Customer Reviews

Searching for Bobby Fischer [VHS]

5 star:		(103)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of the deciding factors I use to determine whether or not I will purchase a DVD is, "How many times will I want to see this film?" Well, as far as this DVD is concerned I'm nearing the double-digits in viewings. This is essentially a Family Film with a great cast of actors such as Laurence Fishburn, Joan Allen, Joe Mantegna, Ben Kingsley, David Paymer, William H. Macy, and a small role by the then virtually unknown Laura Linney. After that, there are some fine scenes filled with some excellent child acting. I happen to think any film with good child acting is worth seeing, they are so rare. The story is well-written and ranges in emotion from humor to borderline outrage and deep-seeded disappointment. This film actually reminds me of "The Color of Money" directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Tom Cruise and Paul Newman. I got a similar buzz from both films. After I watch "The Color of Money" I feel an unbridled desire to play pool. After I watch "Searching for Bobby Fischer" I need to break out my chess board or play on my chess program. There is even a shot taken directly from "The Color of Money" that is used here. In "The Color of Money" there is a great camera shot of a huge room that starts with a shot of the ceiling and gradually pans downward to reveal an empty hall with about twenty pool tables set up for play. In "Searching for Bobby Fischer" there is a sweeping camera shot that begins with a dark shot of a hallway ceiling then floats through an archway into a huge, empty hall filled with dozens of chess boards ready for play. This film did get a single Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography, and with shots like those it is easy to see why. This is a very solid purchase for anyone, chess fans or no. There are a couple of scenes that bend towards the over-dramatic for the sense of keeping the story thrilling. Such as the final chess match, which is not what really happened, but it makes for a more entertaining scene. I know this because the real Josh Waitzkin helped design my chess program Chessmaster 9000 and his championship games are all listed therein. Minor discrepancies aside, everything about this film is first-rate and altogether superb. Thank you.

This is not a movie only about chess any more than "Field of Dreams" was only about baseball. This is about a father who wants his son to excel, and about a son who just wants his father's love and approval just to be a "normal" kid. "Chess" in this movie could have been a metaphor for any special "gift" or talent, but it is important to mention that this film is based on real-life persons and events.

This is a story about finding one's character and courage in the face of mounting pressure and high expectations. It's about a very young boy who wants to be sure his father loves him for who he is, not just for what he can do.

Written and directed by Steven Zaillian (who wrote, among other things, the screenplay for Spielberg's "Schindler's List"), SFBF is a heartwarming movie that has you rooting and cheering. And young Max Pomeranc is a real fine young actor! Multiple Oscar-nominee Joan Allen plays the boy's mother in this film, and here she continues to solidify her position as one of the most wonderful actresses working today. Will she EVER get the widespread recognition she deserves?

From the title you might imagine a swarm of detectives combing the city looking for champion Bobby Fischer missing from a chess tournament. However, this is the story of a very gifted young boy named Josh Waitzkin who possesses an intuitive grasp of chess (and other games). Though SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER features chess, it's not about this game so much as it is about nurturing a child to grow into his own person. The mysterious disappearance of Bobby Fischer, world chess champion, did leave a void. But does this give family and coaches the right to demand that another child fill that vacancy? Can Josh continue to enjoy chess along with all the other things "normal" children do? Or is he destined to become part of a regimented chess-champion making machine?

A poignant point in the movie is made when Josh's coach angrily tells him his behavior is inconsistent with prior champion Bobby Fischer. The prodigy replies, "Well, I'm not him." This is a movie an entire family can enjoy together. The PG rating is earned from drug dealers and gamblers depicted in the park where people play chess.

Movie quote: "To put a child in a position to care about winning and not to prepare him is wrong."

And why is it that such a ridiculously good movie has been so clearly overlooked? This is not merely a family film. This film is quietly sitting around some shelves somewhere, being a genius. The very opening, what with the soft strings carrying some undercurrent of whateverness, along with the opening dialogue (spoken so sweetly by a child no other child can dare out perform) is hair-raisingly impressive.

