Finding Forrester Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
In an ordinary place, he found the one person to make his life extraordinary.
Jamal Wallace is an inner-city kid from the Bronx who has an aptness at basketball and a genius at writing. While always a C student, Jamal comes to the attention of a prestigious New York prep school when he scores highly on his standardized tests. While Jamal is given a heavy load at his new school, both he and the school know that the real reason they took him on is for his prowess on the court. Befriended by fellow student Claire and helped along by Pulitzer-prize winning author and recluse William Forrester, Jamal pursues his dreams both on and off the court while overcoming obstacles placed by his bitter literature teacher. As Jamal is shaped by Forrester, he finds that he is changing the old writer as well, forcing him to confront his past...and his future.
| Sean Connery | William Forrester |
| Rob Brown | Jamal Wallace |
| F. Murray Abraham | Prof. Robert Crawford |
| Anna Paquin | Claire Spence |
| Busta Rhymes | Terrell Wallace |
| April Grace | Ms. Joyce |
| Michael Pitt | John Coleridge |
| Michael Nouri | Dr. Spence |
| Richard Easton | Prof. Matthews |
| Glenn Fitzgerald | Massie, Forrester's Delivery Man |
| Lil' Zane | Damon |
| Stephanie Berry | Janice Wallace |
| Fly Williams III | Fly |
| Damany Mathis | Kenzo |
| Damion Lee | Clay |
| Gus Van Sant |
7.20 out of 10 (29141 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Disappointing Oscar Bait
posted on 20 Aug 2009Connery is desperately trying for critical acclaim with this one. His character is supposed to be deep, but a lot of what he says is just incoherent.And the black guy is not believable at all. He does nothing that suggests intelligence except know some arbitrary trivia. There seems to be a misconception in Hollywood that smart people think and talk like everyone else, except they happen to know some wildly arcane trivia.Where is the great writing? After all the buildup and proclamations that the kid's writing is brilliant, I expected some damn good writing. But his entry was no better than the other kids, even though Connery was reading it. Much like Mr Holland's Opus, this was a film that was ostensibly about a great artist that had no great art in it.Oh well. The Matt Damon cameo was neat.
Turns Too Predictible But Very Good Nonetheless
posted on 05 Aug 2009There is a lot I liked about this movie. It is very thought provoking, especially in the first half, about our assumptions about a 16 year old black youth from the Bronx who is a star athlete in his public school. We find it hard to believe that housed in his head is an intellect much more formidable than any other skill of his. Two big changes take place in his life: being mentored by Sean Connery's character, a reclusive fiction writer, and switching schools to a private one that is better able to handle all of his gifts. Where it starts getting predictible is with F. Murray Abraham playing the boy's teacher. Incredibly, Abraham is typecast here as Saleri again (from "Amadeus") where he is consumed with envy over the boy's gifts, just like he was over Mozart's in that earlier film. Director Gus Van Sant almost ruined the movie for me with this character and the subplot that character brings into the film. Anna Paquin does a nice job as the student the boy comes to know at the private school. They also have an attraction building. It's a good evening's entertainment and I would recommend viewing it on that basis.
Finding Forester
posted on 03 Aug 2009I felt this was a good movie for teens. It shows that when you are a person, you do have talents and you are not to waste them. Color had no lines here, it was only the mind. I loved the love/hate lines that brought these two personlities together. A young man who need guidence and an old man that needed a friend. Very good story.
An Amazing Movie
posted on 02 Aug 2009This is a touching story, directed and acted quite well. I live in New York and this movie made me see that a river separates two totally different cultures. In the Bronx, the buildings are very run down. The attendants of the schools are African-American. When Jamaal, the main character, is accepted into a prep school in Manhattan, he is the only black person to attend. Sean Connery beautifully acts his role as a reclusive writer who, by chance, reads Jamaal's writing when Jamaal's friends dare him to break into his house and accidentally leaves his notebooks in his house. Jamaal goes back to his house and, at school, finds out that the writer is William Forrester, an author who wrote what many think was the best book of the 20th century. I don't want to give it all away so you will have to see it for yourself. Even if the closest theater is an hour away, take the trip.
