Day 14- Movie 11. Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)

There's a few reasons I went with 1993's Searching for Bobby Fischer for my 11th movie. This is actually a movie I have seen before- probably around 94 or 95. I wanted to watch this to illustrate an important point. My total movie count (1,910 if you've been following along at home) is actually only the count of movies I've seen since I started keeping track in March 2001. So, all of the movies I saw before that date are not necessarily included. I've worked hard to rewatch many of the movies I watched before that date, but I've seen a lot of movies in my life,and I haven't gotten all of them in the "official" count yet. I suppose when I started, I could have just grandfathered in all those previous movies, but I specifically chose not to. I wanted to be 100% accurate with that count. That means once in a while, I have to watch a movie I've seen before to include it in my official tally.

The second reason I wanted to watch this movie is because I was only 12 or 13 when I first (and last) watched it, and there were still parts of the film that I remembered vividly. That is the mark of a great movie- when you can remember scenes that impacted you over a decade after watching it. I was surprised at how much I remembered, but also by how much I did not.

If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it. It is a great movie. It's based on the true life story of a young chess prodigy, and is pretty remarkable. The story is about a kid with a gift, but it's also about so much more than that- it's about facing our fears, about overcoming adversity, and about having compassion and kindness. This is a film about the greatness we all have inside us, and about how we choose to use the talents God gave us. It is an inspirational, uplifting movie. It is foremost a movie about chess- not about the science or the math of it- but the art. It is beautiful in that aspect.

The cast is also fantastic. Max Pomeranc is truly astounding in his acting debut. The film also features Joe Mantegna, Joan Allen, Ben Kingsley, Laurence Fishburne, and small performances by Laura Linney, Tony Shalhoub, William H. Macy, Dan Hedaya, and David Paymer. The cast is pretty incredible.

This real life drama does so much right. It is fascinating in how it portrays genius, and how natural ability alone is not enough to truly excel in life. There's so much one can learn about life from watching this movie. I watch a lot of crappy movies, but I also get the opportunity to watch some truly great ones. Searching for Bobby Fischer is one of those great movies, so I give this film an 8/10.

Does anyone else remember this film from their childhood? The part that's always stuck with me is when his teacher gives him the certificate he's so badly wanted, and then pulls out thirty or forty more, telling him they are worthless. I remember being confused about why he would do that and about feeling sad for Josh Waitzkin. It's funny the moments of films from when we were younger that stick with us, through all the days, months, and years, and all the other movies we've seen. I've never forgotten that scene and the first time I saw it. Anyone who says movies aren't powerful obviously hasn't had a moment like that.