Keeping the Faith (Touchtone, PG-13)
Starring Edward Norton, Ben Stiller and Jenna Elfman
Rating:
Three stars- The New Order prophesy has come true - this is our "Bizzare Love Triangle."
How many times do we have to see these boring rabbi-priest-businesswomen love triangle comedies before they try something else?
Of course, that is sarcasm. As odd as it sounds, "Keeping the Faith" isn't just a shot in the dark; rather, the romantic comedy lives up to its genre with laugh-out-loud moments and enough love to make the birds tweet.
Jake, Brian and Anna are best of friends, the way friends can be in junior high without worrying about being "more than friends" (dum dum DUMMMM). The endless days of New York summers turn dark when Anna must leave for California in eighth grade, leaving Jake and Brian to themselves.
Still, the boys stay in close contact and continue to be in the present. Jake (Ben Stiller) has become a synagogue superstar, while Brian (Edward Norton) is a hipster priest. Both enter their respective places of worship with fewer people than a Quiet Riot reunion concert.
However, because being cool always pleases the masses, word spreads of the duo's revival of the religion scene, and they play to packed houses, using comedy and spontaneity to spice up the good word.
Just as things seem to be going great, Anna (Jenna Elfman) calls up and says she will be in town for a good spell. It seems the former tomboy now is a bigwig for a major corporation, doing something important that demands industry buzzwords and the constant ring of a cellular phone.
But then again, a profession is not the first thing you notice about a person, and each of the holy men looks with excitement at the bloomed flower of a friend as she first arrives in the airport.
This new ingredient in the dish proves to be quite a spicy one, but not in a horseradish kind of way. Anna's charisma and sharm soon prove too much, resulting in ends to the comedy and a serious look at a complicated emotional mess.
One of the interesting aspects about the movie is how the tone ebbs and flows with peaks of humor and romance. Each aspect fights for dominance, with only the viewer as the true winner. Early humor by Norton is somewhat unexpected, given his roles in "Fight Club" and "American History X," among others. But he breaks out some subtle gems and even goes for some knockout slapstick that words do not give justice.
Stiller brings another aspect to the humor. One scene that sticks out is a first-person perspective of Jake as he is bombarded by mothers enticing him with their daughters. It seems that the ladies just can't get enough of him. This might just be the instigation of a massive movement towards Judaism - being a rabbi = mondo chicks.
Just when it seems the movie cannot keep up its manic comedic pace, plot points surface and emotions ride high. Surprisingly, Elfman is not annoying, contrary to much of her character's mannerisms in "Dharma and Greg." She plays things quite straight here, caught between a workaholic lifestyle and a need for companionship. But it is up to her to find out whether or not the old adage that friends make the best lovers is indeed true.
During this extended emotional rollercoaster is where the movie somewhat drags. It comes in at a little over two hours, which is a bit much for a romantic comedy. Luckily, the scriptwriters threw in some comic relief during these times to quell any monotonous thoughts. Scenes with rabbi rookie cards and slow-mo walks to Santana sneak up on the audience when they least expect it.
Somewhat lost in the three stars' performances is a great little job by Anne Bancroft as Jake's mother. The former Mrs. Robinson is more of a Mrs. Mazeltov here, always harping on her son to find a nice girl to giver her an in-law. Soon, though, plot twists alter her old-days perspective, making for some great interplay between Stiller, herself and Elfman.
Despite Stiller's great job in the real starring role, the draw is Norton. He proves that he is a well-rounded talent, molding his priest character into a quirky gem while stepping aside to let Stiller and Elfman shine.
Some day, Hollywood will come up with some truly original fare, like a movie where everyone smiles while a man and woman accidently have each others' kids. Until then, take a gander at "Keeping the Faith," where places of worship are holy singles bars and the breeeding ground of pleasing entertainment - no joke.
Originally published in the 4/13/00 edition of the Northern Star.
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