"Keeping the Faith"

In addition, Stiller liked the script's depiction of a friendship between two young men, and was especially interested in portraying a rabbi. "I've never played a rabbi before," he tells it. "Except in 'The Chosen' and 'A Stranger Among Us,'" he jests. "But in both of those I was under heavy beards so you can't really tell it's me." But Stiller truly liked the opportunity to reconnect with the Jewish side of his heritage. "I always had good memories of going to a synagogue when I was a kid, of the atmosphere of going into a temple or a church and being removed from everyday life into that feeling of a sanctuary.

"But at the end of the day," Stiller continues, "The story is still about human relationships." For the role of the woman who was Brian and Jake's close pal when they were thirteen and with whom they both find themselves falling in love when she reappears in New York, the filmmakers considered many young actresses before casting Jenna Elfman, the star of ABC's "Dharma and Greg." Like Stiller, the young actress was very eager to work with Norton on his directorial debut. "Edward is brilliant," Elfman says. "And I knew I could learn a lot from working with him." "When Jenna walked into the room, we said, 'wow, that's really Anna,'" says Blumberg. "Jenna embodies this kind of dazzling charisma that draws you to her. She's really sassy, funny, whip smart, and yet can be really vulnerable and tender." Norton was equally impressed by the young actress. "She reminded me of Carole Lombard, Lucille Ball, and Kate Hepburn," he says. "They're all beautiful leading women who are true comediennes."

"The script had the feeling of old classic movies, which are my favorite," says Elfman, explaining why she wanted to play Anna. "And Anna has a beautiful blend of timelessness and contemporary qualities which really appealed to me." As Anna, Elfman would play a role very different from "Dharma," the television character for which she is widely known, and for which she has won a Golden Globe Award and two Emmy nominations.

"Anna is the kind of role that Jenna's never gotten to play and on a film level, she hasn't been widely seen," explains Norton. "So she's someone the audience can be meeting for the first time along with these two guys," who haven't seen Anna since they were thirteen "Anna is a very confidant girl, very able and good at what she does," adds Jenna Elfman. "Edward had this sort of Young Turk philosophy about our three characters-we're young, at the top of our game and there's sort of a cockiness that comes with that." "I think a lot of people will say, 'I know people like that, in that she's a very driven and talented woman trying to make it in the corporate world," adds Blumberg of Anna. "I think when she comes to New York, she starts to understand that if she's going to have other things in her life-friends, love, a spiritual life-she's got to work for them." For the story's supporting roles, the filmmakers were able to cast some of film's most acclaimed actors, such as Anne Bancroft as Ruth Schram, Jake's protective Upper West Side mother. "She's great. We were lucky to get her," says Norton.

"It was important that we like Ruth but also on a certain level be a little bit intimidated by her. And we were all a little bit intimidated by her," adds the first-time director about the Academy AwardŽ-winning actress. "Keeping the Faith" also reunited Anne Bancroft with Eli Wallach, with whom she hadn't worked since they had their first screen test together. Wallach was cast as Rabbi Lewis, the elder rabbi at Jake's synagogue. "Rabbi Lewis is the peacemaker," says Wallach of his character, who runs interference between the young, unconventional rabbi and the more traditional members of the temple. "I brought Jake in, I had some decision in selecting him as the new associate rabbi and I feel responsible for him."

Ben Stiller especially looked forward to acting with Eli Wallach, whom he had known as a family friend since his boyhood. "To work with someone who's been in so many great movies and is such a good actor is really exciting," says Stiller. "It gives you a really nice sense of continuity and makes you feel good about the business you're in." Others who joined the film's impressive cast included Tony Award-winning actor Ron Rifkin as a member of Jake's temple who objects most to Jake's rather un-Kosher ways, and Holland Taylor, who recently won an Emmy for her role on "The Practice," as a high-powered member of the temple eager for Jake to date her celebrity daughter. For several roles, the filmmakers also cast performers with whom Norton had previously worked. Donna Hanover, known to New Yorkers as a local television personality and as the wife of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and who had acted with Norton in "The People vs. Larry Flynt," appears in a cameo as a rather uncharitable church-goer. The director of the same film, Academy AwardŽ-winner Milos Forman, plays Father Havel, Brian's boss and confidante. "We essentially wrote the part for him," Norton tells it. "I was thinking of who's been a mentor in my life, and Milos has been that. I showed him the scenes, told him it would take only four days and gave him no choice." Even screenwriter Stuart Blumberg appears in the comic role of Len, Anna's co-worker and fawning admirer. With his background in stage and television comedy and also having worked for a few years as an investment banker when just out of college, it was agreed Blumberg was perfect for the part. For the behind-the-scenes team, producers Koch, Norton and Blumberg also called upon those they knew and respected such as young director of photography Anastas Michos. Norton had known Michos from "The People vs. Larry Flynt," and the cameraman had gone on to shoot Forman's "Man on the Moon." The producers also hired famed costume designer Michael Kaplan, of "Flashdance" and "Blade Runner," who had designed the wardrobe for "Fight Club," Norton's recent film for director David Fincher. For production designer, they hired New York-based Wynn P. Thomas, whose work on Spike Lee's films is greatly admired. ABOUT THE PRODUCTION "Keeping the Faith" filmed in New York, mainly on Manhattan's Upper West Side, where Stuart Blumberg's screenplay about two young clerics and a beautiful businesswoman was set. "I think New York is at the vanguard in terms of confronting the kinds of questions that are getting asked in the movie," says Norton. "Because you have everybody living together in New York and everybody is in essence a mutt." In order to satisfy the filmmakers' desire to present New York in all its summer glory, moreover, "Keeping the Faith" had almost twice as many locations as the average film of the same shooting schedule. "We wanted it to be real and celebrate as many of the textures of New York as possible," explains Norton. "We're shooting New York in a way that the city is as major a character as anybody else," adds producer Hawk Koch. While a few years ago, many films only shot their exteriors in New York with studio work filmed elsewhere, "Keeping the Faith" shot exclusively in the city and close by. "New York is much more flexible and facilitative to filmmaking than in the past," says executive producer Gary Barber.

