Searching for Bobby Fischer (Innocence Moves)

22 Pictures

6.9	Rating (144 ratings)
7.4	IMDB rating

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Directed by

Steven Zaillian

Starring (View all)

Max Pomeranc
Josh Waitzkin

Joe Mantegna
Fred Waitzkin

Joan Allen
Bonnie Waitzkin

Ben Kingsley
Bruce Pandolfini

Laurence Fishburne
Vinnie

Robert Stephens
Poe's Teacher

David Paymer
Kalev

Hal Scardino
Morgan

Written by

Steven Zaillian
(screenplay)

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1993 film Trailer --- Searching for Bobby Fischer

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Reviews

The Chess Club

11 years, 3 months ago at Aug 20 14:11

charidotes20

I suppose that I saw this when I was little, but I don't suppose that I realized what a *bad* movie it was, when I was little.

Ayn Rand once wrote an essay, the title of which I really don't remember, in which she wrote about why there were so many fucking chess players in her native Russia. Basically, she argued that, in a society based on insanity, chess was an escape mechanism f... read more

A good movie

10 years, 6 months ago at Jun 5 14:06

johanlefourbe

This movie was on my ‘to-watch’ list for a couple of years already and I was really glad to finally watch it. Even though I really suck balls at chess, I think it is a fascinating game, even more than poker or pool, and since I kept hearing good things about this flick (Roger Ebert really loved it for example), I was really curious about it. Eventually, to be honest, even though I enjoyed this... read more

View all Searching for Bobby Fischer reviews

Description: A sportswriter is thrilled to find his son is a chess prodigy. Taking his son into the amazing world of championship chess, he learns that loving his kid is the best way to mold ... Full Descriptiona champion in this intelligent and fascinating film. Academy Award Nominations: Best Cinematography. Though he's only seven, Josh looks at a chessboard and anticipates moves that mature chess players don't even see. He's a malleable young boy with an incredible talent for the game of masterminds. When Josh begins honing his talent, playing a speedy version of the game called "blitz" with hustlers and hobos, his father A sportswriter is thrilled to find his son is a chess prodigy. Taking his son into the amazing world of championship chess, he learns that loving his kid is the best way to mold ... Full Descriptiona champion in this intelligent and fascinating film. Academy Award Nominations: Best Cinematography.

Though he's only seven, Josh looks at a chessboard and anticipates moves that mature chess players don't even see. He's a malleable young boy with an incredible talent for the game of masterminds. When Josh begins honing his talent, playing a speedy version of the game called "blitz" with hustlers and hobos, his father decides to take him to world reknowned coach Bruce Pandolfini, who claims Josh may well be the second coming of chess legend Bobby Fischer. But family struggles ensue when the mother worries that in cultivating the genius, they may be hurting the child.

"Searching For Bobby Fischer" is a true story based on the book of the same title by Fred Waitzkin about his experiences with his chess-playing prodigy son Josh. This is screenwriter-director Steven Zaillian's directorial debut. Producer Scott Rudin can be credited as having first brought the book to Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Steven Zaillian's attention. Zaillian, nominated for his "Awakenings" script, has turned many stories about ordinary people into compassionate screenplays dramatizing life's mysteries. For the part of Josh, casting agent Avy Kaufman issued a national talent search, hoping to find a child actor capable of balancing the challenges that accompany playing a child prodigy: familiarity with chess, ability to memorize lines, and acting skill. Kaufman provided the same assistance for Jodie Foster's 1991 directorial debut, "Little Man Tate." According to the film's production notes, the real Bruce Pandolfini, responsible for discovering Josh's talent, was technical advisor on the film. To Pandolfini, verisimilitude was the goal. According to Paramount's press kit, he worked with the cast to coach them on chess techniques, perfect their chess style and help them memorize their moves. Rated BBFC PG by the British Board of Film Classification. "Innocent Moves" is the British title; "Searching for Bobby Fisher" is the U.S. title.

... (more)

Release date: 11 August 1993
UPC: 097363267348

Tags: Drama (9), Chess (8), Competition (4), Based On Book (4), 1990s (3), (3), Based On Novel (3), Father Son Relationship (3), 1993 (3), Independent Film (3), Young Boy (3), Ethics (3), Based On True Story (2), Sportsmanship (2), Child Prodigy (2), Opportunity (1), Gifted (1), Nonconformity (1), Champion (1), Whiz Kid (1)

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" Josh Waitzkin is just a typical American boy interested in baseball when one day he challenges his father at chess and wins. Showing unusual precocity at the outdoor matches at Washington Square in New York City, he quickly makes friends with a hustler named Vinnie who teaches him speed chess. Josh's parents hire a renowned chess coach, Bruce, who teaches Josh the usefulness of measured planning. Along the way Josh becomes tired of Bruce's system and chess in general and purposely throws a m"

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" This might be kind of a spoiler, but despite the name of this film, it's not about trying to find the whereabouts of the world's most famous and most reclusive chess player. It's about a young boy whose extraordinary skillz at the game of chess leads the grown ups in his life to try to do their bit (each in their own individualized way) to help him fully maximize his talent, with the hopes that the elementary school phenom might end up becoming the next Bobby Fischer. Insightfully percepti"

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