Searching For Bobby Fischer (1993)

Talent is a gift, but no prize is worth losing the kindness that makes you who you are. Steven Zaillian's "Searching for Bobby Fischer," based on the book by sportswriter Fred Waitzkin, tells the true story of his son, Josh (Max Pomeranc), a 7-year-old New Yorker who reveals an astonishing gift for chess. After Josh beats his father (Joe Mantegna) for the first time, his parents realize their quiet, sweet-natured son may be a prodigy, the kind of player who comes along once in a generation, perhaps even the next Bobby Fischer. Josh has already been learning the fast, aggressive style of speed chess in Washington Square Park from Vinnie (Laurence Fishburne), a fast-talking hustler who teaches him to trust his instincts and play with flair. His father hires Bruce Pandolfini (Ben Kingsley), a demanding, by-the-book coach, who insists Josh study opening theory, keep his queen at home and even learn to hold his opponents in contempt. Caught between two teachers and a father increasingly swept up in the competitive world of tournaments, Josh begins to lose his love for the game. His mother, Bonnie (Joan Allen), fiercely protects his childhood. The pressure builds toward a national championship match against Jonathan Poe, a rival prodigy trained in the same cold, calculating style. Zaillian, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Schindler's List," made his directing debut with the film, and Conrad L. Hall's cinematography earned an Academy Award nomination. Pomeranc, a gifted young chess player himself, gives a remarkably natural performance. Wise and moving, it's a film about parenting and competition as much as chess, and about winning without losing yourself.