For the look of the film, production designer Wynn P. Thomas' goal was to present a world that reflected the two main characters who inhabited it: Ben Stiller's Rabbi Jacob Schram and Edward Norton's Father Brian Finn. "Edward Norton's major concern was that the film have a contemporary look because the two religious men are still very vibrant and alive young people," says Thomas, who has designed many films shot in New York. As part of their research into the two religions, the production team solicited the aid of two technical advisors, one from each faith, themselves representative of the modern cleric: Rabbi Hillel Norry and Father John Duffell.

While the rabbi helped the production team in their research, he was especially helpful to actor Ben Stiller as, like the character of Jake Schram, Rabbi Norry is himself an Upper West Side bachelor. Stiller, who grew up on the Upper West Side, spent some time with the rabbi at the synagogue to research his role. "It's interesting, because I had no idea what a day in a rabbi's life is like," says Stiller. "Can he go out with a non-Jewish girl? Can he go out with a girl in his congregation? Does he have to be Kosher?" Similarly, Edward Norton spent time with Father John Duffell, attending his masses and learning about the priest's life as a community activist. While New York affords hundreds of beautiful churches and synagogues, the production team stuck to the script for their locations. "This film is an Upper West Side story," says production designer Wynn P. Thomas. "We intentionally picked churches and synagogues in that neighborhood so that they would be true to the spirit of the Upper West Side," an area known for its rich culture and ethnic mix. The sanctuary and exterior of Jake's temple, for example, was filmed at B'nai Jeshurun on West 88th, where Thomas and Edward Norton attended Friday night services early in pre-production. The exotic Byzantine/Romanesque style of the interior, fashionable for well-to-do temples when it was built in 1918, impressed the director, as did the lively services he witnessed that night. Indeed the temple is famous for attracting capacity crowds on Friday nights, much like the script's B'nai Ezra, the synagogue where Jake increases attendance with rather unorthodox techniques, including group meditation and gospel choirs. For Brian's church, Edward Norton chose the Church of the Ascension on West 107th Street for its location as much as for its beautiful Gothic interior. "We felt that it was a church in a working neighborhood with a wide variety of people," explains designer Thomas. "That appealed to Edward's thoughts about the character of Brian working closely with different ethnic groups, trying to make a change in the neighborhood." Ironically, but in keeping with Jake's and Brian's attempts to promote cooperation between their synagogue and church, some of the scenes in Jake's temple were shot inside a church. "For some reason most synagogues have very small what we called 'support spaces'," says Thomas. The production team instead found some space in the Church of SS Paul and Andrew, around the corner from B'nai Jeshurun, where they built a set for Jake's office that was inspired by that of Rabbi Norry. "There were a lot of playful elements in Rabbi Norry's office that showed that all types of people came there. He had children's toys, for example, for kids to play with in his office." Also filmed on the Upper West Side were many of the characters' apartments, both interiors and exteriors, and several of the restaurants the characters frequent: Carmine's, Delphini, and Boulevard. Flashbacks to the three characters' childhoods were also mainly filmed in the area, which included P.S. 87 on West 78th Street and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Riverside Drive. The production also filmed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art off Fifth Avenue, the Cloisters Museum in Fort Tryon Park, the Church of the Ascension and Riverbank State Park in Upper Manhattan, in Chelsea at Peter MacManus Cafe, at the Barnes and Noble on Union Square, in Central Park, and on Irving Place.

For Anna's office, the filmmakers built a set on a high floor in an office building overlooking Battery Park. Located on the lower tip of Manhattan, the space offered a spectacular view of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. "The location gave a sense of being on top of the world," says Thomas, much in the way that Elfman's high-powered Anna finds herself. "Plus it had another building right next to it, which the script required," as Anna finds herself watching the saga of an office lothario in the building across the way.

While Wynn Thomas presented Anna's corporate world with a sleek and monochromatic office, costume designer Michael Kaplan similarly dressed Jenna Elfman in muted colors and greys and in a style far removed from the actress's TV persona. Even Anna's hairstyle through much of the film is a simple, no-nonsense ponytail. "I wanted her to be more streamlined and serious and to the point," explains Kaplan, who dressed Elfman in a variety of beautiful clothes from Costume Nationale and Helmut Lang, among others. "Her deal is simplicity; Anna doesn't have a lot of time to be concerned with accessories and shopping. Her main accessory is her cell phone. "Jenna was a pleasure to dress," Kaplan continues. "She has a great figure-nothing needs camoflaging. I just got a note from her saying she thinks she's never looked better." Kaplan also dressed Anne Bancroft, who plays Jake's mother Ruth, in very elegant clothes, all by Calvin Klein. Bancroft wanted Ruth to wear black, as a true New Yorker would. "As I talked to each actor, they all said, 'I want to wear black,' with the exception of Edward," says Michael Kaplan. "And he had to wear black whenever he was a priest. All of the actors needed to compromise-I didn't want this comedy to look like a funeral!" Kaplan conferred with the film's advisors in choosing appropriate wardrobe for Jake and Brian. "Things have changed so much," says. "When I first met Father Duffell, he had just come back from jogging and he was wearing the latest Nike clothes. I realized that these people are totally integrated into society." "Whenever Brian was doing something that was part of the ceremony in the church, he would be dressed appropriately," explains Kaplan, who found the ceremonial clothes in catalogues and stores that cater to clergy. "The same thing for Ben Stiller playing a rabbi. Aside from that, there are no rules."

