- 1976. With a goal of emigrating to America, the Myshkins divorce and marry their respective Jewish neighbors, but get stranded in Vienna, Austria.
- In Riga, the Soviet Union, in the middle of the 1970s, MISHA MYSHKIN (10) narrates a story of his Russian family's emigration to America. Motivated by Armstrong landing on the moon in 1969, Misha's father, VADIM MYSHKIN, plans to take his family to America and opportunity. In the 1970s, Misha says, tens of thousands of Russian Jews emigrated to the West. His father also wanted to escape to freedom, but as a regular Russia, couldn't get a visa for Israel, until one day, when he had an idea, spurred on by his workmate's home movies of a trip to America and NYC, and the Statue of Liberty.
Vadim has a glorious flash of genius of how he will get his family to America. He must convince his wife NATALIA and his Russian-Jewish neighbors, GRISHA POPOVITCH and his sister SOFIA of his plan. His plan is simple they will become "Jews". In order to be a Jew, Vadim only has to marry Sofia after first officially divorcing Natalia-who still happens to be the love of his life. Then, Grisha would marry Natalia to make her also partly Jewish-at least on paper. The two couples would them emigrate to America and divorce their "spouses" and Vadim and Natalia would marry again and begin their new life in America.
Grisha isn't hard to convince of the merits of Vadim's plan: Grisha has been secretly in love with Natalia for a long time, and Vadim knows this and warns him to keep his hands off her. Natalia wants Grisha to talk Vadim out of his plan, as she sees him as obsessed with America and she likes their lives in the Soviet Union and marches in Workers' Day parades. Misha doesn't understand the plan and cries when he thinks they are truly going to divorce each other.
Vadim is a bit of a dissident, not enamored of the Soviet ways, and covertly listens to Voice of America on the radio. At his job as an animal handler at the local zoo, he makes headlines for stealing lions meat to eat and is fired. He also uses a local bomb shelter to store stolen goods from a nearby secret factory. Grisha is a bit of a miscreant and a drunk (where he calls himself a German officer when drunk), and has had multiple run-ins with the police, once taken to an asylum as a dissident.
Vadim and Natalia are granted their "divorce" at Divorce Court and soon thereafter, there is a double wedding, as Vadim marries Sofia and Natalia marries Grisha, and a Rabbi certifies their marriage contract. GRANDPA CONSTANTINE consoles Great-Grandma Nina, worried about their coming emigration.
Vadim and Natalia meet with a Soviet Migration Officer and apply for a Visa to Israel. Before they leave, Grisha has his friend LEONIDS film him burning his American money-$2,000 worth in various bills, careful to note the bills' serial numbers. The extended family pack to leave. But there are no direct flights to Israel, and so the whole family grab their 16 bright yellow suitcases and get set for a two-week stopover in the capital of Austria, Vienna. Upon rival, they are a bit lost, uncertain where they will stay, but Vadim is excited about their future and tell Misha they are no longer Russians, but they are Jews-still anxious someone could send them back to the Soviet Union. They give their Visas to the Jewish agency in Austria and are processed for eventual emigration to Israel.
The Myshkin-Popovitchs end up in a rather dubious boarding house, called the Pension Esterhazy, managed by a bustling and hustling Hungarian named LASZLO. He helps immigrants, his main clientele, but he also uses them for monetary gains. Laszlo's bellboy, MASLO takes their bags, and the seven of them squeeze into two rooms at the Pension. Vadim dreams of becoming rich in America and Misha dreams of becoming an astronaut and flying to the moon. At night, Grisha and Vadim switch rooms so Vadim can spend the night with Natalia, as tensions between the couple mount.
In Vienna, the Myshkin-Popovitchs face the tests of a time-consuming and nerve-wracking bureaucracy-marathon, before they may continue their journey. Grisha takes Misha to the US Embassy, armed with his video of bringing money, and tries to get reimbursed-he heard a rumor that one must destroy their money to get it reimbursed once they leave the Soviet Union. He is proved wrong in believing the story. Later, Vadim fails to convince the Jewish Agency that he is truly Jewish, and they request their Passports/Visas back, realizing they must convince people they are truly Jewish. With the local police looking for the family (having disappeared from the airport), Laszlo refuses to say anything to them. Grandpa Konstantin hears this and tells Vadim the police are looking for them. Vadim assures him he has everything under control. Laszlo uses his knowledge to his advantage and forces himself on Sofia, and she accepts his advances. Grand[a Konstantin assures Nina he also has everything under control and paid off Lazlo to avoid the police.
The families quickly run out of money, and Vadim reminds Natalia that freedom is the goal and its important for Misha to grow up in a free country. The families get on with eh business of surviving in Vienna and go to saunas, Grandpa Konstantin buys carpets for their rooms. Vadim has to battle his jealousy, as his "ex-wife" Natalia openly flirts with Grisha, and he steams when he sees the two kissing (a favor from Natalia since Grisha is nice to Misha). Sofia is busy scheming in the background and pushes her brother Grisha to take advantage of the situation and win Natalia ìs heart.