Finding Forrester: Review by John
posted on 01 Aug 2009Finding Forester is a Gus Van Zant filmed released in 2000, and starring Rob Brown, Sean Connery, and F. Murrey Abraham.
In the film, Brown plays Jamal Wallace, a talented high school basketball player and gifted writer from the Bronx. In a starnge twist of fate, a dare brings him into contact with William Forrester (Connery) a shut in writer with only one literary masterpiece. Forrest becomes Jamal's writing teacher, and helps him negotiate with the politics of Jamal's new private school and his conflict with teacher(Abraham).
This movie was pleasant enough, stressing important themes such as the price of fame and expectations, the burdens of talent, and the ultimate importance of education.
Watching this movie I was reminded too much of Van Zant's other old man/young man friendship film, Good Will Hunting. These movies are different in many ways, but overall there was just too much of a connection for me. I kept wondering when Robin Williams was going to walk on to the film and say, "It's not your fault."
The cast is quite effective, and newcomer Rob Brown is very believable as the budding genius. F. Murrey Abraham is good as the nasty teacher, but Sean Connery, who also produced this film, steals every scene he is in. Connery's energy and knack for turning the grinch into a father-figure make his work outstanding. This is a nice, watchable film but if you like it, definatly check out some of Van Zant's earlier work, such as Good Will Hunting, or Drugstore Cowboy.
10/10 a must watch film
posted on 27 Jul 2009Such an amazing film. Sean Connery once again shows us that he may be old but he still is a fantastic actor in this amazing piece about hope, aspirations and reaching for your dreams. This film not only has a great cast and story line but some of the most memorable scenes and phrases I have ever heard.O RLY? Ya RLY! No WAI!Included but not limited to:"You're the Man Now Dog","Punch the Key For God Sake" So please do not go to Lazy Town but instead bake a cake, sit down and watch this tremendous film as you will see Connery provide a stunning performance that will leave you stapled to your seats so much that not even doom music or the singing of Jean-Luc will be able to pry your eyes away from the screen.
This is a pretty good movie.
posted on 22 Jul 2009I have seen lots of movies. Literally thousands by this point. I definitely consider myself jaded and find most movies predictable. But even so, I enjoyed this film. It's a great Sean Connery is the crumudgeonly grandpa next door role (as opposed to the Sean Connery action man role). And the kid is great. You will remember his BMW speech forever.
Witness to the Prostitution
posted on 19 Jul 2009Director Gus Van Sant showed remarkable talent with "Drugstore Cowboy" and then topped it with a genuine masterpiece in "My Own Private Idaho". Then things began to go wrong. There was "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" which was a total miss and though "To Die For" fared slightly better, it was clear that Van Sant had lost his hold.It would have been unimaginable for anyone, like myself, who really appreciated this new voice in American cinema to foresee what was about to transpire. Van Sant went mainstream. He's not the first independent director to take that route. Soderbergh crossed over without much loss to his indie eye. Van Sant made the hugely successful, horribly overrated and totally spurious "Good Will Hunting".There's a scene in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" in which Van Sant plays himself, ignoring the movie he is supposed to be directing while he counts the money he's making. It's not funny. No doubt money played a big part in his total sellout to Hollywood, though there may have been other factors. No matter, it's infuriating to witness the prostitution of a film maker of his caliber.Both "Good Will Hunting" and "Finding Forrester" are movies designed to make audiences feel good and to this end Van Sant uses every manipulative trick in the book. Nothing stands in his way. Lack of credibility in both the stories and the characters don't bother him at all. He wants success – to hell with artistic integrity, and for what it may be worth he seems to have achieved his goal. It's hard not to sense the cynicism of this process."Finding Forrester" is an unashamedly cliched ridden, truly offensive film. It fits cozily into the made for tv, film of the week slot.First time actor Rob Brown is astonishingly good. It's a miraculous turn and a pity it had to be in such an undistinguished work. Connery is highly irritating in one his most mannered performances ever, though he's topped by F. Murray Abraham who outdoes himself in what could be used as a lesson in bad acting.Whether Van Sant will ever be able to regain his artistic powers remain to be seen. At this point he's a major disappointment to which this ludicrous mediocrity "Finding Forrester" will forever remain testament.