But how far the ceremony reaches into the clerics' personal lives was a question for the film's advisors. "There's a scene where Ben Stiller is putting on the teffilin and saying his morning prayers," says Kaplan. "I thought since he had just gotten out of bed, he might just do it in his underwear, and Rabbi Norry said no, definitely not. He would be dressed." When Brian dons his civilian clothes, on the other hand, Kaplan dressed Norton in lighter summer colors, in clothes of priest-like simplicity. Stiller's rabbi, on the other hand, is dressed almost exclusively in New York City black.

Interestingly, Kaplan found that working with Edward Norton as a director was much the same as when they worked together on "Fight Club," in which Norton acted. "I kind of knew he would be a director in the way he had talked about his wardrobe during 'Fight Club,'" says Kaplan. "He has a vision, and very definite ideas." "Edward is very thorough, open to ideas and incredibly focused," adds Hawk Koch. "He's also really good at communicating to actors and pushing them to their limits to get the performance that they have inside them." "He has this great ability to create an environment where the actors feel safe enough to try new things and take risks," adds Blumberg. "And there are these great unexpected moments that came out of improv that add to the scene." Ben Stiller in particular added to each and every scene in which he appeared. "Ben always comes up with funny things, and it's really fun to watch because he's different every time," notes Jenna Elfman. "He's extremely talented with comedy-like nothing I've ever seen." Indeed, the chemistry between the three leading characters-friends since childhood-was key. "The three actors riff wonderfully," says producer Hawk Koch. "The chemistry is so good, and I think they had a lot of fun together." "Edward is so charming, and very funny," says Jenna Elfman of her co-star and director. "In a scene, it doesn't feel like we're acting. It's that easy, it's like a dance. "I have a great relationship with one, and a great relationship with the other, and when the three of us are together, there are all these little chemical reactions going on," says Elfman. In fact, half the fun in the movie is trying to figure out what's going to happen between the three. "Plus it's me and two boys, which has been great."

"I haven't seen a love triangle between a rabbi, a priest, and a non-Jewish woman before," says Ben Stiller. "But it's about real people, to whom we can all relate." While the filmmakers expect to make audiences laugh, they also hope "Keeping the Faith" will stay with them a long while after leaving the cinema. "I think there's a very nice message in the film about trust and faith," concludes producer Hawk Koch. "And a lot time we can tell the truth about our lives with a little humor better than we can when it's hit over our heads in a serious way."

ABOUT THE CAST

BEN STILLER (Jake Schram) is an actor, director and writer. Most recently he starred in Universal's "Mystery Men." He just completed filming "Meet The Parents," directed by Jay Roach and also starring Robert De Niro, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner and James Rebhorn.

Stiller starred in Peter and Bobby Farrelly's smash hit romantic comedy, "There's Something About Mary." He gained critical notice in "Permanent Midnight," based on Jerry Stahl's controversial Hollywood memoir and received further positive notice for his role in Neil LaBute's "Your Friends and Neighbors." Stiller has his own production company, Red Hour Films, for which he will write, produce, and direct films. Among Red Hour Films' projects are "The Suburbans," starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, and "The Hardy Men," an updated look at the onetime teen crimefighters, "The Hardy Boys." Stiller's most recent directorial effort was "The Cable Guy," starring Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick. Stiller made his feature-length motion picture directorial debut in 1994 with the critically acclaimed "Reality Bites," in which he co-starred with Winona Ryder, Janeane Garofalo, and Ethan Hawke. Other film credits include Jake Kasdan's "Zero Effect" with Bill Pullman, David O'Russell's "Flirting with Disaster," opposite Patricia Arquette, Tea Leoni, Josh Brolin and Mary Tyler Moore, as well as Steven Spielberg's epic World War II adventure "Empire of the Sun," and the feature films "Next of Kin," "Fresh Horses," and "Stella." Stiller made his professional acting debut on Broadway in 1985 starring opposite John Mahoney in John Guare's "House of Blue Leaves." While appearing in the play, Stiller persuaded Mahoney and cast members Swoosie Kurtz, Stockard Channing, and Julie Hagerty to appear in a short comedy film, his first true directorial effort, "The Hustler of Money." The short film, a parody of Martin Scorsese's "The Color of Money," eventually aired on "Saturday Night Live" where it was so well received that Stiller was subsequently hired as a featured player and apprentice writer for the NBC comedy series. Following his stint at "Saturday Night Live," Stiller directed a comedy special for MTV called "Back to Brooklyn." Stiller followed that project by creating "The Ben Stiller Show," also for MTV, and later collaborated with Judd Apatow for a 13-episode run on Fox. A critical success, Stiller and the rest of the writing staff was awarded an Emmy for outstanding comedy writing. Decidedly predisposed to a career in show business, with parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, Stiller is a native of New York City. He studied Theater Arts at UCLA before opting to pursue his professional acting and directing ambitions.

EDWARD NORTON (Father Brian Finn/Director/Producer), made his feature film debut in "Primal Fear," opposite Richard Gere, for which Norton received an Academy AwardŽ nomination and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.

