Keeping the Faith (2000)

3 stars out of 4

The Bottom Line:

Far too long, with many uneven patches, Keeping the Faith is a pleasing enough romantic comedy but not an especially good or memorable one. January 1, 2009

Wit, hilarity, and romance meet

I'm a little slow to view this movie, but even 8 years after its release, it was one of the funnier movies I've seen in the past 8 years. It was witty, sweet, pensive, and all around 5 stars. The plot, lines, and acting were top notch. I am a fan of this movie and recommend it to anyone who wants to laugh, cry, think, and feel. The story of Jake the Rabbi (Ben Stiller) and Brian the Priest (Edward Norton) as they reunite with their childhood friend Anna (Jenna Elfman), the workaholic, is a perfect combination of faith-promoting anecdotes, new love antics, and lines that will keep your head rolling with laughter. December 7, 2008

Excellent Direction and Acting Can't Quite Save This Movie

PROS
Awesome Direction
Deft storytelling
Great Performances all Around (Norton is amazing in his role!)

CONS
Too Long
Muddy Ethical Sermonry
Jenna Elfman November 16, 2008

for a realxing time

A bit unrealistic regarding the presentation of Judaism and Christianity in the movie. But a perfect story about three friends who finally come to terms with their relationships. A perfect love-story. THE urban romance-movie. A perfect Jenna Elfman. October 7, 2008

"It's complicated. I'm reading "Dianetics"."

KEEPING THE FAITH (2000), is a cinematic take on the old joke, "A priest and a rabbi meet this blonde coming down the street. . ." In this case, the blonde is Jenna Elfman (Anna), the priest is Edward Norton (Brian), and the rabbi is Ben Stiller (Jake), three childhood best friends.

KEEPING THE FAITH is very much about how religiously observant people balance the demands of the spiritual life against those of the temporal life; it's also about how people, observant or not, balance the demands of career against those of love and family; and last, but not least, it is about how people who love balance their self-expectations against the expectations they have of their significant others.

Brian and Jake are still best friends, dedicated to working together ecumenically, and dedicated to invigorating their congregants with a desire to become closer to God, sometimes with hilarious consequences.

Jake falls in love with Anna and Anna with Jake, but Jake can't reconcile the idea of a rabbi marrying a non-Jewish woman with the demands of his heart, and the expectations of his synagogue. While Jake struggles with this dilemma, Brian finds himself increasingly attracted to Anna (who loves, but is not in love, with him), and struggles with the demands of his heart versus his vows. When he realizes that Anna is in love with Jake, a crisis ensues.

Since Jake, Brian and Anna all fear confronting themselves and each other with these issues, their lifelong bond becomes strained and their love for each other is put to the test. In the end, all three discover, happily, that "keeping the faith" is in large part a question of having faith in each other.

KEEPING THE FAITH is a nice, fluffy film that showcases the talents of Elfman, Stiller and Norton well, and gives us New York City in summertime at its best. September 16, 2008

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