Review: Searching for Bobby Fischer

Based on a true story, Max Pomeranc stars as young Josh whose sports writer dad (a terrific Joe Mantegna) introduces him to chess and before long realises that the kid’s got a knack for it. Whilst dad gets professional chess tutor Pandolfini (Sir Ben Kingsley) to coach Josh, mother Joan Allen frets that the boy is missing out on what childhood is really about. Laurence Fishburne plays Josh’s other chess mentor, a flashy speed chess hustler. William H. Macy plays the father of another player, Dan Hedaya is a chess tournament official, Robert Stephens plays the mentor of Josh’s chief rival, and Laura Linney appears as Josh’s school teacher.

 

Despite being an occasional (and not very good) recreational player of chess for most of my life, 13 year-old me had zero interest in seeing something like this 1993 chess drama from writer-director Steven Zaillian (“A Civil Action”, “Schindler’s List”). so it’s now at age 45 that I finally caught up with it and I’m really glad I did. Based on a book by Fred Waitzkin, it’s a nice and really likeable film. Perhaps not quite the great film some champion it to be, but a very good film nonetheless. It’s a warm-hearted family movie about a somewhat intellectual pastime.

 

Max Pomeranc was apparently cast partly because he was actually a chess player. Personally I think he’s the one weak link in a pretty outstanding cast. Choosing a kid with a lisp to narrate the film was perhaps a mistake (no offence intended), and although his performance overall isn’t bad, it’s mostly in silent moments where he shines brightest. A kid lead actor is always a bit of a gamble, and it only intermittently pays off with Pomeranc. Thankfully Mr. Zaillian has done the kid a favour in surrounding him with some titans of the character actor world. Joan Allen and the versatile Joe Mantegna are outstanding, and the supporting cast are really perfectly chosen – Ben Kingsley, Tony Shalhoub, Laurence Fishburne, and a very funny Dan Hedaya as a chess referee in a scene that feels like it could’ve been in an episode of “Frasier”. Sure, Kingsley’s accent seems to dance about a bit (and his wig makes him look like a certain Rankin/Bass character), but that’s a minor carp. The guy’s a great actor when he puts his mind to it.

 

As for the story, this is classic sports movie storytelling just with a somewhat intellectual ‘sport’ at its centre. I really liked how Zaillian escaped the trap of making Joan Allen’s character wrong in her POV. She’s not wrong, she just wants her kid to be a kid, and although you suspect Zaillian is ultimately on the other side of the argument it’s not to the point of demonising Allen. Zaillian’s smarter than that (Note that there’s a similar dynamic in the teaching methods of Kingsley and Fishburne as well). These parents might disagree, but they both clearly love their son. I do wish the eventual opponent weren’t portrayed as too much of a cliché villain, and indeed the real-life counterpart claims it’s not remotely true to his personality. That’s the one moment that felt a little too Hollywood sports movie to me. Otherwise it’s a winner.

 

Irresistible stuff, even if from what I’ve read it’s not the most accurate true story ever told. It is a very good story, and that’s enough for me. A more than solid film and worth a look if you’ve missed it until now.

 

Rating: B