver and starring Steven Keats and Carol Kane.
Jake, formerly Yankel (Keats), is a Jewish immigrant to the Lower East Side who has assimilated to American culture and works at a factory. He begins a relationship with Mamie (Dorrie Kavanaugh), a Polish dance girl. Reality comes crashing down, however, when he loses his father, and he decides to bring his wife and child to New York.
Jake's wife, Gitl (Kane), is a shy traditionalist who is unsure of her new life and her husband's changes. The household also has an extra member, Bernstein (Mel Howard), a bookish, similarly traditionalist workmate who Jake loves to tease, but when Mamie discovers Jake's family, it's only a matter of time before Gitl finds out and ends the marriage, leading to a happy ending for her.
In spite of its low budget and niche subject matter, the film was a smash hit, earning $5 million at the box office, and Carol Kane received a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her performance. Doris Roberts appears as Jake and Gitl's neighbor Mrs. Kavarsky.
This work contains examples of the following tropes:
- Adaptational Alternate Ending:
- In the original 1896 novella Yekl, Jake and Gitl are divorced but while Gitl is going through all the emotions, she is crying in joy for her new start, but Jake while on the Streetcar with Mamie going to get married is unsure and is doubting his desires.
- The film has Jake and Mamie questioning their working to restore the cash they have lost, while Gitl has the last minutes with Bernstein and Joey talking about the shop they shall have.
- Adaptation Expansion: While in the original story was focused more on Jake, Gitl and Joey appear a quarter of the way though, the movie has the pair appearing 10 minutes in with Gitl fleshed out.
- Adaptational Jerkass: Jake for sure, he mocks the idea of brain over brawn, he cuts Yossle’s Payiot much to the tearful pleas of Gitl, he forces her to call her son Joey and treats her poorly for wearing Sheitels and Headress and when confronted by Mrs Kavarsky refuses to take the blame.
- Berserk Button: Jake, when he sees Gitl's new hairdo. Mrs. Kavarsky can't understand why he would complain, but she realises it's about Mamie.
- Butt-Monkey: Poor Bernstein, everytime Jake needs to feel better he goes for him, he reveals to Gitl that he is faster than his bookish friend and he tells Bernstein to find a wife from the matchmaker, the fact the poor man takes it is why Gitl goes for him.
- Cannot Talk to Women: Bernstein that’s why he’s single he’s shy and would rather hide his feelings in study. He admits to Git his lack of courage she helps him out.
- Costume Porn: Despite the characters being working class they dress well and it doesn’t matter that the film is black and white, the detail comes though.
- Deconfirmed Bachelor: Bernstein he was about to pick up and leave when he confesses to Gitl his feelings and she symbolly returns his love by unpacking his books.
- Deliberately Monochrome: The film is shot in black and white.
- Facial Dialogue: Carol Kane as Gitl is visually expressive, like a silent movie actress, when she doesn’t speak, she is thinking and thus we see her at one moment sadder than the other interested.
- A Fool and His New Money Are Soon Parted: Jake, he thinks he’s going to open a Dancing School with Mamie only for Gitl to take it as an agreement for the Get she and Bernstein will open a shop from it.
- Friendship as Courtship: Gitl and Bernstein no question.
- Fun with Subtitles: Since half of the movie is in Yiddish, it seems right that there are subtitles.
- Game Face: Gitl when she is making a deal with Mamie’s Lawyer she does well from it.
- Gossipy Hens: Mrs. Kavarsky and the Rabbi’s Wife, after the Get about Gitl's plans to marry Bernstein.
- Hairstyle Malfunction: Coming home Jake is told by Kavarshy to go upstairs before the others, Gitl has curls, he snaps and pulls her hair only to painfully realize it’s not her Shitel.
- Jewish Mother: While Gitl isn't, Mrs. Kavarsky is; she is blunt, very protective of Gitl, and pokes her nose in everything in the nicest way possible.
- Last-Minute Hookup: Jake goes to a prostitute, it’s clear she knows him and has been busy but she fits him in Her name in the credits is ‘’Fanny’’.
- Little Known Facts: This film displays plenty of these, the best of which is the Get, a traditional Jewish divorce, which is a surprise to non-Jewish people and the way it's presented is very simple.
- Longing Look: There’s a couple, there’s Jake and Mamie, Gitl and Bernstein especially when at the picnic and Jake looks at Gitl at the Get.
- Loan Shark: Mamie when she discovers that Jake used the money she loaned him to bring the family nobody knew, she threatens to expose the affair to Gitl of course it’s revealed by Jake’s friend she has plenty and does it to Jake out of love.
- Love Potion: Gitl tries to get one from a peddler.
- No Doubt the Years Have Changed Me: At Ellis Island, Gitl is shocked at how Jake has changed his appearance and demeanor, shaving the beard he had and being harsh to his old country family.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: Poor Gitl suffers from this, but at least she gets through it.
- Oops! I Forgot I Was Married: Jake surprises Bernstein with it and Mamie finds out when she feels betrayed.
- Period Piece: For a low-budget film, the accuracy is amazing and the detail is almost a document for Jewish American immigrant life.
- Returning the Wedding Ring: The Get is done as a reverse wedding, there is a Rabbi with witnesses, the divorcing couple acknowledge that they came on their free will and Gitl removes her ring as Jake gives her the divorce document like a ring with vows. After which, Jake is free to marry straight away and Gitl has to wait about three months.
- Remarried to the Mistress: Jake to Mamie and while they are poorer for it, they do plan to get back the money they lose to Gitl.
- Your Tradition Is Not Mine: Gitl still tries to follow her Eastern European self, she still gives Joey salt in his pockets and covers her hair, while she does Assimilated she is faithful to the old ways and ends the film with Bernstein another traditionalist.
