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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Oscar nominee Hirsch brightens ‘iMordecai’

Dan Webster

Above: Judd Hirsch stars in "iMordecai," which is scheduled to open Friday at the Magic Lantern Theatre. (Photo/Greenwich Entertainment)

Most people remember Judd Hirsch from his tenure on the sitcom “Taxi.” He played Alex Reiger, the older, calm member of the crew that included characters played by Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner, Tony Danza, Christopher Lloyd and Andy Kaufman.

 Hirsch has been nominated for an Oscar twice, once for 1981’s “Ordinary People” and in 2023 for Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans.”

And he stars in a film that will open Friday at the Magic Lantern Theatre and is scheduled to play for one week only: “iMordecai.” (The Lantern is also opening “Cocaine Bear.”)

Hirsch plays Mordecai Samel, a Holocaust survivor who finds himself at a loss at how to adapt to the modern world. The film, directed by Marvin Samel, co-stars Carol Kane and Sean Astin.

Freelance critic Roger Moore wrote, “Hirsch’s storied TV career had him mostly playing the straight man, a reactor to assorted madcap friends and colleagues cast opposite him on shows like ‘Taxi’ and ‘Dear John.’ Here, he carries all the comic weight. … It’s a fun performance in a poor-to-middling dramedy.”

Thelma Adams of AARP Movies for Grownups wrote, “In an underwritten part, Carol Kane maximizes every half-smile and gesture, bringing warmth and sly humor.”

If you haven’t seen “The Fabelmans,” you haven’t seen Hirsch at his movie best. But “iMordecai” might do.