Searching for Bobby Fischer

The story of a child with a gift for chess, and of his family. Josh is seven. Watching the men play speed chess in Washington Square Park he picks the game up and is soon beating adults. When his father sees it he finds him a teacher named Bruce Pandolfini. That is where the conflict begins. Pandolfini is disciplined, classical, and teaches him to crush an opponent. Vinnie, in the park, plays fast, by instinct and without rules. Josh is caught between them. The real subject is not chess: it is a child feeling he has to win, and how the family feeds that. The father is proud of his son's gift and gradually starts behaving as though he owns it. The story is true: Josh Waitzkin became a chess master and his father Fred Waitzkin wrote the book of the same name. The Fischer of the title never appears on screen; he stands through the narrative as a measure and a warning. Ben Kingsley plays Pandolfini, Laurence Fishburne plays Vinnie, Joe Mantegna the father and Max Pomeranc plays Josh; Pomeranc was a child who really played chess. Steven Zaillian's first film as director. Conrad Hall's cinematography was Oscar-nominated. A calm, well-written film for anyone who likes family drama and games of the mind. For a viewer expecting tension, the narrative is slow and what is at its centre is a child's peace of mind.