He was next seen in Woody Allen's "Everyone Says I Love You," opposite Drew Barrymore and Goldie Hawn. This was followed by Milos Forman's "The People Vs. Larry Flynt" opposite Woody Harrelson and Courtney Love. For his work in these three films, Norton received the award for Best Supporting Actor from the National Board of Review, the Los Angeles Film Critics, the Boston Film Critics, and the Texas Film Critics. Last year Norton was seen in two films: John Dahl's "Rounders," opposite Matt Damon, and "American History X," for which he received an Academy AwardŽ nomination for Best Actor. He was recently seen in David Fincher's "Fight Club" opposite Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter. Norton is on the board of the Signature Theater Company with whom he first performed in the 1994 premiere of Edward Albee's "Fragments." He also serves on the New York Board of the Enterprise Foundation, which works to create decent, affordable housing for low-income families.

JENNA ELFMAN (Anna Reilly) can currently be seen in ABC's hit sitcom "Dharma and Greg." Elfman was nominated for Emmy Awards in her first two seasons and won a Golden Globe Award in the second season for her performance as "Dharma." Elfman recently starred in Ron Howard's "EdTV" opposite Matthew McConaughey. She will next be seen in "Town and Country" opposite Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, and Goldie Hawn.

In addition to her film and television work, Elfman received rave reviews for her portrayal of "She" in the two-person one-act play "Visions and Lovers: Variations on a Theme" opposite Miguel Ferrer. The play was written and directed by Milton Katselas at the Skylight theater in Los Angeles. Elfman had her first starring feature role in Touchstone Pictures' comedy "Krippendorf's Tribe" opposite Richard Dreyfuss and Lily Tomlin. The film was directed by Todd Holland. Elfman was also seen in George Armitage's "Grosse Pointe Blank" with John Cusack and Minnie Driver. Her additional television credits include the ABC sitcom "Townies" with Molly Ringwald and guest appearances on "Roseanne," "Murder One," "NYPD Blue," and "Almost Perfect." In 1996 she played a drug counselor in the critically acclaimed made-for-television movie "Her Last Chance," with Patti LuPone and Kellie Martin. A native of Los Angeles, Elfman began her career in commercials, landing roles in dozens of national television ads for a variety of well-known companies. She later expanded her horizons by studying with renowned acting teacher Milton Katselas, with whom she still maintains a working relationship. Elfman is also a classically trained ballerina.

ELI WALLACH (Rabbi Lewis) made his stage debut-and met his wife, Anne Jackson-in an off-Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' "This Property is Condemned." A leading interpreter of Williams' work, he starred in the original Broadway companies of "The Rose Tattoo," for which he received the Tony and Donaldson Awards, and "Camino Real."

He appeared on Broadway with his wife in "The Typist & Her Tiger," "Major Barbara," "Rhinoceros," "Luv," "Waltz of the Toreadors," "Twice Around the Park," "The Flowering Peach" and "Cafe Crown," as well as starring in "Mr. Roberts," "The Cold Wind and the Warm," "Staircase," "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour," and the London and New York production of "Teahouse of the August Moon." He also appeared on Broadway with Katherine Cornell in "Antony and Cleopatra." For television he appeared in "20 Shades of Pink," "Saturday, Sunday, Monday," "Kojak," "Batman," "Murder, She Wrote," "Highway to Heaven," "The Wall," "The Executioner's Song," "Anatomy of an Illness," "Embassy," "Christopher Columbus," "Rocket to the Moon," "The Family Honor," "Don Quixote" and "For Whom the Bells Toll." He has toured in Alan Ayckbourn's "Absent Friends" and John Guare's "House of Blue Leaves." He appeared Off-Broadway in "Visiting Mr. Green," as well as in "The Price" at the Roundabout Theater. In addition, Wallach appeared with his wife off-Broadway in their two person shows "In Persons" and "Remembering Tennessee." For his first film, "Baby Doll," Wallach won the English equivalent of the Academy AwardŽ in 1956. Since that time, his film career has included "The Magnificent Seven," "How the West Was Won," "Lord Jim," "The Moon-Spinners," "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," "How to Steal a Million," "The Brain," "The Deep," "Cinderella Liberty," "Movie, Movie," "The Hunter," "Girlfriends," "Sam's Son," "Tough Guys," "The Impossible Spy," "Nuts," "The Two Jakes," "Godfather III," "Article 99," "Mistress," and "Night and the City." With Anne Jackson he has performed on screen in "How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life," "Zig Zag," and "The Tiger Makes Out." Born in Brooklyn, he studied at the University of Texas and holds a Masters Degree in Education from New York's City College. He began his training for the theatre at the Neighborhood Playhouse and is a founding member of the Actor's Studio.

ANNE BANCROFT (Ruth Schram) has a career rich in film, theater, and television credits. Most recently, the OscarŽ, Tony, and Emmy Award-winner starred in the films "Great Expectations," "G.I. Jane," "Critical Care," "Home for the Holidays," "Honeymoon in Vegas," and "Point of No Return." She will soon be seen in Phillip Haas' "Up at the Villa" co-starring with Sean Penn and Kristen Scott-Thomas.

Bancroft won the Academy AwardŽ for her work as Annie Sullivan in the film version of "The Miracle Worker," a role for which she also won the Tony Award. She was honored with four more OscarŽ nominations for her appearances in "The Pumpkin Eater," which also brought her the British Academy Award, "The Graduate," "The Turning Point," and "Agnes of God." A student at the American Film Institute's Women's Directing Workshop, in 1979 she wrote, directed, and starred in the motion picture "Fatso." Bancroft's theater credits include her Broadway stage debut opposite Henry Fonda in "Two For the Seesaw" for which she won a Tony Award, "The Devils," Jerome Robbins' staging of "Mother Courage," Mike Nichols' revival of "The Little Foxes," "A Cry for Players," the title role in "Golda," which brought her a third Tony nomination, "Duet For One" with Max von Sydow, and "The Mystery of the Rose Bouquet." She was recently nominated for and won an Emmy Award for her role in the CBS television film "Deep in My Heart."