The family watches the 1976 Winter Olympics on TV in Innsbruck, and Natalia and Vadim keep their relationship alive by having sex when they can. Misha's new friend DIMA (!6), a Lithuanian Jew there with his father at the Pension, gives him a present-a ballpoint pen with a photo of a woman that gets naked when the pen is tilted. Misha loves his new magical toy and enjoys it in the bathroom over and over, pleasuring himself.
Soon thereafter, Vadim and Sofia visit the Jewish-American Aid organization, HIAS, applying for Visas to America. Vadim tries to talk his way into being approved, asserting he is a scientist but blows it when he mentions Lenin. Tensions rise at the Pension, as their options dwindle. Vadim wants to go to Berlin and calls a contact there, but it fails. Misha enjoys Vienna and wonders why his father is focused on Israel, America, and Berlin.
Vadim and Natalia head to the Russian-Tolstoi Foundation, where they look into getting Visas to emigrate to America, as Russians. They pass the Russian culture questions easily and tell their plan (divorce and re-marry) to the investigator there. They insist they are not Jews and tout their Russianness. But when they are rejected, Natalia hits the inspector in the head with a chess board and they storm out, more determined than ever to get to America. The family borrows Lazlo's van and takes a day trip to the Alps, and a railway ride up the steep mountains.
Vadim gets a job in Laszlo's Pension working as a chef, even though he doesn't cook, and has a hard time meeting the demands of the job. Grandpa Konstantin tries to help but makes things worse. But Vadim manages to cook some decent kosher food to serve-but he is in despair, as his plans to get to America seem to get farther and farther away. As time goes on, Misha has a Bar Mitzvah party, as Grisham watches Vadim and Natalia dance with jealousy. Vadim warns Grisham to keep his hands of Natalia, as they watch the Russians play hockey in the Olympics.
To help in making up their minds, where to emigrate, the Myshkin-Popovitchs gather every bit of information about Jewish Culture they can. The Viennese Family Doctor, KOSHANSKY (who they took Misha to for a genital infection) helps them in doing so and becomes friendly with Vadim, whilst Koshansky ìs young daughter MIRI befriends Misha. Later Sofia brings Vadim to the Jewish Joint Office, where Sofia begs them to allow them to go to America. They are promised only that the officer will try his best. No guarantees. They return to the Pension to find Grandma Nina is gone (having visited a historic Temple earlier). Grandpa Konstantin and Misha/Grisha leave and look for Nina in Vienna. Meanwhile, Nina wanders the streets, searching for her son who died in the War. She finds a War monument and sits in the snow.
Later, Vadim and Sofia visit Doctor Koshansky and his wife, ESTHER who give them tickets to Israel. He also invites Vadim to get circumcised before they go, and he sheepishly agrees. Misha and Miri have their first kiss in the basement of the Pension, and Misha gets his foot caught under an old WWII bomb Laszlo had down there. In the streets of the excitement, Misha pleads with his father, Vadim that the family stays toughener and that his mother not be married to Grisha. Mother, father, and son hug emotionally.
Natalia and Misha visit the Soviet embassy in hopes of getting a Return Visa to go back to Liga. Misha doesn't want to return, and the Officer gives them the paperwork to fill out. Later, Grisha and Natalia look for Nina, and she asks him not to say anything about the paperwork she got. He wants to return with her, but she tells him she doesn't love him-only Vadim. This crushes Grisha, who drowns his sorrows in a Vienna gay bar. Natalia shows the papers to Vadim, who tears them up. He visits Dr. Koshansky and takes the tickets back, admitting they are not Jews, telling him the plan. Koshansky performs the circumcision surgery on Vadim.
Great-grandma Nina is found-seated on a bench at the monument, and dies, after falling asleep and freeing to death, where she falls victim to the freezing cold. Great-grandma's journey ends in Vienna. They cremate her body and the family says their goodbyes to Nina. When the wind blows down Nina's picture, Vadim takes it as a sign they must go to America. The entire family votes to go to America, rather than Israel. Laszlo finally admits to them that he has connections that can get them their Visas to America, via Rome. With their American Visas now in hand, the rest of the family continue on their journey, to the United States, fulfilling Vadim's (and Misha's) dreams.
They arrive in Brooklyn, welcomed by LEONIDS, an old family friend from Riga. They visit the Statue of Liberty, where Grisha knows everything about it. They try to sprinkle Nina's ashes at the base of the statue, but while avoiding the Security Guards, the ashes fly into the Hudson River. Soon after, Vadim and Natalia finally are divorced from their neighbors and happily remarry each other in Vegas, by an Asian Elvis impersonator, quintessential American! The family buys a large house in Arizona, at the bottom of a Crater, bought with the money Grisha won in the Lotto. He and Vadim go into business together and make money selling Bomb Shelters, and Misha becomes the astronaut he dreamed about.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content