Ostracized at her posh new uptown school and shaken by the death of her beloved grandmother, a 10-year-old downtown girl finds an unlikely mentor in an irascible chess master, who uses the game to teach Max lessons in resilience, perseverance, and how to embrace inevitable change.
Acting
F. Murray Abraham growling wisdom like he owns every scene.
Writing
Chess metaphors that actually land without cringe.
Production
Uptown vs. downtown NYC filmed like two different planets.
Director
Evan Oppenheimer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Fatima Ptacek was simultaneously the voice of Dora the Explorer during filming.
The real Washington Square Park chess hustlers consulted on authenticity — F. Murray Abraham reportedly lost badly to them.
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