Brian H
A real treat. Connery brings the reclusive author to life with a cornucopia of quirks and issues. Life lessons on perception and prejudice flow through the entire movie but in ways that bring you deeper in instead of driving you away. You don't have to love basketball, NYC, or even literature to enjoy this story of coming into your own.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
05/12/24
Full Review
Hunter N
The plot was pretty good in general, but the unnecessary sexual references and sheer volume of profanity is unacceptable. Do not watch this movie.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
02/26/24
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Rick M
A superbly crafted story that brings the viewer right into the heart of the film. A very pleasant and unexpected surprise.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
01/08/24
Full Review
Arik S
Finding forester is a great movie for those seeking a well rounded story not over acted and enjoyable to watch. The story line remains compelling throughout demonstrating wonderful growth for all characters. I continue to watch this movie regularly especially when I need to reminded about the value of hard work and friendship.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
10/08/23
Full Review
Naia Z
Finding Forrester, a classic film following an incredibly bright New York basketball all-star, Jamal, is a story of struggle, perseverance, and triumph. By using plot, characterization, juxtaposition, and stereotypes, Van Sant demonstrates a theme of personal conflict leading to self discovery and improvement through friendship.
The plot relies heavily on the predictability of the characters and their actions, making it easy to follow; this could be viewed as positive or negative depending on the audience's perspective. It takes virtually no time after the protagonist's introduction for the audience to completely understand the character. It is immediately shown that he is very smart, but tends not to show it and focuses his energy solely into basketball. This suggests that he is ashamed of his intellectual abilities, and is easily influenced by his surroundings. As the plot advances, the audience learns little more about him. He seems to value his family a great deal, but he remains a flat character for the majority of the story. Over the course of the story there is no event that changes his personality or teaches him a lesson. Forrester presents in a similar way when he is first introduced; all that is known about him that he is overly confident, believes he is superior to, or more knowledgeable than Jamal, and is very withdrawn from society. However, unlike Jamal, Forrester ends up as a dynamic character, honoring his connection with other people, and ultimately venturing out into the world. This change is marked by his appearance at Mailor-Callow's writing contest, brought on by his special relationship with Jamal.
Van Sant employs juxtaposition and stereotypes by allowing the story to fall into the trope of an underprivileged teen mentored by an older, usually white, man being given a chance to excell and climb the economic ladder. The contrast between Jamal and the characters in his new environment becomes clear in the beginning of the movie when the first and only white character is introduced, and there is an obvious divide between the two groups; the man driving the BMW and Forrester, and Jamal and his friends playing basketball. This is a prominent situation all throughout the movie, it is displayed again when Jamal is the only black member of the basketball team, as well as the only one known not to be rich. He is out of place at the private school, a stark difference from his past educational experience where he was considered average, or normal. This contradiction between Jamal and his new setting is both the basis of his internal conflict, and the reason he is so succesful. This challenge forces him to wrestle with the idea of leaving his family and friends for a better opportunity, knowing that he might not be welcomed there. This is a common occurance in general media, not just this film. Jamal falls into the stereotype of an underrepresented yet gifted kid with a poor upbringing. Forrester completes their duo with the stereotypical role of an experienced mentor. He has all the familiar qualities of this kind of character; a traumatic past that has turned him into a recluse, extensive knowledge of some kind of art or literature, and a standoffish attitude. Despite the predictability and arguable unpleasantness of his character, his relationship with Jamal, the perfect complimenting character, allows him to grow.
These tactics are effective in illustrating how success can emerge from struggle because of a friendship, however there are quite overdone. Many would argue that this film does not appeal to them, as its plot lacks an entertainment factor. Audiences might find such obvious stories tiresome, wanting a more engaging plot. Regardless, Van Sant does an excellent job of communicating the theme. I would consider Finding Forrester a great watch for anyone in search of a heartwarming story, but would advise against having high expectations.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/05/23
Full Review
Alex Z
The movie Finding Forrester, directed by Gus Van Sant, follows two characters, Jamal Wallace and William Forrester. Jamal is a young writing and basketball protegee in high school who struggles with expressing himself. William is a retired writer and extreme recluse who is angry at the world he sees as beneath him. Through the use of plot, characterization, foreshadowing, and unity, the theme of creating our own family outside our biological relatives is not effectively conveyed.
The plot and characterization issues go together to some extent. Roughly the first half of the movie is all exposition and the main conflict only starts near that halfway point. This would only be acceptable if the movie were a character study, but both characters are relatively stagnant and only Forrester changes near the end of the movie. Without the main plot starting earlier, we don't see any of the build up to the main theme. We barely see any groundwork for the found family theme in the exposition either, neither biological family or good friends are mentioned hardly at all. The characterization doesn't help. Jamal is a very flat character, and he remains the same for the entirety of the movie. As the protagonist, this makes for an uninteresting movie. Forrester is more dynamic, but none of his changes hints at a found family trope until he gives a speech about it at the end of the movie, shoving it in at the last minute. Both plot and characterization leave something to be desired, and their lacking qualities do not develop the theme of found family.
Foreshadowing is another issue because of its non-existence. Very little is shown before the speech at the end that hints at a found family. Jamal is shown to have a kind and caring mother and a brother who cares about him, so we don't see him seeking out another family that he makes himself. Forrester's backstory has more setup for the found family trope because all his biological relatives are dead, but we never see him developing a familial relationship with Jamal. It was at most friends, often closer to mentor and mentee. This lack of foreshadowing makes for an unsatisfying conclusion and an under-developed theme.
Lastly, the work is not unified under one central idea, or theme. As I've said previously, the theme was not shown well until it was retconned in through Forrester's speech at the climax of the movie. This lack of a driving force makes the work seem purposeless and disjointed, and the speech out of place. The other issues with plot, characterization, and foreshadowing all culminate in a poorly unified work that comes off as random and meandering until the halfway point. Even that actual plot has little to do with the actual theme, and the speech therefore comes off as completely out of the blue.
Overall I think this movie wasn't very good. I didn't feel connected to the characters and I actively disliked Forrester. The plot was sparse and boring and I wasn't invested in it. Analyzing it like this certainly made me dislike it more because I can see the issues more clearly now. I would not recommend it to friends.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
02/01/23
Full Review
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