It's futile. Every second of this movie can be discussed in great detail: the technical musings, the psychological gamblings, the musical magnum opuses (becoming so excited by the thought of this movie that I'm no longer making any sense whatsoever), the acting...

It's quiet and it's absolutely genius. The symbolism is beautiful. I'm thinking mostly of the "Don't move until you see it."/"I can't see it." moment, focusing on the pawn, the King.

So it's good.

This film is loosely based on the real story of chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin, who has outranked other junior players by so many points, that he is the first American player since Bobby Fischer who genuinely deserves to be hailed as the "Next Fischer."

Unlike Fischer, however, Waitzkin is a regular kid (or was, he's in his early 20's now), who loves baseball, fishing, other games, like Clue and Monopoly. He also likes playing blitz chess in Washington Square Park with the men, some of them homeless, yet still gifted chess players, who charge tourists for games to make a living, and play one another to prove their prowess.

(The Washington Square Park players are real, by the way. Washington Square Park is in Manhattan a few blocks above Greenwich Village. It's a well kept park. Street performers often ply their trade there as well, and you can take your pick of street vended food.)

Bobby Fischer single-mindedly pursued chess. He was the son of a single mother, who quite literally spent every moment he could muster working on chess problems. When he could find no one to challenge him, he played himself, and as Max Pomeranc in the film, playing Josh, says "He always won." Armchair shrinks diagnose Fischer with Antisocial Personality Disorder, Sub-clinical Schizophrenia, Asperger's Syndrome, and a host of other neurological disorders; one of them may be right, but as far as I know, Fischer has never submitted to a D&E.

There is nothing wrong with Josh Waitzkin. He loves chess, but not to the exclusion of other pursuits. He loves chess enough to spend most of his time at it, just not all. He loves chess as long as it remains fun. He loves the rush of the daring and audacious blitz chess of the Park. He likes winning trophies at first, but soon the pressure builds, and tournaments become less and less fun, especially after he realizes that the other kids in the tournaments perceive him as the boss at the end of the final level.

When one of the greatest chess strategists in the country becomes his teacher, he declares that the Park will corrupt Josh. Exposing him to the rough underbelly of chess will teach him all the wrong things; he must stick to proper chess; walk don't run. Chess loses its headiness, and for Josh, its fun.

Chess in the Waitzkin family had become a means to a winning end. But Josh's parents have not stood idly by. Unlike Bobby Fischer's overworked and overtired mother, unwilling, or unable to struggle with her single-minded son, the Waitzkins realize the adults must make a choice. How much time for chess, and how much for baseball? For other academic subjects? For friends who aren't playing chess with him?

It is a grand dilemma. A choice of paths, when the road diverges, and no crystal ball. We know what single-mindedness meant for Bobby Fischer: he drew national attention when he represented his country, winning several international titles. Then he embarrassed his country with complaints and insults about other nations' food, plumbing, and lack of bowling alleys. But he may be neurologically deficient. Josh has no deficits. Did chess make Fischer that way, or was his single-minded devotion a result of an existing impairment?

"Searching for Bobby Fischer" is Fred Waitzkin's way of saying he is searching for his son the balance that Fischer never achieved. It is wondering which is more satisfying, fame or fitting in. It means wondering whether reclusive Bobby Fischer ever felt satisfaction. It is wondering whether having a talent obliges you to use it.

The chess games here are splendidly filmed. Although Max Pomeranc is no Josh Waitzkin, he is a ranked chess player. The chess games are choreographed, but because the children really are accomplished players, they understand the moves, and reproduce them convincing. Their facial expressions and other obvious interest in the games sustain the lengthy and very suspenseful game scenes.