Sometimes You Can't Find the Forrester for the Trees
posted on 12 Jul 2009Finding Forrester (2000)
Sean Connery is William Forrester, a brilliant novelist who published one book and then stopped publishing. Newcomer Rob Brown is Jamal Wallace. He is a black kid, or man of 16 years, living in the Bronx. He lives for basketball, but is a voracious reader, and he writes in journals. He keeps them in his backpack. He thinks he is a basketball player, but he was born to be a writer.
On a dare, he is supposed to sneak into some old man's apartment, and steal something. He roams the house and takes a knife. He's about to leave when startled, he leaves his backpack behind. When he later recovers it, the writings in his journals have been red penciled. So begins an unlikely friendship. Or perhaps more of a student to teacher relationship.
Meanwhile, when he excels on his test scores, he is offered a scholarship at the top prep school. It doesn't hurt that he is good at basketball, either. F. Murray Abraham is Prof. Robert Crawford. He is a bitter failed writer himself. He doubts that a basketball player from the Bronx can write so well, and he accuses him of plagerism.
To further complicate things, Anna Paquin is Claire Spence, the daughter of a prominent faculty member. There is a lot of chemistry, biology, and physics, going on between them, if you solve my equation.
Busta Rhymes is Terrell Wallace, Jamal's brother, who dreams of rap glory, but works in a parking lot. He is keeping it real.
Sean Connery as Forrester is fabulous, always giving sage advice at unexpected times. Like this:
Forrester: The key to a woman's heart is an unexpected gift at an unexpected time.
Besides advice, the best thing Forrester does is encourage Jamal to write. He is like an athletic coach in his approach:
Forrester: Punch the keys, for God's sake!
I read somewhere that writing is the hardest thing to show in a movie, because it's not very dramatic to look at people typing. This movie breaks that rule, and gets away with it. It is the best type of typing scene since David Bowie danced on a giant typewriter in Absolute Beginners. And Forrester still with the pearls of wisdom teeth flowing:
Forrester: No thinking - that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is... to write, not to think!
There is a bit on Saturday Night Live with Will Ferrell as Alex Trebec, suffering through Celebrity Jeopardy, where the questions are dumbed down to the point that actors, not squirmy and obsessive fact nerds, can get them. Sean Connery is always depicted as a total bufoon. It was a recurring bit, and it always featured a parody of Sean Connery, who was always the most severly stupid contestant of a slew of Celebrity Jeopardy numbskulls. There is a scene where Forrester and Jamal are watching Jeopardy:
Jamal: I'll take poor assumptions for $800, Alex.
Such sweet, sweet, irony.
Sean Connery gave a stellar performance. Wise, sage, but also an agoraphobic curmudgeon subject to the frailties of the flesh.
Rob Brown more than kept pace with the seasoned pros. He was believable and authentic as a kid from the Bronx, on the basketball court, but he was just as believable in the classroom, as a literary enfante terrible.
F. Murray Abraham was most excellent in his portrayal of Jamal's nemesis, Prof. Robert Crawford. Bitter and disappointed about his failure of a novel, he is jealous of Jamal's talent, and accuses him of plagarism. He is like Mozart's Saleri, a man of lesser talent who yearns to bring the angel Gabriel down. A man consumed with envy. I last saw him in Might Apphrodite, a Woody Allen film, and he was good there, too.
Anna Paquin turns in her usual fantastic job as Claire Spence. There is an unspoken romance and unmistakable attraction, but nothing is ever acted on. Somehow, all the more tantalizing, but also a loose end that should have, could have, been sewn up.
The music was fantastic as well. Lots of first rate Miles Davis music compliments Finding Forrester. It's a generous sampling of Davis's early 1970s work with side helpings of Ornette Coleman and guitarist Bill Frisell. With the help of Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Tony Williams, Miles Davis molded his second "classic" quintet into a earthshaking concoction of fonk and ruck far beyond the confines of the farthest reaches of fusion. Both "Recollections" and "Lonely Fire" are from Miles' Bitches Brew sessions and offer an atmospheric cocoon of cathedral ambience. This combined with Davis's polyrhythmic funk--"Black Satin" from On the Corner--Ornette Coleman's alto sax--and Bill Frisell & Co's artful guitar noodlings make for a pleasant soundtrack indeed.
