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Keeping the faith

Threat advisory: High - High risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Father Brian Finn (Edward Norton) and Rabbi Jacob Schram (Ben Stiller) have been best friends since they were kids. Their friendship is put to the test when each falls for Anna Reilly (Jenna Elfman), a corporate executive and a childhood friend to both, who suddenly re-enters their lives. Neither man can pursue a lasting relationship with her due to their religious convictions: the priest is constrained by his vows and the Rabbi cannot marry her because she is a gentile.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film romance comedy religion Christian Jew teen friends

Persons of interest

Ben Stiller .... Rabbi Jake Schram
Edward Norton .... Father Brian Finn
Jenna Elfman .... Anna Riley
Anne Bancroft .... Ruth Schram
Eli Wallach .... Rabbi Ben Lewis
Ron Rifkin .... Larry Friedman
Milos Forman .... Father Havel
Holland Taylor .... Bonnie Rose
Lisa Edelstein .... Ali Decker
Rena Sofer .... Rachel Rose
Ken Leung .... Don
Brian George .... Paulie Chopra
Catherine Lloyd Burns .... Debbie
Susie Essman .... Ellen Friedman
Stuart Blumberg .... Len
Sam Goldberg .... Teenage Jake Schram
Michael Charles Roman .... Teenage Brian Finn
Blythe Auffarth .... Teenage Anna Riley
Jonathan Randell Silver .... Alan Klein
Brian Anthony Wilson .... T-Bone
Juan Piedrahita .... Omar
Bodhi Elfman .... Howard the Casanova
Francine Beers .... Greta Nussbaum
Rena Blumberg .... Chaya
Ellen Hauptman .... Roz Lentz
Liz Larsen .... Leslie
Matt Winston .... Matt
Nelson Avidon .... Joel
David Wain .... Steve Posner
Stuart Blumberg .... Screenwriter
Edward Norton .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Studios and distributors:

Buena Vista International

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Hmmm...

Keeping the faith is as much a romantic comedy as it is a drama, but it's as much a drama as it is a romantic comedy. That makes for some strange chopping and changing which makes it difficult for you to sit back and relax into the story. Perhaps another draft of the script would've helped, perhaps not.

Having a triangular relationship as the focus of the film has made the work harder for everyone. Each character needs to be given enough time on-screen to be rounded as does each relationship. Unfortunately, Keeping the faith is a little too well balanced, undermining some of the potential for conflict. It's as if the triangle is sitting on its base rather than one of the corners. Imagine an upside-down pyramid: you have to keep looking to see not only what's holding it up but whether or not it's going to fall down. That's the art of filmmaking.

Edward does an acceptable job of directing both the film and himself, although there's nothing particularly special about the end result. His performance is good, as you would expect, and he has some very real moments, such as the sex talk in central park: very natural, very honest and very down to earth. Ben is good, too, managing to be both babe and Rabbi at the same time. It happens. Not often, but it happens. And the Jewish mothers?! Oy! Jenna is sexily aggressive in a way that many guys will like; she's a go-getting, up-front babe you'll drool over. Hmmm... there's a lot of eye candy in this film!

Keeping the faith is better than most films produced in Hollywood but lacks the critical x-factor to boost it into the A-crowd - still, you'll enjoy it if you see it, that's guaranteed.