Adam Sandler's character in "50 First Dates" just "happened" to be Jewish, as evidenced by the under-the-chuppah wedding scene at the end. As for the issue of whether Adam Sandler is a charicature, well, I think that at worst he's a charicature of himself.

Toni Colette's character in "In Her Shoes" is perhaps a more positive, if less humorous, example of what we seek. I must confess, though, these are the only examples that come to mind - unfortunate from our culture full of interesting, accomplished females.

How often do we EVER see a thoughtfully developed, complex human being portrayed in TV or cinema?

In the Munich I saw, the wife was not a simpering victim - she told her husband point blank that she wouldn't necessarily support him in his cause, the "grandmother" leading the country showed a lot more depth and understanding than America's current leader, and the mother was strong and brave and clearly able to damage people, including her son. These characters didn't get the screen time the men got, which is unfortunate, but they weren't caricatures. Perhaps nuanced Jewish women are relatively rare in film, but Munich isn't a good example of that.

I'm Jewish, but I go about my life and nobody labels me as a Jewish anything. Most characters on TV and in the movies are not identified by their religion. Ethnicity isn't such a novelty anymore. Why do there have to be flags and arrows pointing to a character as Jewish and then that character can only be portrayed in a certain way? In "Seinfeld" some of the women he dated looked Jewish (like Elaine) and some didn't. I didn't really care what they were. I only cared that the show was funny. I always thought that Barbra Streisand's portrayals of Jewish women were annoying in how perfect she would try to portray them.

I would like to see realistic, richly-textured portrayals of contemporary middle-aged women. That's what is really missing here.

so whatever "ethnicity" is present can't interfere with the largest possible audience identifying with the characters, which ususally means there can't be too much, at least regarding issues that matter.

'nuf said.

in the movies or anywhere else in Hollywood.

Rachel Weitz? True, she is English, beautiful and doesn't have a hideous New York voice.

But she is Jewish and is winning great parts - The Constant Gardner - and awards to go with them.

Jews are 1.9% of the population in USA. We are over-represented in every field, what is there to complain about. I can think of many Jewish women actresses who have made it big, think: Natalie Portman for small starters. Go to the lists of Jewish actresses on Google. What in hell is there to complain about?

I believe most ethnic minorities who have inhabited the United States for generations can commiserate with your gripe. As an African American woman and an actress, imagine my chagrin at the dearth of roles for black women in Hollywood. That is compounded by the low number of movies produced and/or directed by African Americans. From your report, I imagine that the young, demure, slim, Anglo-Saxon blonde is still the standard of beauty in the United States. That image is highly valued because it is difficult to attain for women of other ethnicities, sizes, or age groups. As far as Seinfeld, his dating life on the show was replete with casual sex. Perhaps he felt it would be more difficult to purvey this lifestyle with a self-identified Jewish woman; her religion and/or morals may be called into question and bring a serious tone to the comedy show.

Did the author of that op-ed ever actually watch "Seinfeld"? Never dated a self-identified Jewish woman? Of course he did. On more than one occasion, though the most famous was when he was forced to stop dating a Jewish girl because her parents learned that they'd been making out during a screening of "Schindler's List."

Are these self-appointed ethnic guardians getting dumber or just louder?

The op-ed is talking about Jewish characters, not Jewish actors. Just saying!

I'm Oh so happy that this current lot of bimbettes contains no "Jewish" women.

Barbra Streisand "typical" ?

Lauren Bacall ?

Winona Ryder?

Shelly Winters?

And just when is the last time you saw a "richly textured" anyone. You must both be very young.There used to be a website called "Jew's Who". You might just be surprised.

That Boston Globe piece is laughable, and not just for her ignorance of Seinfeld's girlfriends. Golda Meir is the greatest Jewish woman of the last 50 years precisely because she was a tough leader who authorized military force, and even assassination, to protect her country. That's how the movie depicts her, and it's a fair and accurate portrait.

The idea that Meir is portrayed as "a kindly grandmother" who "leaves the fighting to men" is absurd. News flash: FDR didn't personally kill Hitler, either. If you're going to make a movie about counter-terrorism in the Seventies, it's going to focus largely on men. Sorry.

By the way, I'm a Democrat. Hillary in 2008!

At least one Jewish date for Jerry comes to mind: the girl he made out with at the movies during "Schindler's List."

Whenever you see a southern woman on screen, she's usually a ditzy pageant queen or an inbred shack / trailer dweller. She also will typically speak with a ridiculous accent that sounds nothing like an actual southerner.

Emily Procter on CSI: Miami is a notable exception. Her character is a smart and professional woman who just happens to be (gasp!) Southern.

Hollywood rarely has any richly textured female characters of any type.

I think Jerry Seinfeld was a "real" and realistic portrayal of a Jewish man of his generation. More than that, I think his presence on popular TV was overwhelmingly "good for the Jews," whatever that means. Mainly, though, I think you could find subjects of actual importance to write about. Half of the characters on Friends were Jewish, including two of the women. One of them even had a nose job and left a dentist at the altar -- and that, I'm here to tell you, was totally realistic.