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IMDbPro

Searching for Bobby Fischer

  • 19931993
  • PGPG
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
40K
YOUR RATING
Max Pomeranc in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
A prepubescent chess prodigy refuses to harden himself in order to become a champion like the famous but unlikable Bobby Fischer.
Play trailer2:27
1 Video
45 Photos
  • Biography
  • Drama
  • Sport
A prepubescent chess prodigy refuses to harden himself in order to become a champion like the famous but unlikable Bobby Fischer.A prepubescent chess prodigy refuses to harden himself in order to become a champion like the famous but unlikable Bobby Fischer.A prepubescent chess prodigy refuses to harden himself in order to become a champion like the famous but unlikable Bobby Fischer.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
40K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Steven Zaillian
  • Writers
    • Fred Waitzkin(book)
    • Steven Zaillian(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Joe Mantegna
    • Ben Kingsley
    • Max Pomeranc
Top credits
  • Director
    • Steven Zaillian
  • Writers
    • Fred Waitzkin(book)
    • Steven Zaillian(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Joe Mantegna
    • Ben Kingsley
    • Max Pomeranc
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 123User reviews
    • 43Critic reviews
    • 89Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 6 wins & 11 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:27
    Official Trailer

    Photos45

    Steven Zaillian in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
    Max Pomeranc in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
    Joan Allen, Laurence Fishburne, William H. Macy, Ben Kingsley, Laura Linney, Joe Mantegna, and Max Pomeranc in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
    Max Pomeranc in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
    Max Pomeranc in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
    Max Pomeranc in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
    Max Pomeranc in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
    Joe Mantegna and Max Pomeranc in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
    Ben Kingsley in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
    Joan Allen in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
    Max Pomeranc in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
    Joan Allen, Laurence Fishburne, Ben Kingsley, and Joe Mantegna in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Joe Mantegna
    Joe Mantegna
    • Fred Waitzkinas Fred Waitzkin
    Ben Kingsley
    Ben Kingsley
    • Bruce Pandolfinias Bruce Pandolfini
    Max Pomeranc
    Max Pomeranc
    • Josh Waitzkinas Josh Waitzkin
    Joan Allen
    Joan Allen
    • Bonnie Waitzkinas Bonnie Waitzkin
    Laurence Fishburne
    Laurence Fishburne
    • Vinnieas Vinnie
    Michael Nirenberg
    • Jonathan Poeas Jonathan Poe
    Robert Stephens
    Robert Stephens
    • Poe's Teacheras Poe's Teacher
    David Paymer
    David Paymer
    • Kalevas Kalev
    Hal Scardino
    Hal Scardino
    • Morganas Morgan
    Vasek Simek
    • Russian Park Playeras Russian Park Player
    William H. Macy
    William H. Macy
    • Tunafish Fatheras Tunafish Father
    Dan Hedaya
    Dan Hedaya
    • Tournament Directoras Tournament Director
    Laura Linney
    Laura Linney
    • School Teacheras School Teacher
    Anthony Heald
    Anthony Heald
    • Fighting Parentas Fighting Parent
    Steven Randazzo
    Steven Randazzo
    • Man of Many Signalsas Man of Many Signals
    Chelsea Moore
    • Katya Waitzkinas Katya Waitzkin
    Josh Mostel
    Josh Mostel
    • Chess Club Regularas Chess Club Regular
    Josh Kornbluth
    • Chess Club Regularas Chess Club Regular
    • Director
      • Steven Zaillian
    • Writers
      • Fred Waitzkin(book)
      • Steven Zaillian(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Max Pomeranc was chosen because he is, in real life, a chess player (or was at the time of this movie). The producers wanted someone who would be at ease and "correctly" playing chess. None of this movie's other stars played chess in the beginning, but eventually Joe Mantegna learned.
    • Goofs
      Josh tells Vinnie he learned the "Schliemann Attack" from his teacher. Actually there's no such thing. It's the Schliemann Defense. Also, when Vinnie asks, "What's that?" referring to the "attack," Josh actually hasn't yet made the move that would prompt him to say this, he's just playing the opening move of the standard Ruy Lopez (1. ... e5), so there'd be no reason for Vinnie to say "What's that?" at that point. The move that makes it "Schliemann" (3. ...f5) hasn't yet been played.
    • Quotes

      Josh: Maybe it's better not to be the best. Then you can lose and it's OK.