Academy AwardŽ-winning director MILOS FORMAN portrays Father Havel, Brian's boss and confidante. Forman was born in Caslav, near Prague, in Czechoslovakia and attended the University of Prague's Film Institute, where he studied with Ivan Passer. After graduation, he wrote his first screenplays and made several short semi-documentaries. His first feature came in 1963 with "Black Peter," an autobiographical account of a teenager in a small Czech town. The film became a hit at film festivals such as Locarno, Montreal, and New York, and led to Forman's first visit to America.

His next two films, "Loves of a Blonde" (1965) and "Fireman's Ball" (1967), brought the director even more international acclaim. Not long after Soviet tanks rumbled into Prague in 1968, Forman moved to New York. His next film was "Taking Off," which went on to win the Jury Prize at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. Forman then participated in the collective documentary about the 1972 Munich Olympics, "Visions of Eight," before being approached by producers Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz for an adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" swept the top five 1975 Academy AwardŽ categories-Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, and for Forman, Best Director. He followed "Cuckoo's Nest" with the film version of the long-running musical "Hair" and then lured James Cagney out of retirement as part of the ensemble cast of "Ragtime." Forman reteamed with Saul Zaentz and returned to his homeland of Czechoslovakia to make "Amadeus." Once again, Forman was presented with the OscarŽ as Best Director, while the film won a total of eight Academy AwardsŽ, including Best Picture. In 1989, Forman's next film, "Valmont," starring Colin Firth and Annette Bening, was released. More recently, Forman directed "Man on the Moon," starring Jim Carrey as the late comedian Andy Kaufman and "The People vs. Larry Flynt," starring Woody Harrelson and Edward Norton. For that film, Forman was nominated for an OscarŽ, and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director. As an actor, Forman has appeared in such films as Henry Jaglom's "New Year's Day" and Mike Nichols' "Heartburn" with Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson.

HOLLAND TAYLOR (Bonnie Rose) recently won an Emmy Award for her recurring role on ABC's "The Practice." A veteran of film, television, and theater, Taylor includes among her film credits "The Truman Show," "George of the Jungle," "One Fine Day," and "To Die For." Ms. Taylor also appeared in "Steal Big, Steal Little," "How to Make an American Quilt," "Alice," "She's Having a Baby," "Jewel of the Nile," "Key Exchange," "The Next Man," "Fame," and "Romancing the Stone," starring as Kathleen Turner's benevolent editor. She made an appearance in "Next Stop Wonderland" which was enthusiastically received at the Sundance Film Festival and was directed by her nephew Brad Anderson. Taylor will soon be seen in the upcoming "Town and Country," with Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, and Jenna Elfman.

On television, Taylor recently starred in "The Naked Truth" with Tea Leoni. Audiences also remember her as Tom Hanks' advertising boss in the comedy series "Bosom Buddies" and as the senator's wife in Norman Lear's "The Powers That Be." Her other television credits include the telefilms "A Walton Wedding," "Counterfeit Contessa," "The Case of Dr. Willis," and the miniseries "In the Best of Families," "Concealed Enemies," and "People Like Us." Taylor guest-starred on the series "Ally McBeal," "Something So Right," "Michael Hayes," "Veronica's Closet," and starred in the movie-of-the-week "Mail to the Chief" with Randy Quaid. Taylor's extensive theater credits include numerous Broadway, off-Broadway and regional productions. Her Broadway debut was in "The Devils" with Anne Bancroft, and she appeared opposite Alan Bates in "Butley." Additional credits include "Breakfast with Les and Bess," "Moose Murders," "Murder Among Friends," "Something Old, Something New," and "We Interrrupt This Program." She also performed in the world premieres of "Cocktail Hour," "Drinks Before Dinner," "Children," "Fashion," and "Colette."

RON RIFKIN (Larry Friedman) most recently co-starred in "The Negotiator" and in "L.A. Confidential." Previously, he starred in the film adaptation of the award-winning play "Substance of Fire," recreating the role of Isaac Geldhart that he originated on stage in New York and Los Angeles, and which won him an Obie, a Drama Desk Award, a Lucille Lortel Award, and a Drama-Logue Award.

Rifkin's other film credits include Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives" and "Manhattan Murder Mystery," "Last Summer in the Hamptons," "Wolf," "JFK," "The Sting II," "The Big Fix," "The Sunshine Boys," "Silent Running," and the upcoming "Boiler Room." Rifkin's television credits include made-for-television movies and miniseries such as "The Sunset Gang" and "Concealed Enemies" for PBS; "Buying a Landslide" for the BBC; and "Evergreen," "The Winds of War," "Dress Gray," "Do You Remember Love?," "Mother Courage," "The Chicago Conspiracy Trial," "Mrs. R's Daughter," and "Question of Guilt." He is particularly familiar to television audiences as Sharon Gless' boss in "The Trials of Rosie O'Neill," as well as for the situation comedy "One Day at a Time." Other series credits include a recurring role on "ER," "Law & Order," "Falcon Crest," "Soap," and "Hill Street Blues." Most recently, he co-starred in the series "Leaving L.A." and in an episode of "The Outer Limits," for which he received a CableACE nomination. On stage, after his success with "The Substance of Fire," Rifkin followed with another award-winning portrayal in another Jon Rabitz play, "Three Hotels," for which he received a Drama Desk nomination and a second Lucille Lortel Award. His other theater credits include "Rosebloom," "Afternoon Tea," "Scandalous Memories," "The Three Sisters," "Cross Country," "Ice," "Gethsemane Springs," "Ghetto," "Detective Story," "Tally's Folly," "The American Clock," "Nothing Sacred," "The Tenth Man," "The Art of Dining," "The Goodbye People," "Come Blow Your Horn," and "Temple." His most recent stage appearances on Broadway were in Arthur Miller's "Broken Glass" and Turgenev's "A Month in the Country." Rifkin was recently seen in the Broadway revival of "Cabaret," for which he received a 1998 Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor, and in David Hirson's new play, "Wrong Mountain."

