“With no great fanfare, Jesse Eisenberg has just given us a masterpiece. This is an effortlessly witty, fluent and astringent comedy with a very serious overcurrent.” - Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
“Eisenberg uses this cockeyed version of a road movie to tell a funny, moving, casually profound story about family, friendship, the weight of the Jewish past, the weight of everyone’s past and the different ways one deals with suffering.” - John Powers, NPR
Straightlaced David (Jesse Eisenberg) and his unpredictable cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a Jewish heritage tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. When tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history, the trip takes on an entirely new meaning. A poignant portrait of family and intergenerational trauma, A REAL PAIN has been hailed as one of the best films of the year, and won Culkin a Golden Globe award and Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Shot in Lublin, Warsaw, Krasnystaw, Kraśnik, and Radom, writer-director Jesse Eisenberg, who is a dual American and Polish citizen, has called A REAL PAIN his “love letter to Poland.”
Awards & Nominations
Nominee - Best Supporting Actor (Kieran Culkin), Best Original Screenplay, Academy Awards
Winner - Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture (Kieran Culkin)
Nominee - Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy (Jesse Eisenberg), Best Screenplay
Chicago European Union Film Festival Spotlight: Poland | It is our pleasure, with the generous support of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago, to present two weeks of the best new and classic films from Poland and Polish filmmakers. Join us March 7–20, as we present 20 films, including 13 new titles—and 12 Chicago premieres—alongside classics from filmmakers including Krzysztof Kieślowski, Agnieszka Holland, and Andrzej Wajda. Meet filmmakers visiting us from Poland, and enjoy taste from the country through special events and at concessions.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu