KEEPING THE FAITH

US, 2000, 128 minutes, Colour.
Ben Stiller, Edward Norton, Jenna Elfman, Anne Bancroft, Eli Wallach, Ron Rifkin, Milos Forman, Holland Taylor, Ken Leung.
Directed by Edward Norton.


This is the film where the trailer shows the young newly-ordained priest setting his surplice alight with the thurible coals and then sitting in the holy water stoop to extinguish the flames.


Actually, Keeping the Faith is an entertaining American comedy which reminds us of some sitcoms with their contrived situations and their touches of farcical comedy and clever one-liners. But it raises an important question for people who are committed to their Jewish faith or to their Catholic faith: how do you communicate something of faith and religion to a modern TV and movie audience who may not be churchgoers or who have unhappy memories of their life in the church? Keep faith with them so that they can keep the faith?


The screenplay is not meant to be realistic in the sense of a naturalistic drama of what happens in either the Jewish or the Catholic community. This is not a passionate and questioning Jimmy McGovern? script. Rather, the film mirrors, in its comic and emotional way, some of the struggles of contemporary religious people in their personal lives and in their community. Perhaps it's the 21st century equivalent of Bing Crosby and Going My Way. Bing could sing advice to his parishioners. Here the rabbi and the priest in an era, as they note, where barriers are breaking down, open an interfaith karaoke club for the elderly!


It is not a theological analysis of religious vocation and modern pastoral care but, in its light and often humorously serious way, it does raise the issues. For many priests, Keeping the Faith was something of a breather. It paid respect to their lives. It tried to dramatise the day-by-day reality of priesthood and its relevance to the contemporary world. It did not preclude changes in the celibacy requirements in the future.

1. An unexpected film about religion, rabbis and priests for 2000? 21st-century expectations? The status of the priesthood? Difficulties, celibacy, realities? A pleasing and pleasant approach?

2. The shock of the opening, Brian and his drinking, stumbling in the garbage, going to the bar, confiding in the bartender, a kind of confession, the bartender and his good listening, enabling Brian to speak?

3. New York City, the location photography, the views, homes, schools, restaurants? The temple, the church, the rectory? The karaoke club? Bright tone? The musical score, the traditions of religious music?

4. The three children playing together, their memories, joyful, Anna and her verve, Brian and Jake and their friendship? The shock when Anna had to leave?

5. The voice-over about growing up? Going to the seminary, the studies, being an adventure rather than something different and unexpected? Masters in theology? the continued friendship? Jake and the Temple, Rabbi Lewis and his age, presiding? Jake and his possibility of succeeding him? His mother’s presence? Larry Friedman and his wife? The potential for criticism? Jake in Temple, greeting and urging everybody to respond? Brian, at Mass, the incense, his coughing, the thurible and swinging it, hitting the parishioner? The parish priest presiding? The two settling into their ministries?

6. Jake is a person, the dominance of his mother, his brother in the mixed marriage, Jake becoming a Rabbi and not joining the bank? His congregation and the slow singing, bringing in the gospel choir? The crowds attending, his pleasant way of communicating, down-to-earth? Talking with the mothers, their promoting their daughters? The date with the girl who wanted him to punch? Wanting him to come up to her room, his refusal? The others? The television announcer, the meal, with Brian and Anna? Her being called to Baghdad? His dream for his future, but not able to accept it? Wondering whether people were seeing him as a Rabbi rather than as Jake? Sharing with Brian, the idea of the karaoke club, going to the venue?

7. Brian, poised, contacts in ministry, popular in the street, the church?

8. Anna’s phone call, to Brian, Jake wondering why not to him? Meeting at the airport, the heavy case, talking about her career, business, workaholic? With the men in the office, the deals on the phone calls – and watching the sex antics through the window in the opposite building, and its later use for Jake to communicate with Anna? The dinners, the socials?

9. Jake, in love with Anna, the meetings, going out, with the television announcer, the beginning of the affair? Not telling Brian? Falls reasons for not telling him? Not telling his mother? The effect? Jake and his being cautious? The at home, his mother knowing, talking with Anna, their weeping together? His hopes, the possibility of his being Rabbi or not? The discussions with Anna, breaking with her? His being upset?

10. Issues of celibacy, the sex talk with Anna and Brian giving his reasons, the detail about his vocation, commitment? Later, falling in love, jealousy of Jake, drinking, praying at his bedside? The talk with Father Havel?

11. Father Havel, character, his Czech background paralleling that of Milos Forman himself? Sitting in the rectory? The talk with Brian, the details of the talk, remembering the seminary, Father Havel and his line for the seminarians in their vocation? The parallel with marriage? The nature of commitment, the importance of choice? His falling in love every decade, his response to the women? Persevering in his choice? Brian and his thinking that he would have given up the priesthood, saying that Father Havel was not telling him what to do – that was God to do this?

12. Brian, his gatecrashing the Bar Mitzvah, the boy and his broken voice, the reaction of the congregation to the Brian’s emotional attack on Jake, desperate, Jake and is listening, arguing?

13. Ruth, her stroke and the hospital, dominating, going home, the meal, her attitude towards her son and his mixed marriage, their not speaking, a change of heart, looking at the photo and her regrets about her behaviour?

14. Jake, his sermon, everybody listening, Brian and his presence, Rabbi Lewis, Larry Friedman and the board? Jake and his staying, waiting, and his sermon about his experience, in love with Anna, his not trusting the congregation and the fact that he should have confided in them?

15. Jake getting the job? His trying to get into the building where Anna worked, the security guard holding him up, going to the opposite building, phoning? Everybody listening? His declaration of love?

16. The karaoke hall, going to buy the speaker, the salesman, his singing, his pitch, seeing the Roman collar? His later coming to the opening – and his singing? Taking a chance on love!

17. Anna, not leaving, come into the hall? With Ruth?

18. The future for all three?

19. An insight, with the light touch, into the commitment of the Rabbi, his congregation, the need to have a wife, his dependence on the Board? On the commitment of the celibate priest, the rules, the possibility of living the celibate life, the ministry?

20. The point of this film in the light of criticisms of the clergy and sexual abuse scandals?