Keeping the Faith

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Keeping the Faith ★★½ 2000 (PG-13)

Norton's directorial debut sounds like a bad bar joke but turns out to be a slick, if meandering, romantic comedy. He's a priest, Brian, whose longtime best friend Jake (Stiller) is a rabbi with a congregation that wants him married to a nice Jewish girl. As kids, their mutual best pal was Anna, who returns to New York as a workaholic corporate exec (Elfman). The friendship is re-established but so is something more—both men fall for the lady and, unbeknownst to Brian, Anna and Jake begin an affair. More than sparks fly. 127m/C VHS, DVD . Edward Norton, Ben Stiller, Jenna Elfman, Anne Bancroft, Eli Wallach, Milos Forman, Ron Rifkin, Holland Taylor, Rena Sofer, Lisa Edelstein, Bodhi (Pine) Elfman; D: Edward Norton; W: Stuart Blumberg; C: Anastas Michos; M: Elmer Bernstein.