Keeping the Faith

Keeping the Faith is a 2000 American romantic comedy film written by Stuart Blumberg, and starring Ben Stiller, Edward Norton in his directorial debut, Jenna Elfman, Eli Wallach, and Anne Bancroft. This film was released by Touchstone Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment, in association with Triple Threat Talent, on April 14, 2000.

The film begins with a drunken and downtrodden Catholic priest telling his story to a sympathetic bartender Brian George. Father Brian Finn Edward Norton has been dedicated to his calling since he was a child and now shares the duties of a New York parish with an older priest, Fr. Havel Milo Forman. Rabbi Jacob Jake Schram Ben Stiller, best friends with Brian since childhood, is the youngest rabbi at his Conservativecitation needed synagogue his lack of effort to find a Jewish wife often results in his mother, Ruth Anne Bancroft and other women of his congregation setting him up on blind dates, much to his dismay. The two men show a close bond, even in their professions, where the two are planning the opening of a jointly sponsored community center. In its earlier days, the friendship included a third party. Via flashbacks and reminiscent musings, Anna Reilly Jenna Elfman is introduced she met Jake and Brian in middle school, after beating up a bully who was picking on them. The three became great friends, and enjoyed their childhood together. Unfortunately, Annas father got a new job that resulted in the Reillys moving to California, and ultimately she lost touch with Brian and Jake.Sixteen years later, Anna calls her old friends out of the blue and the friendship is rekindled when her company temporarily reassigns her to a New York position. Feelings quickly begin to run deeper than before, as Anna, despite her workaholic tendencies, is as vibrant as Brian and Jake remembered her however, it is, ironically, the mens careers that prove to be the most problematic. She and Jake begin sleeping together, but he is reluctant to be involved in a serious relationship with her because she is not Jewish, a fact which could compromise his relationship with his congregation and also with his mother who disowned her eldest son Jakes older brother Ethan for marrying outside the faith. Between the religious conflict and their desire to spare the feelings of their mutual frie

Source: Wikipedia