Searching for Bobby Fischer 5 Star Movie
		Made: 1993 Cast: Max Pomeranc, Joe Mantenga, Joan Allen, Ben Kingsley, Laurence Fishburne Director: Steve Zaillian Screenwriter: Steve Zaillian Cinematographer: Conrad L. Hall Producer: Scott Rudin "You have a good heart. That's the most important thing in the world."
	It is interesting to note that it is never told in this movie how chess is played. Unlike most sports movies, chess is a sport you can't just pick up along the way; if you don't know how its played it will make no sense. The thing is, the movie is not about chess but about life. Like most good sports movies, the sport is merely a setting for the story. It is a the simple story of a child who is a chess prodigy, and learns how being good at something can lead you down the path of life. Some people get obsessed with chess or with winning, but the child in this picture can rise above competition because he has a good heart, a rare thing indeed. Another theme associated with the movie is innocence: there is a scene where the parents of the children playing in chess competitions are locked in a jail cell because they get too competitive and the children have to relay what is happening to the parents; children are innocent and parents can sometimes exhibit the personality traits of a child. He also tries to teach his little sister to play chess, showing he has a good heart.     The movie is so filled with great actors it is kind of overwhelming, but the characters are what stay with you. The child, Josh, played by Max Pomeranc has two very caring parents played by Joe Montenga and Joan Allen. The father pushes too hard and the mother worries about her son being involved in chess games. "Maybe it's better not to be the best, then you can lose and it's ok," the boy says to his father a one point. The boy's two mentors are played by Ben Kingsley and Laurence Fishburne. Kingsley is the experienced chess player who says, "Chess is not about winning or losing, it is an art." Fishburne is the rough mentor from Central Park who has unorthodox rules. All function as parents to the child and all have such different view points to show him its a wonder the child does not go crazy, but such is life. Other cinema greats in small roles include William H. Macy, Laura Linney, and Dan Hedaya.     The director and writer of this movie, Steve Zaillian, is one of the best writers of pictures working today. His writing always "sucks you in" and his credits' list is pretty impressive: The Falcon and the Snowman, Awakenings, Schindler's List, A Civil Action, Black Hawk Down, Gangs of New York, The Interpreter, American Gangster, still going! 1993 was his most productive year where he wrote Schindler's List, Searching for Bobby Fischer, and 3 other movies. He is probably the greatest screenwriter living today and this is his best directing effort, the other two being A Civil Action and the controversial remake of All the Presidents Men. There is a scene that is an homage in ways to The Maltese Falcon when Kingsley and Montenga talk about the kid playing chess, sums up what the movie is about. This is one of the best written scenes in cinema; I could recite the whole thing here, verbatim, but I won't. I'll let you watch the movie and hear it for yourself. Bruce is a bitter man in his experiences, and tries to teach Josh to have contempt and hate, as he now has. His mother of course resents this but it is Kingsley's character does the most growing up in the movie. The child is more wise at age 9 then all of the adults, as kids sometimes are with their simplistic nature.     This movie was inspired by the book of the same name written by the father Fred Waitzkin. Interesting, that the father gave himself sort of a negative role. Rivalries, along with innocence, are another core theme to the film: b/w Bruce and Vinney, b/w the teachers and their students, b/w father and son, b/w old mentors come back to haunt, etc. In fact, I came to wonder this every time I watch it - is Kingsley's character Bobby Fischer? These two quotes, as well as many grizzled expressions from Kingsley, lead me to think this: "I know every game he every played, so in effect he's gonna be teaching you." - from Kingsley. "Bobby Fischer held the world in contempt," says Kingsley. "I'm not Him, says the child." "You're telling me." It is left ambiguous but I've always thought they hinted at this. I'm sure there are criticisms that the movie is too sappy but everything is extremely genuine; this is so rare in movies that it makes the corny lines into something better. With all of the competitions and rivalries, the movie is so optimistic (reminiscent of Frank Capra) that it comes off as that other rare thing - a truly inspirational film.