Operation Grandma (Mivtza Savta) is an Israeli cult comedy written and directed by Dror Shaul released in 1999. The Sagiv brothers - Alon (Rami Heuberger), a hardass Army officer; Benny (Ami Smolartchik), a Cloud Cuckoolander electrician; and Idan (Tzach Shpitzen), a wimpy youth social worker - are faced with the unpleasant reality, after their grandmother dies, of bringing her back to their kibbutz for burial. On a tight schedule, because Alon is due for a counterterrorism operation, they make a foolproof plan to get her back with military precision. Hilarity Ensues.
This film provides examples of:
- Action Girl: Hagit is a judo champion.
- Almighty Janitor: Devora is the kibbutz secretary, but wields a considerable amount authority nonetheless. Truth in Television.
- "Blackmail" Is Such an Ugly Word: How Alon gets his commanding officer to change his mind about approving the counterterrorism operation in Gaza. Mention is made of driving a tractor backward, a marijuana growing operation in the kibbutz fields, and laziness when picking oranges.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Benny is clearly not all there but he's a genius electrician.
- Dirty Old Man: Claudio and Sergio on the kibbutz.
- Drives Like Crazy: Both Idan and Benny. Truth in Television; Israeli drivers are notorious.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Idan's kids walk all over him, curse at him, and threaten him.
- Elites Are More Glamorous: Subverted. Alon's unit isn't mentioned. However, his beret and insignia are obviously that of a Paratrooper.
- Embarrassing Nickname: "Krembo" for Alon.
- From the Mouths of Babes: Idan is chiding 12 year old Arik for tormenting a girl and asks him why he'd do such a thing. He gets this priceless reply:Arik: Because she's a fucking bitch!
- The "Fun" in "Funeral": A spray-painted casket made of hastily-assembled two-by-fours that rapidly disintegrates when being lowered into the ground. A brief impromptu eulogy. A cut-short, off-key version of "Besame Mucho." This is Savta's funeral.
- Genre Savvy: Nicki the Swiss tourist on the kibbutz responds to Alon's chat-up lines by saying she bets he tells all the girls the same thing. (Note that this doesn't deter her from hooking up with him.)
- Gonk: Benny is, to say the least, more than a little weird looking. He's not particularly rude or nasty, but he's definitely odd, especially in comparison to the handsome Alon in his uniform.
- Handsome Lech: Alon is good-looking and definitely on the make.
- Hot-Blooded: Alon is notoriously short of temper.
- It's Personal: Alon's commanding officer has a grudge against him because they grew up on the kibbutz together and he was rejected for kibbutz membership, while Alon still enjoys the privilege of keeping a flat on the kibbutz.
- Mr. Fanservice: Alon gets a shirtless scene by the pool showing that he's quite fit.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: How Alon became known as Krembo on the kibbutz.
- Idan: (narrating) When Alon was 10 years old, he stole from the kitchen all the krembos which were brought as prizes for the exhibition booths in Purim. All the kibutz suspected him, but he denied it, and locked himself in his room...Alon figured that the only way to get away clean, while in such a small place as a kibbutz where you won't live it down for many years, is to destroy immediately all the evidence, so he ate 500 krembos within half an hour...but eventually he was caught, and since then everyone who knows him calls him...Krembo.
- Phrase Catcher: Benny and Idan get called "stupid assholes" repeatedly.
- Playground Song: Alon's incident with the krembos was so infamous the children on the kibbutz still have a song about it. Naturally, Alon isn't too thrilled about it.Kibbutz children: (singing) Poor Krembo, couldn't shit for a week!
- Really Gets Around: Devora, the kibbutz secretary, hooks up with just about every man on the kibbutz.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Alon tries to get the kibbutz to take care of Savta's funeral by pointing out that she donated a buttload of money and his parents helped found the kibbutz. This cuts no ice with Devora.
- How Hagit manages to get Savta's corpse out of the police impound lot. Her mother is friends with the cops.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Benny is rather funny looking. His longtime girlfriend, Hagit, is quite cute.
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: Alon's counterterrorism operation is successful, and he gets a promotion. Benny and Hagit move to America, where Benny becomes a successful computer programmer. Idan? Well, he gets fired from his job.
