Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)

Director:

Steven Zaillian

Writers (WGA):

Fred Waitzkin (book)
Steven Zaillian (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 August 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Every journey begins with a single move.

Plot:

A prepubescent chess prodigy refuses to harden himself in order to become a champion like the famous but unlikable Bobby Fischer.

Plot Keywords:

Chess | Prodigy | Champion | Sportsmanship | Pressure

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Max Pomeranc	...	Josh Waitzkin
Joe Mantegna	...	Fred Waitzkin
Joan Allen	...	Bonnie Waitzkin
Ben Kingsley	...	Bruce Pandolfini
Laurence Fishburne	...	Vinnie
Michael Nirenberg	...	Jonathan Poe
Robert Stephens	...	Poe's Teacher
David Paymer	...	Kalev
Hal Scardino	...	Morgan
Vasek Simek	...	Russian Park Player
William H. Macy	...	Tunafish Father
Dan Hedaya	...	Tournament Director
Laura Linney	...	School Teacher
Anthony Heald	...	Fighting Parent
Steven Randazzo	...	Man of Many Signals

Also Known As:

Innocent Moves
À la recherche de Bobby Fischer (Canada: French title) (France) (video title) [fr]
Das Königsspiel (Germany) [de]
En busca de Bobby Fischer (Spain) [es]
In cerca di Bobby Fischer (Italy) [it]
Kuningaspeli (Finland) (video title) [fi]
Lances Inocentes (Brazil) [pt]
Oikeat siirrot (Finland) (TV title) [fi]
Oskyldiga drag (Sweden) [sv]
Sotto scacco (Italy) [it]

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements.

Runtime:

110 min | Canada:93 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Spain:T | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Mirage Entertainment

Trivia:

Bobby Fischer denounced the movie, claiming that it was part of a "Jewish conspiracy" to sully his name and make money off him at the same time.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the opening scene when Josh encounters Vinnie for the first time, as Vinne stands there with the baseball pointing at the chess piece the sunlight is over his left shoulder. In the reverse angle shot of Josh, the sunlight should be over his *right* shoulder, yet the light is on Josh's left.

Quotes:

Josh Waitzkin: [talking to a friend on the phone] I'm playing chess with my dad.
[pause]
Josh Waitzkin: Chess. It's a game, like Monopoly.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Alec Baldwin/Tori Amos (#21.11)" (1996)

A life-changer

_Searching for Bobby Fischer_ is possessive of a certain wonderful insight; it is a film that offers no heart-warming premeses and still manages to ease the soul.

The characters dwell in an utterly contemporary world; you will find no neighbors hauling in bags of money, chiming churchbells, perfect families, or million-dollar smiles anywhere in the film. At the same time, this world of this film exhibits a resilience against its crueler realities that most of the art of the twentieth century eschewed in favor of probing the darkness of existence. Yes, the main characters are prosperous, but the spectre of Fischer hangs over the world as a daunting warning of things to come. The mood of the piece, enhanced by the excellent cinematography, sets the film up to succeed wonderfully, and the actors and text deliver.

One of the things I like the most about this movie, superficially, is that it does not insult the game of chess as it depicts it. The depiction of the chess world is insightful and accurate, from the sharp division between granite-hewn chess scholars and colorful tactical wizards to the truly unequaled awe and gravity accompanying the notion of the Grandmaster. Perhaps these are things that can only truly be appreciated by those who have ventured to this world, but, thankfully, the film integrates these elements seamlessly into a universal story that is original and poignant in its detail and elegance.

Every actor in this film is spectacular, without exception. That is a bold statement, but it is completely justified. At no point do any of the actors miss a step; all the performances are smooth and appear to be utterly effortless. In their featured roles, Ben Kingsley and Lawrence Fishburne put in performances that match in art, craft, and intensity, if not in length, any of their more prominent film roles. Joan Allen is mind-bogglingly wonderful, considering how precise she has to be to fit such a massive character into such a truncated part in the script. This is Joe Mantena's very finest performance, and, of course, this movie contains child acting to match any film ever made. Even the bit parts are acted with intensity, depth, and elegance. A lot of this is easy to miss because, on the surface, the film is so even-handed, but repeated viewings continually bring to attention wonderful nuances of these performances.

Any summary or synopsis will fail to accurately relate the "message" of this film; as in any great work of art, the quickest, most efficient way to word the resolution of the film's ideas and conflicts is to watch the film. This is where _Searching for Bobby Fischer_ really shines. There is no way these characters could have ended up where they are from any other sequence of events than the one that took place; this is a wonderful example of how a plot is woven into a story rather than imposed on it. The flipside of this is that there is extremely little to be found in this film that can be applied universally without reservation, and yet it still manages to be convincing. There is something mysterious about this movie that rises toward the staggering mysteries of life, and repeated viewings are really the only means toward a full understanding of these ideas.

Undoubtedly, this is the best film made in the 1990s based on a true story (if you, like me, discount _Schindler's List_ from such assessments. It hardly seems fair to compare _Schindler's List_ to any other film due to its unique purpose.). If you have not seen it, I highly recommend it. It may just change your life.