SONG LIST OF THE SOUNDTRACK
1. Recollections - Miles Davis
2. Little Church - Miles Davis
3. Black Satin - Miles Davis
4. Under A Golden Sky - Bill Frisell
5. Happy House - Ornette Coleman
6. Over The Rainbow (Photo Book) - Bill Frisell
7. Lonely Fire (Excerpt) - Miles Davis
8. Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World - Israel "Iz" Kamakwiwo'ole
9. Vonetta - Miles Davis
10. Coffaro's Theme - Bill Frisell/Ron Miles/Curtis Fowlkes/Eyvind Kang
11. Foreigner In A Free Land - Ornette Coleman
12. Beautiful - Bill Frisell/Hank Roberts/Kermit Driscoll/Joey Baron
13. In A Silent Way (DJ Cam Remix) - Miles Davis
Finally, congratulations to the director, Mr. PutTogetherMan, Gus Van Sant. In some ways it is like Good Will Hunting, which Gus also directed, with a story of a young genius finding his mentor. Gus Van Sant did a great job at putting it all together, and he also got great performances out of his actors. He seems to have a great feel for the Bronx, even if he never lived there himself. He shows remarkable empathy for all the people, and structures his drama masterfully--and no hidden agendas. Well done, my good fellow.
TEN FILMS OF SEAN CONNERY, SEVEN OF THEM AS JAMES BOND
The Name of the Rose (1986) .... William of Baskerville
Never Say Never Again (1983) .... James Bond
Zardoz (1974) .... Zed
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) .... James Bond
You Only Live Twice (1967) .... James Bond
Thunderball (1965) .... James Bond
Goldfinger (1964) .... James Bond
From Russia With Love (1963) .... James Bond
Dr. No (1962) .... James Bond
Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) .... Michael McBride
Jamal: Women will sleep with you if you write a book?
Forrester: Women will sleep with you if you write a bad book.
Well-written and acted movie.
posted on 07 Jul 2009What a nice movie. Great plot, nice character development, and moments of brilliance. To be sure the story of a prodigy and brilliant but sometimes reluctant mentor has been told before, but this story is a unique and interesting take on the subject. Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown) is a writing prodigy. His journey makes for riveting stuff.Strengths of this movie? I love the depth to Jamal's character - he portrays the inner conflict the character feels without over-acting or unnecessary melodrama. The relationship with Forrester (Sean Connery) is a thing of beauty, in large part because Connery is (as usual) wonderful.Downsides? Well, not any major ones in my opinion. You can nitpick almost any movie to death, but this movie is solid.In the end, its strengths are great, its weaknesses are minimal, and the memorable touches here and there (moments of beauty between Forrester and Jamal, Busta Rhymes as Jamal's brother, and some beautiful quotes) make this a winner!
Worth a dekko!
posted on 07 Jul 2009I had read about this movie on IMdB and have been wanting to watch it ever since. To be frank, after watching it, i was not ecstatic but wasnt disappointed either.
A lot of nuances have been left unsaid. Gus van Sant is capable of much better. But on the whole the movie is watchable on account of the new comer [Rob Brown] and of course Sean Connery himself, though i must add, there's not much scope for his acting prowess here.
This is a "coming of age" movie ... a "follow your heart" kinda theme.. within the backdrop of the Bronx. Bottomline: Worth a watch without expecting wonders!
This could have been a good movie. warning**minor spoilers**
posted on 03 Jul 2009With a little more effort put into the script and more dimensions to the characters. It all became predictable here. I particularly disliked the Professor Crawford role. Why was he so one-dimensional. Murray Abraham did a great job with this one note character, all hate and resentment and no real motivation to it. Also I dislike the fact that Forrester himself had used blackmail to stop the publication of Crawford's book. No true artist, and particularly a Pulitzer prize winner no less, would have done that. A lot of it did not feel real, a not so good Hollywood treatment of a potentially fabulous film about the true nature of friendship and the mentoring role that can be played in a young person's life. Rob Brown was very good for a first film. Sean Connery excellent. I gave it a 6 for the actors involved.
