This is a wonderful movie, and incredibly underrated. It was released in the summer of Jurassic Park, and thus, kind of fell of radar quickly. I've been watching it since it started airing on HBO, it was one of those movies that if it came on, my family and I had to sit down and watch it until the end. Last year, after spending my first semester in NYC, I rented it again after I hadn't seen it in a while. When I realized that the story was set in Washington Square Park, I flipped out, because I had never made that connection, and here I was, right down the street from it. I still go visit the chess places and hustlers in the park, although I'm not a player, but it is still a fascinating sub-culture of NYC to experience.
The cast is amazing, starting with the three male leads: Joe Mantanga. Ben Kingsley. Lawrence Fishburne. Joan Allen as the mom. And a supporting cast that really knocks it out of the park in every single role, however small: Willam H. Macy. Tony Shaloub. Laura Linney. David Paymer. Austin Pembleton. Dan Hedya. I don't like to talk about my influences as a screenwriter a lot, but this movie is one due to the casting and the performances of the actors alone. Each role, however small, is memorable and distininctive, and I think that's an extremely important thing to do.
Anyway, I'm forgetting one of the best parts about the movie. The kid who plays Josh Waitzkin, child actor Max Pomeranc. This was his feature debut and he's chosen not to pursue acting. Kind of a shame, because he delivers a phenomenal performance.
Check this movie out.
The cast is amazing, starting with the three male leads: Joe Mantanga. Ben Kingsley. Lawrence Fishburne. Joan Allen as the mom. And a supporting cast that really knocks it out of the park in every single role, however small: Willam H. Macy. Tony Shaloub. Laura Linney. David Paymer. Austin Pembleton. Dan Hedya. I don't like to talk about my influences as a screenwriter a lot, but this movie is one due to the casting and the performances of the actors alone. Each role, however small, is memorable and distininctive, and I think that's an extremely important thing to do.
Anyway, I'm forgetting one of the best parts about the movie. The kid who plays Josh Waitzkin, child actor Max Pomeranc. This was his feature debut and he's chosen not to pursue acting. Kind of a shame, because he delivers a phenomenal performance.
Check this movie out.
