I’ve always been a sucker for movies about great teachers, whether they
are in the classroom or mentors of another type, so I thought it was
high time I got around to watching Finding Forrester, the 2000
Gus Van Sant film starring Sean Connery as the titular reclusive
novelist and Rob Brown as Jamal Wallace, the teenage aspiring writer who
befriends him.
Jamal comes from a poor neighborhood, and he
is at great risk for succumbing to the temptations of gang activity.
That’s not what Jamal wants for himself, however. He is an incredibly
intelligent young man with a particular interest in literature, and when
fate throws him across the path of William Forrester, he realizes that
this man could help him become a much better writer. In the meantime,
there might be something this antisocial Scotsman can learn from him
too.
Brown makes a lead who is very easy to root for, carrying
himself with a quiet dignity as he struggles to improve his skills and
face the antagonism directed toward him at the elite private school to
which he has been given a basketball scholarship. Chief among his
enemies is F. Murray Abraham’s dismissive English professor, Robert
Crawford. Jamal doesn’t exactly fit in with the rest of the student
body, and Crawford makes sure that he is always aware that he doesn’t
trust him. While he is not the only student Crawford singles out for
humiliation, Jamal does seem to be his favorite target.
This movie reminded me a lot of Scent of a Woman
as it involves a poor student of great intelligence and integrity
facing possible expulsion from an upper-crust school. In the midst of
struggling to sort out his academic problems, he bonds with a surly
retiree who ultimately defends him against an unfair system. The plot
follows a similar trajectory, so I found it rather predictable, though
this story takes place over the course of several months instead of a
weekend, and the incident in question involves Forrester directly.
Abraham does a fine job making us despise his character, even as we
feel a bit sorry for him. He’s a Severus Snape sort, the type who has
endured a lifetime of disappointments and lashes out at the world as a
result, deepening the divide between him and his students. The dynamic
between Crawford and Forrester throughout the film is interesting though
they only share one scene. Of course, Connery is an actor who can
readily command the screen, and he has a regal air about him despite the
fact that he spends most of the film in a cluttered apartment.
While I enjoyed the basic story, particularly the developing friendship
between Jamal and Forrester, what really intrigued me were all the
words of advice that the older gentleman passed down to his young
student. I would think any aspiring writer could find worth in some of
his wisdom, if only to examine it critically and then refute it. I’m not
sure I agree with all of his bon mots, but they got the wheels in my
head turning, and that in itself is a very valuable thing. Additionally,
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole’s beautifully mellow medley of Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World
serves as a theme for the film, underscoring the contentment that these
previously dissatisfied men find in each other’s company. For lovers of
literature and for anyone who appreciates the positive impact a strong
friendship can make, Finding Forrester is a thing of beauty.
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