Sterling performances from all cast members: Ben Kingsley as Bruce Pandolfini is a marvel of restraint. (The real Pandolfini has a cameo, as does Joel Benjamin, and some other champions.) Joe Mantegna as Fred Waitzkin didn't come across as the man who wrote the book Searching for Bobby Fischer, but he fit into the world of the film. After a couple of viewings, I exorcised the narrative voice of the book from my mind, and Mantegna was very much the father of Max Pomeranc's Josh, about whom I can't say enough, so I won't even get started, and just leave it at that.

This is a simple movie: no CGI dinosaurs, hovercraft, guns, bullets, or cars exceeding the speed limit; also, no pan shots of countrysides, big houses, boats, people drinking casually out of glasses with stems, and having all kinds of Deep, Scary Secrets.

Don't just see it once. I recommend seeing it at least twice (thrice is better).

A cute little boy with a lisp emerges from his toy room to discover that he has masterminded his pawns, kings and bishops by watching a bunch of curbside punks playing chess for money.

Thus begins the gripping saga of Searching for Bobby Fischer, based on the story of an actual eponymous boy, currently considered to be the world's most prodigious chess player under 18.

Don't let the chess bit scare you if you're not familiar with the game. The focus is less on the game itself (although it sure helps you appreciate matters more) and more on the people, their sentiments, the pressures they bring to bear. It's a tale of human trials and triumph, not a sports movie that panders to a certain segment of the population.

And in being so, it probes some very relevant questions. How important are games to our way of life? At what point does the need to win become so important that the game ceases to be a game? Has it become so crucial that we lose sight of the humans playing the game?

We don't easily find the answer to all these questions, but exploring the young player's early career and examining the relationship between him and his victory-obsessed father is rewarding enough.

As I watch the 2004 Athens Olympics and all the non-game stuff that takes center stage in modern sports, I can only heartily recommend this unsung gem of a film to discerning viewers.

I'm very surprised that no one commented on what the studio has done to this picture in the DVD release: The "widescreen" aspect ratio is achieved by taking the pan-and-scan version of the movie and lopping off the top and bottom to make the 4:3 aspect ratio into 16:9 (1.85:1). This means you see even less of the frame than in the VHS version! Thankfully, this practice is being abandoned by the movie studios. Let's hope this terrific movie gets a proper re-release on DVD soon.

Too many people try to pass this film off as just a family picture, a story about a father and son, but it operates on so many other levels that such an evaluation hardly does it justice.

I once spent an entire evening, with a then film student/now film maker friend of mine, just discussing the basic aspects of the movie (like character relations, cinematography, the flow of the script, etc.). We concluded that the father/son story is really one of the more insignificant (still important, just not /as/ important) themes of the movie.

Combine that with superb acting from Kingsly, Fishburn, Mantegna, and the young Max Pomeranc, and this movie should be required viewing for everyone of any age. And let me restress the fine acting from Pomeranc (who plays the child chess prodigy). About the only other place you'll see a child act as well is in "6th Sense".

Get this movie today, and make all your friends and family watch it. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I should say up front that I have never played chess, nor do I understand the game. But I remember being intrigued about the film when I saw the theatrical trailer. Was I intrigued because of the fact that the film was about a young boy with a special gift of a game? Was it the intense images of competition? Was it a curiosity about the game of chess itself and how it was played? Or was it about a deeper struggle within the boy? The answer is all of the above. "Searching For Bobby Fischer" is an excellent family film for all. I am living proof that even those who don't know jack about chess will love this movie. It is a movie not just about chess, but about acceptance, the bond of love and friendship, compassion for others, and not being afraid to be who you want to be. The balance of drama with edge-of-your-seat competition makes this a truly remarkable film.

