Keeping the Faith: The Elusive Grownup Comedy
Keeping the Faith
?Directed by Edward Norton?
?Written by Stuart Blumberg?
The review:
I watched this in the theater on its release and remembered it being a little slow.* Still, I find it to be eminently likable just from the young-religious-men shaking up the structures aspect** plus I find Jenna Elfman delightful. There were bits of not-great acting*** scattered about, but it’s a pretty even-kneeled Ben Stiller,**** Edward Norton playing the opposite of his Fight Club character and makes for a great Sunday Afternoon Movie.*****
The verdict: Good
Cost: Monthly HBOMax subscription ($12.99)
Where watched: at home
Consider also watching:
- Motherless Brooklyn (different tone, but Norton’s second time directing)
- Definitely, Maybe
- Going the Distance
Further sentences:
*Still true!
**Advantage casting your movie with a rabbi and priest: it’s a pretty clean movie, language-wise.
***By all three leads.
****He can sometimes get to manic in portraying neurosis. He did have a bit of physical comedy that had me wishing we got more physical comedy out of him. But divorced from the whole Meet the Parents thing.
*****Sunday Afternoon Movie—one that provides you with one last gasp of trouble-free weekend before the windup to the work week begins. Plus, Milos Forman has a bit part and a good speech. Also, it’s set in New York City and was released a year before 9/11.
Hasn’t aged well:
Ken Leung has a small part in this film, appearing as a salesman at the store where Norton and Stiller go to buy a Karaoke System. He does a high-energy version of “Jessie’s Girl” sung in broken English. It all rang very Long Duck Dong, and doesn’t really work.
Questions:
- Who is your favorite (now dead) actor in this film?
- Why didn’t we get more of Jenna Elfman?
Favorite IMDB trivia item:
The first movie starring Edward Norton to not be rated R.
Other reviews of Keeping the Faith:
- Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
- Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Keeping the Faith
