Ed Norton acting AND directing? Ben Stiller as a rabbi? Jenna Elfman as a high-powered business executive? Has the world gone mad? No, it's just "Keeping the Faith" an overlong romantic comedy that wastes some good talent, both old and new, while not really being that offensive.
The plot: Norton is a priest and Stiller's a rabbi. They were childhood friends and now they're both trying to shake up their respective congregations in New York City. Everything is fine between them until Elfman, who they were best friends with at age 12, comes back into the picture. She's a high-powered business executive now, but still as charming and spunky as she was 20 years ago, so of course they both fall in love with her. She falls in love with one of them, and it doesn't seem like it's going to work out. The two guys get mad at each other, some tears are shed, and?well I don't want to give away the ending, but it's pretty happy.
So is this a good movie or a bad movie? Well, it's an okay movie. On the plus side, we get to see Anne Bancroft and Holland Taylor, two wonderful actresses getting some time on the big screen. God bless somebody for putting both of them in the movie. And Elfman is as sparkly and vivacious as they come. She really does have a great screen presence and it's hard to take your eyes off of her. On the negative side, Norton as an actor is fine, although he's flatter in this role than he has been in his other movies, but as a director, he tends to be long-winded. The resolution of the love triangle noticeably drags on for about 20 minutes too long. Also, some of the jokes are a little lame and may be too "inside" to be fully appreciated by audiences who aren't familiar with Judaism or Catholicism. Finally, there's the issue of Ben Stiller. Even though he is supposed to be cool and desirable here, he still plays the role like the doofus hipster he is in all of his roles. Is his goal to be the next John Ritter? If that's the case, he's well on his way.
There's not a lot of cursing or explicit sex in this movie, so it's appropriate for all ages, although kids under 12 will probably be bored silly. The film has its moments, but overall it is a weak effort. This wouldn't make a bad rental or a matinee, but don't bother paying full price for it. (reviewed April 21, 2000)
American Psycho
High Fidelity
Keeping the Faith
The Ninth Gate
Return to Me
28 Days
Where The Money Is
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