    • Alternate versions
      The original film ends with a title card stating that Josh still plays chess along with several other activities, indicating that he has a well-rounded life. When the film was broadcast on NBC in 1996, this title card was updated: it now stated that Josh was working to become a Grandmaster, and that he now considered Jack Kerouac, not Bobby Fischer, to be his primary influence.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Rising Sun/Tom and Jerry: The Movie/Robin Hood: Men in Tights/So I Married an Axe Murderer/Searcing for Bobby Fischer (1993)
    • Soundtracks
      Enough Is Enough
      Written by Anthony Criss, Kier Gist, Vincent Brown, A. Bahr, J Ray

      Performed by Rottin Razkals

    User reviews123

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Don't play against the board play against the man
    ***SPOILERS*** The movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer" parallels the lives of Grand Chess Master Bobby Fischer with that of young seven year-old chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin, Max Pomeranc. The movie does it by inserting newsreel footage of Bobby winning the World Chess Championship Tournament in Reykjavik Iceland back in 1972 against the Soviet Unions Boris Spassky. It then jumps back to when Bobby Fischer was a young boy, and man, in the 1950's and 1960's as his obsession with chess brought him the fame and glory that he sought. Yet at the same time denied him the life of a normal boy growing up in post WWII America that his night and day chess fixation cost him.

    Josh has lots of promise in becoming a future Bobby Fischer; he has a computer-like mind and a natural ability to foresee moves by his opponents, even before they even know that they'll make them. One thing that Josh doesn't have is that drive and determination, as well as killer-instinct, that Bobby Fisher had and as far as I know still does in playing to win and pulverizing his opponents into the ground by doing it.

    Josh likes all kinds of sports, besides chess, and his dad Fred Waitzkin, Joe Mantegna, is a sports writer who takes Josh along to the Yankee and New York Mets baseball games where the young boy really has as much of a good time watching the ball games as he has playing chess. Fred realizes what a whiz his young son Josh is in the game of chess and wants to have him study the finer points of the game by hiring former national chess champion Bruce Pandolfini, Ben Kingsley, to tutor him and Bruce right away realizes that Josh has the makings of another Bobby Fischer. What does bother Bruce about Josh is his playing with the local chess hustlers like Winnie, Laurence Fishburn, in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. Which, in Bruce's opinion, is far to fast and doesn't give young Josh time to develop his all around concentration and understanding of the game of chess.

    During the course of the movie Josh is driven relentlessly by Bruce in his attempt to mold him into another Bobby Fischer but Josh slowly starts to lose his interest in winning all the chess tournaments that he enters. The very fact of his invincibility makes Josh feel uneasy since it's always expected of him to win, like the sun is expected to rise in the morning, that there's no fun or excitement in it for him any more. Losing becomes more of a growing experience for Josh and even arouses his passions in making him feel more human. Josh is also too sensitive to beat down his opponents, like Bobby Fischer did. That later lost him the championship game against the likewise seven year-old chess phenomenon Jonathan Poe, Michael Nirenberg.

    After his defeat to Jonathan Josh is looked on as if he let down all those who believed in him and at the same time he starts to get his life back together as a young boy living a normal life and not carrying the weight of the entire world of chess on his shoulders. It's during this time that the real talent that Josh had in playing chess comes up to the surface, without him being driven relentlessly by Bruce. Those untapped talents leads him to go back to playing chess, first with his friend at the park Winnie, and then working his way back in winning a number of tournaments to his becoming a top chess champion competitor. All that finally earns Josh a re-match with Jonathan for the Junior Chess Championship of the US in Chicago at the conclusion of the film.

    Powerful movie and very intense for the young boys and girls in it in how they drive and push themselves to be the best at the game of chess and at the same time putting themselves in danger of sacrificing their one and only childhood to do it.

    Josh Waitzkin did reach the top back then when the movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer" was made in 1993 and is still there some ten years, and dozens of tournaments, later. He did it without losing both his childhood and his kind heart and sensitivity for his fellow man by doing it.
    helpful•25
    9
    • sol-kay
    • Jul 3, 2005

    FAQ3

    • Is "Searching for Bobby Fischer" based on a book?
    • Has there really ever been a chess player named "Jonathan Poe"?
    • Are the actual moves in the Waitzkin versus Sarwer match avaliable?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 11, 1993 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Innocent Moves
    • Filming locations
      • Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Mirage Enterprises
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $12,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $7,266,383
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,121,354
      • Aug 15, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $7,266,383
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 49 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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