CATHERINE LLOYD BURNS (Debbie) was recently seen in Mike Newell's "Pushing Tin," starring John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton. Her other film credits include Nora Ephron's "Michael," starring John Travolta, "The Contenders," "An Ounce of Cure," and Ang Lee's "Pushing Hands." Lloyd Burns has co-written the screenplay for the upcoming film "Everything Put Together," starring Radha Mitchell.

Perhaps most widely best known for her television work, Lloyd Burns is a series regular on Fox's "Malcolm in the Middle," and also starred in "Lateline," the critically acclaimed show with Al Franken, and "Partners." Lloyd Burns has also appeared on such programs as NBC-TV's "The Single Guy," "ER," and "Law & Order," and Fox's "Party of Five." For HBO, Lloyd Burns appeared in Joe Dante's "The Second Civil War." Lloyd Burns has appeared in a number of productions with New York's Naked Angels Theater Company, including "Winter Shorts," "Takes on Women/Take One," "A Suffering Colonel," and "Chelsea Walls." Her other theater credits include "The Heartsick Pioneer" at Guild Hall, "Losing Father's Body" at the Portland Stage Company, "Generation X" at H.E.R.E., New York, and "More Naked at the Coast," for which Lloyd Burns received the Drama-Logue Award.

RENA SOFER (Rachel Rose) was most recently seen as a regular on the ABC sitcom "Oh Grow Up." She was also a series regular on Fox's popular "Melrose Place," and guest-starred on such shows as "Seinfeld," "Caroline in the City," "Herman's Head," and "Ellen." She starred in movies-of-the-week "Nightmare Street," "The Stepsister," and "Hostile Advances." For her role on "General Hospital," Sofer was awarded the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress as well as a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Younger Leading Actress.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

