The Assistant (1998 film)

The Assistant
Movie poster
Directed byDaniel Petrie
Screenplay byDaniel Petrie
Based onThe Assistant
by Bernard Malamud
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by
Music byLawrence Shragge
Distributed byLionsgate Films
Release date
  • May 1, 1998 (1998-05-01)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The Assistant is a 1998 drama film directed by Daniel Petrie and starring Gil Bellows, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Joan Plowright, and Kate Greenhouse. It is based on the 1957 novel of the same name by Bernard Malamud and was also the final theatrical film directed by Petrie before his death in 2004. It follows a young man who finds work at a shop at the turn-of-the-century, and falls in love with the owner's daughter, inflaming deeply religious origins. Filming took place in Toronto.