So promising, and yet...
posted on 19 Jun 2009What starts out as a promising setup turns into a Hollywood cheese-fest. It sets up great relationships and characters, and the potential to tackle some serious issues; it then proceeds to squash them into two-dimensional, easy-to-digest representations and clumsy, contrived plot twists. By the end, the movie wants to sweep you off your feet, without quite earning it. For a story that's supposed to be about great writers, I think the writer of this film wasn't up to the task. Which is sad, because I think it could have been a great film.Despite all that, it's still going to have a broad appeal. Plus, it's almost worth the price of admission to see Sean Connery have a scene opposite Busta Rhymes.
Good Movie!
posted on 18 Jun 2009A famous, reclusive writer living in his old Bronx neighborhood improbably becomes a mentor to a black teenager in the neighborhood who turns out to be a gifted writer himself in the making. It's one of those triumph of the human spirit movies. You will love the movie if you like literature or basketball.
refreshingly interesting
posted on 14 Jun 2009This movie's plot is far from the generic movie plot where boy meets girl, boy asks girl out, girl says no, boy stalks girl, etc...or any other plot scheme that only succeeds in pulling in millions, instead of being truly original and entertaining. This movie is refreshing and charming. The sense of humor is there and the story is fully satisfying. But, I only reccommend this book to intelligent people who would be able to enjoy it. If you are looking for a fun friday night movie, well, this may be it, but not if you are looking for just another "Dude Where's My Car".
There are plenty of one-book writers, Theo
posted on 11 Jun 2009There are any number of great writers who only published one book:Harper Lee ("To Kill a Mockingbird") -- never published anything after that novelMargaret Mitchell ("Gone with the Wind") -- never published anything after that novel, although her estate has brought out some early, inferior work that she likely would never have published herselfRalph Ellison ("The Invisible Man")Robert Crichton ("The Secret of Santa Vittoria")Malcolm Lowry ("Under The Volcano")Frederick Exley ("A Fan's Notes")
things are not always what they seem
posted on 29 May 2009This movie was a refreshing change from the explosions and special effects of recent movies. There was a very simple story told. Allthe shades of grey and brilliant color that make upa persons life were revealed. The plot is not winner take all and the good guy wins in the end but a triumph of spirit and learning who we are on the journey we call life.
Good Will Hunting in the Bronx
posted on 26 May 2009Okay, with the addition of this film to his Good Will Hunting credentials it's now officially a (winning?) movie-making formula for Gus Van Sant:1.) Take a down and out kid with a life somewhat destitute, yet full of the love of a strong family and circle of friends, including thug-like buddies with hearts of gold,2.) accidentally discover he's a genius, 3.) put him in a good school were he doesn't fit in and few accept him,4.) where he meets a wispy, brainy and free-spirited love interest that is his complete opposite, 5.) give him an awkward, once-great mentor with a secret past he doesn't want to reveal played by a big name actor,6.) have the two bring out the best in each other, along with some tears,7.) change the world, 8.) go on to bigger and better,9.) win a few Oscars.So, now that I got that out of the way... While this was formulaic and even somewhat predictable, it was actually well worth seeing! Connery is, no kidding, at his best here, as a likeable recluse with whom you can sympathize. He brought my review from a 7 to an 8. Although lacking in range, Robby Brown holds his own in this piece, as is no doubt on to a great career in film.I'll leave it at that. My recommendation: go see it. Although there will be times you know what's coming, it remains an uplifting story with great characters, solid acting, and a good script.
Far too many clichés
posted on 30 Aug 2009What could have been an interesting film, mainly about literature, literary genius, creation, turns into a bag of cliches about African American kids, and about other people also. Black kids all live in the Bronx, have single mothers, live in poverty, don't really speak understandable English, their only chance to get an education is through sports, when they meet their match on a team they're bound to fight to try to resolve the conflict, white professors hate talent in black kids, black kids can only learn if taught by a literary genious but not in a class, white girls love black boys, white girls' fathers always live in huge mansions, white girls' fathers don't like black kids seeing their daughters, and so on, ad nauseaum.This could have been a good film.Worth watching mostly because it's always good to see Sean Connery.