STUART BLUMBERG (Writer/Producer) was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in History. After spending a few years as an investment banker in New York at Morgan Stanley & Co., he went on to write and direct several plays for off-off-Broadway, including "Super" and "Caterpillar." Blumberg then spent a season as a writer for the comedy series "MAD TV." "Keeping the Faith" is his first produced movie. With more than three decades of professional experience and over fifty screen credits, HAWK KOCH (Producer) has built a solid foundation of experience in virtually every aspect of filmmaking art and business. As the son and namesake of one of Hollywood's most respected filmmakers (his father Howard W. Koch has been a producer, director, and studio executive), Koch literally grew up in the motion picture industry. Among his fondest childhood memories is his first horseback ride, safe in the arms of Clark Gable, on the set of "Across the Wide Missouri." His father put him to work at the studio during young Hawk's every school holiday, allowing him to observe firsthand all aspects of filmmaking. At sixteen he was making his own short movies. In 1964, during a sabbatical from UCLA, Koch began his entertainment industry professional career working for British talent agent Harold Davison. He garnered fundamental knowledge of the seminal days of rock 'n' roll as a road manager for some of the music industry's most prominent acts, including The Supremes and The Dave Clark Five. Back home in Hollywood, Koch began to gather professional credits as a dialogue coach for films and as a second assistant director before becoming assistant to horror film impresario William Castle. His work in developing "Rosemary's Baby" helped to garner the first Academy AwardŽ nomination for William Castle Enterprises. Koch then served as assistant to Paul Mazursky on the director's first feature, the enormously popular "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice." This led to a series of jobs as assistant to directors who were undertaking their first features: James Bridges on "The Babymaker," Peter Fonda on "The Hired Hand," Tom Laughlin on "Billy Jack," and Robert Benton on "Bad Company." Later he worked with Sydney Pollack as first assistant director on "The Way We Were" with actors Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand and resumed his professional association with director Roman Polanski as first assistant director on what has been acknowledged as one of the greatest films in Hollywood history, "Chinatown." His other assistant director credits include "The Parallax View," "Marathon Man," "Cactus Flower," "Barefoot in the Park," "Getting Straight," and "The Odd Couple." Koch was executive producer on "Heaven Can Wait," "The Frisco Kid," and "The Other Side of Midnight." Later, he formed a partnership with Gene Kirkwood and produced "Gorky Park," "The Pope of Greenwich Village," "The Keep," and "The Idolmaker," when he worked with yet another first-time director, Taylor Hackford. As the president of Rastar Productions, Koch developed and supervised production of "Peggy Sue Got Married," "The Secret of My Success," "Nothing in Common," "Brighton Beach Memoirs," and "Violets Are Blue." He briefly served as president of production of De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. Koch's other producing credits include the critically acclaimed "The Long Walk Home," "A Night in Heaven," "Rooftops" directed by Robert Wise, "Losing Isaiah," and most recently "The Beautician and the Beast," starring Fran Drescher and Timothy Dalton. He is also currently producing "Frequency," starring Dennis Quaid and James Caviezel, and directed by Gregory Hoblit. As executive producer, Koch's credits include the phenomenally successful "Wayne's World," its sequel "Wayne's World II," "Sliver," "The Temp," and "Necessary Roughness." His most recent executive producing credits include "Virtuosity" with Denzel Washington and "Primal Fear," starring Richard Gere, Edward Norton, and directed by Gregory Hoblit. GARY BARBER (Executive Producer) founded Spyglass Entertainment with partner Roger Birnbaum, where they share the title of Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Spyglass recently released the blockbuster film, "The Sixth Sense" starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment (cume to date is over $600 million worldwide). An eighteen-year veteran of the business, Barber has been directly responsible for operating companies in feature film production and distribution, foreign theatrical, video and TV distribution, exhibition and pre-recorded music and music publishing. His experience also extends to animation and interactive production. He was responsible for building these companies from the ground up. In managing these businesses Barber was instrumental in making many landmark deals, identifying and breaking new talent and producing major worldwide hits. His international expertise is considered one of the best in the business with extensive relationships in worldwide theatrical, video and television. As a seasoned executive, with unparalleled experience and financial savvy, Barber has also developed strong relationships in the commercial and investment banking community, and earned the respect of this tightly knit group through constant and successful deal making. Barber is the former vice chairman and chief operating officer of Morgan Creek Productions. During his eight and a half years at the company he was in charge of all day-to-day operations for each of Morgan Creek's business entities including feature film production, foreign distribution, music, exhibition and interactive. Barber has produced or executive produced over twenty-five feature films including the 1994 hit that rocketed Jim Carrey to stardom, "Ace Venture: Pet Detective," and its highly successful sequel, "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls," and the 1991 blockbuster, "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" starring Kevin Costner. Barber also executive produced the successful "Ace Ventura" animated television series, which premiered on CBS. Prior to his appointment at Morgan Creek, Barber was president of Vestron International Group, the largest independent video company in the world. During his tenure at Vestron, Barber acquired and distributed many international hits including "The Princess Bride," "Young Guns," "Hamburger Hill" and "Dirty Dancing." Additionally Barber served at Producers Sales Organizations and prior to that he spent seven years at Price Waterhouse as a member of the entertainment specialty group. Barber is involved in many charitable, corporate and civic organizations. He is currently an executive committee member of the Los Angeles Police Department's Crime Prevention Advisory Board (DARE Program), and a member of the board of directors of the Foundation of Motion Picture Pioneers. Barber is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a member of the board of the C.L.E.A.R. Foundation. ROGER BIRNBAUM (Executive Producer) is one of Hollywood's most respected and prolific producers and executives. Birnbaum recently formed his new company, Spyglass Entertainment, with partner Gary Barber. The new company will produce between three and five motion pictures a year and will develop and finance all of its projects independently. The first two wholly financed films released by Spyglass Entertainment were "Instinct" starring Anthony Hopikins and worldwide sensation "The Sixth Sense." Among the diverse projects on Birnbaum & Barber's slate are: "Shanghai Noon," a western comedy starring Jackie Chan, "The Monster," an adaptation of the blockbuster Roberto Begnini Italian comedy; "From Alice to Ocean"; "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," an adaptation of Douglas Adams's bestseller; "The Vow," a true dramatic love story; "Atomic Dog," a futuristic action comedy; "Miracles"; "The Errand Boy," a remake of the Jerry Lewis comedy classic; and "The Farm," a thriller about the CIA. Prior to creating Spyglass Entertainment, Birnbaum was solely responsible for overseeing Caravan Pictures since his partner Joe Roth, who founded the independent picture company in January, 1993, became Chairman of Walt Disney Motion Pictures in 1994. Caravan had a first look distribution deal with Walt Disney Pictures and Touchstone Pictures and yielded the recent Touchstone Pictures/Spyglass Entertainment box office shattering hit "The Sixth Sense" starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment. Birnbaum recently produced "Inspector Gadget," "Rush Hour," "Simon