Max Pomeranc plays the young and sensitive Josh Waitzkin, a pint-sized seven-year old with a cute lisp, who becomes fascinated with the "lower class" men playing chess in a New York park. He watches the men, his eyes shifting with each move of the pieces. He convinces his mother to go to the park with him, where he plays a game of chess with an older gentleman. It is there that Josh's mother realizes her son has a knack for chess. Also noticing Josh is the fast-talking park chess player, Vinnie (a funny and great performance from Laurence Fishburne) who befriends the boy and eventually teaches him a thing or two about the game. After a match with Josh, Josh's father (played by Joe Mantegna) realizes his son's special gift and enlists the help of a stern but knowledgeable chess teacher named Bruce (played by Ben Kingsley) to make Josh an even better chess master. Bruce sees a young Bobby Fischer in Josh and cannot resist the temptation to take him under his wing and perhaps fill the void that Bobby Fischer left in the country after his mysterious disappearance. Through all the technical strategies of the game being learned, Josh and Bruce develop a good friendship and with Bruce's help, combined with his own special gift, Josh excels in chess tournaments and collects a shiny bundle of trophies. But there may be a test even harder than becoming a grand master of chess.

We've all heard of parents trying to live their dreams through their children, especially when a parent sees a special gift in their child. But what happens when the thrill of competition and the persistent need to win cloud the parents' mind too much? And what happens when a beloved teacher wants you to be a carbon copy of someone or something that you're not? These are tests that run way deeper for Josh Waitzkin than any chess tournament. Josh learns quickly how addictive competition is and how obsessed people can become with a certain game. In his own way, the insightful Josh shows his father and teacher that he is not one of these people who lives and breathes chess like Bobby Fischer did. In the process, Josh pushes his father and teacher's feelings about him and the game of chess to the brink where they find they have to rethink their feelings. It's a matter of what is more important: chess competition, or love? Through it all, the three of them find that they can tolerate losing at chess but cannot tolerate losing something more dear; love and friendship for each other no matter what. There are some truly touching scenes in the film from the lecture Josh receives from his dad in the pouring rain, to the visit from his teacher at the Chicago tournament which comes toward the end of the show. But amongst the competition and drama, there are some nice comic scenes from Vinnie's trash talking against the others in the park, to the scene where the all the parents are literally locked up away from their kids during a tournament because they are so obnoxious, to the humorous appearance by William H. Macy when he offers to get Josh's dad a tuna sandwich.

The climax comes in the huge chess championship at the end of the film where Josh takes Bruce and Vinnie's teachings along with his own style of playing and faces off against another chess prodigy named Jonathan. Jonathan is a boy I feel sorry for in the film. Playing since he was four years old, all Jonathan knows is chess and goes about life with a glazed expressionless look on his face. Perhaps this boy is proof of what living for a game can do to you, especially when you cannot just be a kid.

The acting is terrific. Ben Kingsley, Max Pomeranc and Joe Mantegna give us a very touching and real performance in this film. It's too bad that Pomeranc did not act much since this film because he was a great little actor and very convincing. A nice touch to the movie is the real black and white film clips of a very young Bobby Fischer talking about and playing chess with Pomeranc narrating along. It gives us a bit of the history of the world's greatest chess player and also gives us the implication that people were searching for a new chess hero to fill the void when Bobby Fischer vanished; enter Josh Waitzkin.

"Searching For Bobby Fischer" is one of those stand-up-and-cheer films that is perfect fun for the whole family with some valuable lessons to be learned as well! This is a movie you'll want to watch time and time again.

Just a note about cinematography. This is the most amazingly natural look in a film that I have ever seen, and to have assisted at a talk given by Conrad Hall it sounsd like he was more pleased with his photography work in this movie than that in "American Beauty" for which he received an oscar for Best Photography. The beauty of this film is that you son't realize how beautiful it is untill you watch it a second time, the first time you're too occupied with the story and the sheer "naturality" of it, but look at it again, look at the scenes in the boy's bedroom, the first time you saw it you were probably induced into thinking that they got the this kid's room in an actual house and just pointed the camera and shot, the second you realize the excruciating care put into lighting this scene. But also, and more importantly, the scenes in the Chess halls, when Ben Kingsley instructs the child the contrasts between background and foreground, dark areas and bright area is absolutely perfect. Just beautiful!