Sheepshead Bay’s Budding Writer/Directer On ‘How I Became That Jewish Guy’

What kind of film do you get when Sheepshead Bay is your muse? That seems to be the question answered by budding writer/director Matthew Cade, who just completed a comedy movie inspired by his dysfunctional childhood in Sheepshead Bay. The plot centers around a struggling actor, played by Cade, who has landed an opportunity to appear as “That Jewish guy” on a reality TV show. But in order to get the part, he has to prove to the producers his family is ready for television. The film, called “How I Became That Jewish Guy,” is loosely based on Cade’s experience as a struggling actor and his colorful, secular Jewish family in Sheepshead Bay. The movie premiers on November 25 at 9pm in the Anthology Film Archives, located at 32 Second Avenue in Manhattan. Tickets are available at the box office on the day of the show.

I spoke with Cade about how he crafted the script, what parts of his life made it into the movie, and what topics and scenes he slipped into the film that only people from Sheepshead Bay could truly understand.

Sheepshead Bites: What was the inspiration for this film?

Matthew Cade: Probably the main inspiration would come from my childhood. My family had these loud, energetic passovers, where we didn’t really follow all the rules. There would be a lot of laughter in our crowded apartment. And a lot of things that would sort of go against the traditions. We would start eating when we’re not supposed to be eating, or we would not wash our hands when we were supposed to wash our hands. And we’d just do everything wrong. And it just made me realize there are probably a lot of other people who go through this: Who are Jewish but don’t on a day-to-day basis follow the religion to that point.

The other thing that inspired me is that I was a struggling actor for a long time. So the main character, who I play in the film, is a struggling actor. There’s so many setbacks, with agents and trying to get a certain part, and that sort of stayed in my mind. So I wrote a movie about a non-religious Jew who is a struggling actor and his family has a big influence on his life.

I originally wrote it as a play. At least parts of it. And I started to realize that it would work better as a film. I just kind of adapted it at that point to make it a feature.

You said this was originally going to be a play. At what point did you realize it would be better as a film and why?

At the beginning, it really just revolved around the dinner table. And I started to realize the characters were pretty funny. And I wanted to expand it beyond the dinner table and see where else they go. And then it went from there.

The story changed a lot as I was putting it together. I started to realize that a lot of it was about people in Sheepshead Bay and all the different, unique characters. The crazy characters. It just kind of brought to life the personality of Sheepshead Bay.

Are there any scenes or topics in this movie that only someone from Sheepshead Bay would understand?

We tried to capture the energy of Sheepshead Bay with the characters that we added in. There are certain streets where you can go — outside the bay or anywhere, really —and sometimes you don’t think twice about the street or the people on it. When I walked down Sheepshead Bay, I was always very aware of the people. Growing up, there was something about the people and the energy: It wasn’t boring and It definitely caught your eye. And that’s something I kind of wanted to create with the movie.

How much of this movie is inspired by real life?

The main story line, that he is trying to get on a reality show and his parents have to help him get on the show, that’s completely made up. But I would say the parents are based off my parents. I sort of had the green light to poke fun at them. And take little things that they did and put that in the movie. My father actually passed away a year ago. So he won’t be here to see it, but my Mom will be there. And what’s kind of interesting is that two of the characters are based off my parents. But I also put my folks in as sort of cameo roles. And something I actually did was, there are so many characters in this movie that for some of the smaller little parts, I would try a friend or family member out. And if it worked, I’d keep it. I figured if it didn’t work, I could scratch it. So it kind of became a family affair throughout the movie.

But to answer your question even further, I would say: The characters, some of them are based off family, and some are combinations of people that I met. And then there are sort of a few that are sort of based off memories of people I had met when I would go on auditions. When I worked an extra job early on in my career, I would meet all these actors and they would talk about how this was their job. And almost in their minds, they would be brainwashed thinking that they are working actors. But you’re really just a background actor. But that was the mindset I saw over and over again. So I kind of wanted to put that in there. Not necessarily mocking them, but sort of putting a light to the different kind of characters you will meet.

How did you come up with the plot for this movie?

Well, he’s trying to get onto a reality show. So I guess it’s one of those stories where you definitely see a film within a film, where he’s on set, basically. The main character, the movie starts from when he’s actually on the TV show and then it kind of becomes: How I Became That Jewish Guy. Jewish Guy is actually a term that the director uses as one of the types on the show. So he has to go back and tell the story of how he got to that point in order to stay on the show.

What kind of reaction do you hope to get from viewers?

I want them to be able to connect with the family. To say: “Oh, my parents were like that. Or, my family does that.” Even if you’re not Jewish, or if you are religious. I want people to just get it. And for people to say: “Oh, they are kind of like us.”

Other than the Goldberg’s on TV, I’ve only seen a few things here or there that deal with dysfunctional people in a Jewish household or a family that doesn’t really follow the traditions but they consider themselves Jewish. I wanted to put a spotlight on that. And I kind of wanted to make real people and put it all out there. Throw in some humor. Show them at home where the father is always in his underwear. Things like that, which stuck out in my house. I hope people walk away and say: “Okay. I get them.”

Update [March 1, 11pm]: The movie is now available to rent or purchase on Jiffyfilm’s website.