For his directorial debut Edward Norton (who also stars) assembled quite the ensemble cast including Ben Stiller, Jenna Elfman, Anne Bancroft, Eli Wallach, and Miloš Forman. Personally I preferred Bancroft in the mother role in Torch Song Trilogy (1988) where she got to show off more of her astounding range as an actor. But each of these actors is pretty great in their own right (even Mr. Forman) and everyone of them seems to have had fun making Keeping The Faith (2000).
Keeping The Faith is an odd little romantic comedy though. It finds laughs in the contrasting manners of seduction between Judaism and Catholicism. Norton appears to know and understand the former much better than he does the latter since never in my life have I ever met a priest that even closely resembles Norton’s character Father Finn. Stiller’s Rabbi Jake is much more at the center of the narrative and manages to feel more realistic even if his character is not.
The premise is that childhood pals Father Finn and Rabbi Jake reconnect with their eighth grade pal Anna (Jenna Elfman) in their thirties and Rabbi Jake secretly begins to date her. However, Finn is also in love with her and is prepared to forsake his vows to make that happen. Then all sorts of hilarity kind of ensues.
Keeping The Faith isn’t the funniest of romantic comedies and it isn’t the most sentimental either. It’s more of a romantic “hang-out” movie. The stakes are never really played for their full weight so the relationships between characters never feel as though they are in real jeopardy. Norton over emphasizes the comedic aspects of the film, giving up the drama. This doesn’t hurt the various character arcs, only the viewer’s investment in the film.
All in all Keeping The Faith is a charming bit of feel good fluff. I remember going to see this in the theater with my mother and brother when it first came out. I felt as though I didn’t real understand the film then and I am unsure if I understand it now, albeit for different reasons. It does satisfy the itch for nostalgic media though and is worth checking out.
