Common Sense Media Review
Young chess prodigy learns about sportsmanship.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Searching for Bobby Fischer
What's the Story?
Based on a true story, SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER centers on young chess prodigy Josh. While chess tutor Bruce (Ben Kingsley) helps the boy hone his skills for competition, Josh's parents (Joe Mantegna and Joan Allen) are strong and supportive. Mom tells him, "You have a good heart. And that's the most important thing in the world." Josh struggles with slipping into arrogance over his amazing talents, and he heads to a major competition intent on proving he's the best. But in the end, he learns that winning isn't everything.
Is It Any Good?
It takes confidence and loads of talent to make a movie about a boy who plays chess, and to make it riveting, but Steven Zaillian's directorial debut does just that. There are no clenched fists here, hardly a raised voice, and yet the movie is mesmerizing. There's a true sense of wonder in the scenes of Josh watching the chess players in the park, absorbing the intricacies of the game. That wonder is potent enough to spark an interest in young viewers, and encourage adults to take the board down from that dusty closet shelf. But an understanding of chess isn't vital to appreciating the movie, although a vague understanding does heighten the drama.
The characters, even the sideliners, are compelling, and a good streak of humor runs through the movie, especially in competition scenes when the nervous chess parents act less mature than their children.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what good sportsmanship means. How is good and bad sportsmanship shown during the movie? What role do parents play as role models?
How does this movie address the theme of parents finding the room to cultivate and encourage their child's abundant gifts while also giving them the time and space to still be kids?
While Bobby Fischer is shown to be an icon of chess in much the same way as Michael Jordan is to basketball, he is also shown to be rude, temperamental, misanthropic, and someone who disappeared rather than defend his chess championship. In later years, living abroad and mostly hiding out from the public eye, Fischer often made vicious anti-Semitic remarks in the rare interviews he gave, in addition to anti-American remarks immediately after 9/11. Who are some other examples of geniuses in their fields who also had extreme dark sides to their personalities? How is the theme of "the troubled genius" addressed in the movie?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 24, 2002
- On DVD or streaming : June 24, 2002
- Cast : Ben Kingsley , Joe Mantegna , Laurence Fishburne
- Director : Steven Zaillian
- Inclusion Information : Middle Eastern/North African Movie Director(s) , Indian/South Asian Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Paramount Pictures
- Genre : Drama
- Character Strengths : Integrity , Perseverance
- Run time : 111 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic material
- Last updated : March 14, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate