Product: Keeping the Faith (2000)
Rating: 5.0
Delving Deeper
I have a bone to pick with just about every movie critic in the known universe. Each and every one of them acts shocked and dismayed when a romantic comedy turns out to be *gasp!* predictible, and then they feel the need to make snide comments about the acting, the plot, the storyline...What gets lost in all this is the fact that many highly intelligent people enjoy watching these movies because they are FUN. Even if I know (or think I know) how a movie will turn out in the end, I can still have FUN while I'm getting there. You know what fun is, right? It's that thing where you're happy and not uptight--you remove the stick from your butt for awhile and just ENJOY yourself. What a concept. And I was in the mood to enjoy myself one night, didn't want to think too deeply, so I decided to rent "Keeping The Faith."Wow. I have to state here that I'm pretty wary of movies that portray "religious" people of any kind, because I'm sick and tired of stereotypes. Let me assure my fellow "religious" people: this movie doesn't wuss out. The catholic Priest isn't an uptight jerk, and he isn't a total saint. He's *shock" Edward Norton: a NICE GUY who feels called to his work and wants to make a difference. The Rabbi isn't some wise old guy who's used as a plot device to deliver either crucial advice or comic relief. Instead, he's Ben Stiller--a pretty nice younger guy who's torn between pleasing others and doing what's right for himself. The priest and the rabbi have been friends since childhood. When another childhood friend comes back into their lives after years of separation, they both fall in love with her. Oops.The Priest doubts his calling when he struggles with his love for a woman who happens to be in love with his best friend, and the Rabbi alternates between struggling to make faith seem real to the people in his congregation and lashing out/ hurting his friends/ being a total jerk. Surprise! These are real people. They're not always nice. Their faith isn't a crutch, it isn't a band aid, it isn't an insult to the audience. It's a real and living thing that they struggle to understand as they try to pass it on to others.The Rabbi falls in love with a woman who doesn't share his faith. Oh no! What will people think? What should he do? Jenna Elfman's speech to him about how she admires his faith and she's trying to understand it even though it's not easy for her is one of the most touching moments in a movie chock full of touching moments. Maybe that's why the critics didn't like this movie. Critics seem to hate touching moments. Touching moments happen all the time in real life, that's why they're predictable.I expected to have fun with this movie, and I did--rolling with laughter more than once. But I was also enlightened and rewarded with a film that allowed me to think a little deeper about everything I hold dear.While the priest and the rabbi never walk into a bar together, the movie still manages to be funny. And the love story is everything love stories should be: sappy, sweet, and ultimately satisfying. As an added bonus, you can ponder some deeper questions of faith and savor the unexpected delight of seeing true friendship realistically portrayed. Relax, take a deep breath, remove the stick from your butt, and enjoy.