clevelander
The director of this melodrama displays the customary tenuous grasp on how chess is played, and the mawkish sentimentality found in many an old school film. The actors do well to deliver the corny lines and represent the saintly kids of the Bronx.Unfortunately I teach chess to kids in a school, voluntarily and not as part of any job, as do many chess teachers: and know that chess is the great underdog of the educational world. Hey, I'd be over the moon if some individual ever bunged in a quid or fiver to support the chess, never mind a few thousand dollars. So this film had me weeping uncontrollably all the way through, and I'd watch it again just to get in touch my emotions.Kids, don't bang down on those clocks you'll break them, and Ted, don't swish the pieces at the and of the games, that would be the chess equivalent of spiking the football at the end of the game. OK, its only a film...sob, sob.
writers_reign
Nine out of ten times an unashamedly sentimental feel-good film like this will have me in a photo finish reaching for the sick-bag and remote simultaneously but somehow this one kept me watching. Why? Good question. There's nothing here we haven't seen before on a fairly regular basis and there's only one familiar actor. Ted Danson here is light-years away from his breakthrough role in 'Cheers' and shows he can do quietly understated with the best of them. In retrospect it seems a little hard to believe that a group of kids from a deprived area in the Bronx could become hooked virtually overnight on chess but apparently the movie is based on a true story so who am I to argue. What can I tell you, I enjoyed it, I was moved and enriched. Sue me.
Marj Whitney
I thought this was one of the best things Ted Danson has done. I liked the story and I liked all the kids! I must admit this is one of my favorite kind of stories. I think Richard was a great teacher and he accomplished what many teachers only hope to accomplish. I have great admiration for teachers who use innovative ways of teaching children who don't seem to want to learn. In this film, the teacher uses the game of chess as the instrument of learning. It may seem strange that children would find this game interesting. That's where the intellect of the teacher shines through.I highly recommend this movie to one and all.
mre2usall
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this movie, but did anyone else notice a few moves that just annoyed them? At the end especially, Dawsons final move blocking his opponents check (it was like Rc3 or d3 I believe) and yet mating him, made no sense. It was possibly a discovered check with the queen I noticed, but for it to have been a mate it didn't really make much sense to me. Yeah, I guess I'm thinking too technical probably, but regardless great all around acting and definitely recommend it to viewers of all ages. I think this would be a great flick to show in school, possibly give kids who don't know or respect the game a better idea of what possibilities chess can bring into their lives.
AD