Birch," "Six Days/Seven Nights," "GI Jane," "Grosse Pointe Blank," "Washington Square," "Metro," "Rocket Man," and "While You Were Sleeping." Birnbaum's other credits include "I Love Trouble," "The Three Musketeers," "A Low Down Dirty Shame," "Powder," "The Rich Man's Wife," "First Kid," "Dead Presidents," "Maximum Risk," and "The Beautician and the Beast." Roger Birnbaum also recently launched into television productions. Recently, he produced for The Wonderful World of Disney, "Angels in the Endzone," a TV movie sequel to the hit feature film "Angels in the Outfield," and "Flash" starring Lucas Black. Before joining Caravan, Birnbaum held the title of president of worldwide production and executive vice president of Twentieth Century Fox, where he developed such films as "Home Alone," "Sleeping with the Enemy," "Edward Scissorhands," "Hot Shots," "My Cousin Vinny," "The Last of the Mohicans," "Die Hard 2," "Rookie of the Year," and "Mrs. Doubtfire," among others. Having helmed several production companies, Birnbaum has played an integral role in the making of some of Hollywood's biggest hits. As president of the Guber/Peters Company, he developed such films as "Batman," "Rain Man," and "Gorillas in the Mist." His association with United Artists on "Rain Man" led to his appointment as president of worldwide production for that studio. Earlier in his career, he produced the popular "The Sure Thing," directed by Rob Reiner, and "Young Sherlock Holmes," which he presented in association with Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. For television, he executive produced the telefilms "Scandal Sheet," "Happily Ever After," "When Your Lover Leaves," and the Emmy Award-winning "All the Kids Do It." Born in Teaneck, New Jersey and educated at the University of Denver, Birnbaum built a successful career as vice president of A&M Records and Arista Records, and as a senior executive with the Robert Stigwood Organization before entering the film business to produce motion pictures. JONATHAN GLICKMAN (Executive Producer) joined Caravan Pictures as an intern in 1993 and worked his way up to president of the company in 1997. During this time, he helped to bring in such projects as "The Jerky Boys," "While You Were Sleeping," and "Before and After," serving as associate producer on all three films. Later, Glickman was executive producer on "Grosse Pointe Blank." Glickman is currently producing "Shanghai Noon," for Touchstone Pictures/Spyglass Entertainment, starring Jackie Chan. He recently produced Chan's hit "Rush Hour" and served as executive producer on Walt Disney Pictures' live-action comedy, "Inspector Gadget." In 1998, Glickman was named president of production for Spyglass Entertainment. Glickman graduated from the University of Michigan in 1991. ANASTAS MICHOS (Director of Photography) received his first cinematography assignment from producer Jake Eberts on the "Education of Little Tree." His next film was "Man on the Moon" directed by Milos Forman. He first worked with Milos Forman during the filming of "The People vs. Larry Flynt," on which he was the camera operator for the Academy AwardŽ winning cinematographer Philippe Rousselot. Prior to that assignment, he was Rousselot's key operator on "Sommersby," "Flesh and Bone," "Interview with the Vampire," "Mary Reilly," and most recently, "Instinct." Michos followed "Man on the Moon" with the independent feature "The Big Kahuna" directed by John Swanbeck and starring Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito. Michos' other key operating credits include "Other People's Money," "Angie," "Dead Presidents," "Curtain Call," "What Dreams May Come" and "Stepmom." An accomplished Steadicam operator, Michos also served in that capacity on numerous films including "Quiz Show," "The Age of Innocence," and "Born on the Fourth of July." In addition, Michos served as director of photography on music videos for Phil Collins and Whitney Houston, among others. WYNN THOMAS (Production Designer) created the sets for eight films by Spike Lee: "Mo' Better Blues," "He Got Game," "Crooklyn," "Malcolm X," "Jungle Fever," "Do the Right Thing, " "School Daze," and "She's Gotta Have It." Among Thomas's recent credits are Harold Ramis' hit comedy "Analyze This," Barry Levinson's "Wag the Dog," Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!," Beeban Kidron's "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar," and Robert De Niro's "A Bronx Tale." He also designed Robert Townsend's "Five Heartbeats" and "Eddie Murphy Raw," and Andrew Davis' "The Package." Thomas served as production designer for Tribeca Productions' HBO film "Witness to the Mob," produced by Jane Rosenthal. His other television credits include art direction of Lloyd Richards' "Medal of Honor Rag" for PBS's American Playhouse. Thomas began his career as an assistant art director on Francis Ford Coppola's "Cotton Club," Richard Benjamin's "The Money Pit," and Gene Saks' "Brighton Beach Memoirs." MALCOLM CAMPBELL (Editor) is no stranger to film comedy. He has edited a number of box office hits such as "Home Alone 3," "Nothing to Lose," "Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls," "Wayne's World," "Wayne's World II," as well as "Richie Rich," "My Favorite Martian," and "Hot Shots! Part Deux." His other notable credits include several John Landis films, including "Trading Places," "The Blues Brothers," "An American Werewolf in London," "Three Amigos!," "Twilight Zone: The Movie," "Spies Like Us," "Into the Night," "Coming to America," and the music video, Michael Jackson's "Thriller." MICHAEL KAPLAN (Costume Designer) was born in Philadelphia and studied drawing and sculpture at Philadelphia College of Art before moving to Los Angeles in 1976. His early work as a costume designer included Ridley Scott's futuristic "Blade Runner," a film for which Kaplan received the British Academy Award. Kaplan's other noteworthy credits include his influential designs for "Flashdance," as well as the films "Against All Odds," "Perfect," "Tough Guys Don't Dance," "Big Business," "Malice," "Seven," "The Long Kiss Goodnight," "The Game," "Armageddon," and David Fincher's "Fight Club." Academy AwardŽ-winner ELMER BERNSTEIN (Music by) has written the music for over 200 major films and has been honored with 13 Academy AwardŽ nominations for scores and songs. His score for "Thoroughly Modern Millie" won him the OscarŽ. Bernstein's Academy AwardŽ nominations are for his contributions to "The Age of Innocence," "Trading Places," "True Grit," "Hawaii," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Summer and Smoke," "Walk on the Wild Side," "The Magnificent Seven," "Gold" (for the song "Wherever Love Takes Me"), "The Man With the Golden Arm" and "Return of the Seven." He also won an Emmy Award for "The Making of a President, 1960"; two Golden Globe Awards for "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Hawaii"; two Western Heritage Awards for his music for "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Hallelujah Trail"; and Tony Award nominations for his Broadway scores for "How Now Dow Jones?" and "Merlin." His extensive list of film credits include: "Bringing Out the Dead," "Wild Wild West," "The Deep End of the Ocean," "The Rainmaker," "Devil in a Blue Dress," "Airplane!," "Rambling Rose," "Cape Fear," "The Grifters," "My Left Foot," and "The Field." In addition, he has composed the music for such classics as "The Ten Commandments," "Desire Under the Elms," "Some Came Running," "The Birdman of Alcatraz," "Love With the Proper Stranger," "The Carpetbaggers," "The Great Escape," "Hud," "Airplane!" "The Chosen," "Ghostbusters" and "The Sweet Smell of Success." Prior to concentrating on composition, Bernstein was a concert pianist, performing widely between 1939 and 1959. In addition to his work in motion pictures, television and stage, he has composed numerous pieces for the concert hall, including two song cycles, three suites for symphony orchestra, compositions for viola and piano, a concerto for guitar and orchestra and numerous compositions for piano, all of which have been performed. In 1990, ASCAP honored Mr. Bernstein with the Golden Soundtrack Award for his lifetime achievement in the arts. He also received the Los Angeles Film Critics Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992, and received a star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame in 1996. (3/20/00)

Main Page || Biography || News || Films || Articles || Photo Gallery || Multimedia || Site Map || Website Updates

Edward Norton Information Page Search edward-norton.org Search WWW Powered by