The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick

How refreshing it is to see a film that is beautifully acted, directed and filmed that really has something important to say! Maybe the last time Hollywood did that was American Beauty. That's why I was delighted to happen upon Outside Chance, produced in British Columbia and filmed in Manitoba, far from the schlock, glitz and artifice of Hollywood. This is a "small" movie big enough to be worth seeking out.

On one level, it is a poignant, funny, warmhearted, intelligent exploration of the tensions inherent in being a stranger in a strange land, in this case, being Jewish in a prairie town in Canada. The leaders of the Jewish community (with good reason) don't feel they have been welcomed by the dominant community of non-Jews in the town, and they struggle to maintain their cultural uniqueness while endeavoring to avoid being seen as "different." But these desires inherently conflict, and they come to the surface via the interactions of the community, the 12-year-old protagonist (a boy who is the movie's truth-teller), his Christian friend and incipient girlfriend (who is also his two-hands piano partner), and a Lubovitcher Hasidic rabbi, who offers wisdom that excites the boy's mind and heart while conflicting with the community's wishes. The story looks unblinkingly at both the nontrivial weaknesses and enormous strengths of Jewish culture, yet could just as well have been about Vietnamese in America, Pakistanis in England or Greeks in Australia.

On another level, it is about the struggle to be true to one's individual nature, as opposed to what society expects of us. The boy has to confront the question "Does honoring your parents always mean complying with their wishes." The rabbi faces the question of how he wants to fulfill his life's mission.

These are serious questions, handled with a deft, light touch, in a script with just the right amount of warmth and wit, in a place that is somehow both familiar and strange, far from the usual Hollywood sets. Oh yes, and the klezmir music is wonderful!

Clearly a 10.

The title character is a twelve-year old boy in a small Canadian prairie town awaiting his Bar Mitzvah, which according to Jewish Custom will make him a man in the eyes of God, But it isn't God he's worried about: his real problems are the cute (but Catholic) new girl in town, his suddenly overprotective parents, and a new Rabbi who seems more than a little bit crazy. It all adds up to a modest little movie perhaps too easy to find fault with, but none worth arguing about. Noam Zylberman as Max is forced to carry the entire film, a tough enough burden for even a veteran actor (which he obviously wasn't yet), especially with a script relying so heavily on voice-over narration and strained Jewish humor. But the film is rescued by Saul Rubinek's performance as the jubilant, half-mad Rabbi Teitelman, an orthodox Jew with some very unorthodox ambitions. His lively presence makes this something more than just a glorified made-for-TV movie.

Maximilian Glick is a kid in 1950's Canadian prairie small town Beausejour, Manitoba. He's a part of a small assimilated Jewish community. His piano teacher puts him together with Celia Brzjinski (Fairuza Balk) to play a four-handed piece in competition. He starts developing feelings for his Christian partner but his family is prejudiced against mixed relationships. The community hires a new rabbi sight unseen after the old one dies. They are surprised when Hassidic Rabbi Teitelman (Saul Rubinek) shows up. Teitelman becomes Maximilian's mentor as he helps him study for his Bar Mitzfah.

It has a nice charming coming-of-age story. The characters are endearing with some terrific actors. It's a small town Jewish kid trying to deal with both religion and love at the same time. The production is strictly old-timey Canadiana. It's not high value but even that has a certain charm. The kid is good and Saul Rubinek is terrific. The lower production value limits its cinematic appeal but the material is first rate.

This film is a marvel. In the story of a young Jewish boy in a small town, we see a wonderful fable about ethnic identity and individuality. In this fun story of an insecure kid and a maverick Rabbi who change a town of subtle bigots, we learn about those themes in a subtle, but profound way.

The key conflict is how his, and the young rabbi's, sense of identity, both self and ethnic runs counter to the older generation's perception of those issues. To the older generation, being Jewish means to remain invisible, as if to be ashamed of what they are. Any one deviating from that is shut out and feared. Max and the young rabbi on the other hand, represent a new generation with a real sense of security in their religion and a willingness to share it with outsiders.

The example is shown most distinctly in how the generations celebrate. The old one's are sombre and quiet affairs that are from the outsiders, whereas the younger ones dance and play with an infectious joy that teach those same outsiders the beauty of Jewish culture and do more to help Jewish people than the fear the elders have.

Only when the older generation realizes this, is a peace made when they learn that you can protect your way of life by sharing far more than you can by shutting out.

To have a message as profound as this in a film with all the laughs and beauty is a rarity that you owe it yourself to see.

It's always refreshing to see intelligently written films that are suitable for kids, and I'm happy to say that this is one of them. Although it loses some momentum towards the end, this is a smart and frequently funny movie that has a good message as well. I think that people of all ages should be able to appreciate this film, and despite a few less-than-interesting moments, it is still a movie that's worth checking out.