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Keeping the Faith (2000)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:113
Fresh:77
Rotten:36
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: Norton's steady hand delivers a comedy filled with clever humor and enlightened performances.
Synopsis: In actor Edward Norton's directorial debut, Brian (Norton), a priest, and his best friend, Jake (Ben Stiller), a rabbi, both fall in love with their long-lost childhood friend, Anna (Jenna Elfman),... In actor Edward Norton's directorial debut, Brian (Norton), a priest, and his best friend, Jake (Ben Stiller), a rabbi, both fall in love with their long-lost childhood friend, Anna (Jenna Elfman), who has returned to Manhattan to pursue her hectic business career. However, Brian has taken a vow of celibacy, and Jake is constantly being set up by Jewish mothers in his temple. The workaholic Anna isn't Jewish, but this doesn't stop her from returning Jake's affection and beginning a relationship that they hide from Brian. As their relationship progresses, complications arise, leading Jake, Brian, and Anna to deal with questions of both religious and romantic faith. As Rabbi Jake, Stiller once again displays his excellent comic timing, and his scenes with Elfman, Norton, and Anne Bancroft (as Jake's traditional Jewish mother) carry KEEPING THE FAITH. Set in lushly filmed New York City, Norton's film exhudes an innocent charm that's sure to please audiences of all denominations. [More]
Starring: Ben Stiller, Jenna Elfman, Edward Norton, Anne Bancroft
Starring: Ben Stiller, Jenna Elfman, Edward Norton, Anne Bancroft, Milos Forman, Eli Wallach, Ron Rifkin, Rena Sofer, Holland Taylor, Ken Leung, Kryss Anderson
Director: Edward Norton
Director: Edward Norton
Screenwriter: Stuart Blumberg
Producer: Edward Norton, Howard W. "Hawk" Koch, Stuart Blumberg
Composer: Elmer Bernstein
Reviews for Keeping the Faith
Not only is the screenplay far too long-winded, it is far too loose and lacking in dramatic tension until the very end.
A romantic triangle dating movie as confected, and nearly as wholesome, as a '50s Universal bedroom farce, but lacking the confidence and zest.
Well-meaning and decently put together, and it has occasional moments of charm...[but] more than a trifle stale.
The ending gets a little too cute, and isn't true to Anna's independent nature. Oh well, to forgive is divine.
Epic dramas can be two hours or more. For light comedy, brevity is better. What could have been a great comedy is just a good one.
The script administers a relentless string of laughs, most of them genuinely funny.
It's a unique blend of charisma, wisdom, and emotion, rendered in a most appealing package.
There is genuine chemistry among this trio that is fun to watch, and the script will keep you giggling.
The movie's biggest surprise is the fine balance it strikes in navigating the tricky passage between offensive and funny.
A charmingly sloppy affair [full of] banter and the free-wheeling spirit of old Hollywood romances... a sun-drenched cinematic field trip.
Smart, funny and touching, and there is enjoyable chemistry between the three leads.
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