Keeping the Faith (2000)

Written by Stuart Blumberg and Directed by Edward Norton

Reviews

Reviews

By EmbelmX

The MOST-talented actor of his generation tries on the shoes of director in 
his directorial-debut... KEEPING THE FAITH. 

Edward Norton directs this romantic comedy about two best friends (Norton and 
Ben Stiller) who both fall in love with their childhood best friend (Jenna 
Elfman). Norton's character Father Brian Finn is a priest at a local 
Catholic Church in New York City while Stiller's character, Jacob Schram, is 
a rabbi at the local Jewish temple. The two have remained best friends since 
childhood; they regularly play basketball together, attend each other's 
services, and even plan on opening a joint-business venture together... a 
karaoke lounge for the elderly members of their congregations. When the 
friends' other childhood best-friend, Anna Riley (Jenna Elfman) re-enters 
both of their lives by accepting a job offer in New York City, the trio begin 
to hang out again, and sooner then later, romantic sparks begin to fly. The 
guys are stuck in a crunch, with both guys hiding their true feelings about 
Anna from one another and their churches, due to Father Brian's vows of 
celibacy and Rabbi Schram's dependability to date a Jewish woman. Eventually 
Rabbi Schram lands Anna in bed, while Brian is left in the dark about their 
relationship the entire time. Given the genre, the rest unfolds rather 
obviously. 

"Keeping The Faith" is as lengthy as it is unfunny. A good half-hour could 
have been left on the cutting-room floor, but other than that Norton does a 
respectable job helming his first film. He delivers a quirky and likeable 
performance that fails to distract from a very noticeable dry script as well 
as the other two actor's uninspiring performances. The pratfalls and typical 
silliness associated with romantic comedies are in abundance here, but 
somehow seem to alter the film's tone from genuinely witty to downright dumb. 
Ben Stiller's Rabbi Schram lacks the charisma and charm to realistically 
entice Anna from Norton's Father Brian. And Jenna Elfman's Anna Riley lacks 
the lure and appeal to realistically pit two best friends against each other 
as she does here. Elfman will always be Dharma, and has unsuccessfully 
failed in all attempts to break from her ABC-sitcom alter-ego. A better 
actress would have helped "Keeping The Faith", but still could NOT 
save it from so sadly dissappointing me. 

Also starring Anne Bancroft, Holland Taylor, and Milos Forman. 

GRADE: C-