With Honors

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With Honors

PG-13

1994

1h 40m

Drama

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

22%

Tomatometer

27 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Academia meets street smarts when Monty Kessler (Brendan Fraser), a graduate student struggling to finish his program, loses his thesis and finds it in the hands of a homeless man named Simon Wilder (Joe Pesci). Though the two get off on the wrong foot, they become unlikely friends, with Simon teaching Monty some important life lessons. Although Monty's roommates, including his buddy, Everett Calloway (Patrick Dempsey), initially dislike having Simon around, they grow to appreciate him, too.

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Critics Consensus

While it's admittedly well-meaning, With Honors handles its themes in strictly remedial fashion.

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Anderson Jones

Detroit Free Press

Keshishian has smoothly made the transition from fringe to commercial by taking a fairly ordinary story and crafting it into a highly entertaining drama.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 26, 2022

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Did it occur to the filmmakers to introduce one or even two new ideas into this material?

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Good cast, nice production values, but a weak script.

Rated: 6/10

Mar 26, 2025

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Sean Collier

Box Office Prophets

While the film's schmaltz and occasional moments of aspirational Gen-X cool earned it a fond place in the memories of some ... With Honors is largely hackneyed.

Rated: 2/10

Aug 30, 2021

Full Review

Malcolm Johnson

Hartford Courant

The brainiest of the current class of college comedies and dramas, but not quite high enough to qualify as a magna cum laude portrayal of a meeting of minds.

Rated: 2.5/4

Apr 10, 2018

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Austin Kennedy

Sin Magazine

This movie is predictable from scene one, though that wouldn't be a problem if it had a good script, good performances and solid direction. But it doesn't.

Rated: .5/4

May 23, 2012

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Robert B

Critics be damned, this movie is sensationally heartfelt and truly beautiful. The performances by the actors are spot-on and genuine. The witty, humorous tone throughout is perfection, alongside wonderfully deep and impactful life lessons and emotion. Thank you Joe and Brendan.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/20/25

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Daniel K

One of the best movies ever Joe and Brendan were amazing

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/17/25

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Audience Member

An excellent film to watch with your pre teen or teen. It'll help you teach them some very valuable lessons.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/19/25

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j d

People need to use this movie's Tomatometer score as a GLARING example of how out of touch so called "Professional Movie Reviewers" are with the general viewing audience. This film deals with the stresses of college at the Ivy League level, how people from vastly different backgrounds can find much to learn in each other and how to confront death both as the dying and the surviving. Along the way with its mature sense of humor, intelligent dialogue and a will they/won't they love sub plot, the fact most 'professional reviewers' would rate this so low only speaks to the lack of awareness they have to good storytelling. They'd rather watch some nonsensical indie film that tickles their brains right in the same spot the drugs used to. It's not a Marvel movie, it's not an indie movie, it's not a true comedy in the traditional sense. It's just a solid damn movie made in the 90's when there was depth to storytelling, humor placed in the right spots when needed to break tension and a stellar cast that acted their brains out. This is when movie making was still an art the masses could appreciate without pretentiousness or pre-judgement. Someone should find every person who wrote a low review of this movie, and throw the tomatoes at them.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

Full Review

Lafonda w

I loved this movie, I feel like Ben and Matt watched this before writing Good Will hunting

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/19/25

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Phillip D

Brings back a lot of early ‘90’s nostalgia. Good writing. Good acting. Well directed & produced.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/20/25

Full Review

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Alek Keshishian

Director

Joe Pesci

Simon Wilder

Brendan Fraser

Montgomery "Monty" Kessler

Moira Kelly

Courtney Blumenthal

Patrick Dempsey

Everett Calloway

Josh Hamilton

Jeffrey Hawks

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Synopsis

Academia meets street smarts when Monty Kessler (Brendan Fraser), a graduate student struggling to finish his program, loses his thesis and finds it in the hands of a homeless man named Simon Wilder (Joe Pesci). Though the two get off on the wrong foot, they become unlikely friends, with Simon teaching Monty some important life lessons. Although Monty's roommates, including his buddy, Everett Calloway (Patrick Dempsey), initially dislike having Simon around, they grow to appreciate him, too.

Director: Alek Keshishian
Producer: Paula Weinstein, Amy Robinson
Screenwriter: William Mastrosimone
Production Co: Warner Bros., Spring Creek Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 10, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $18.0M
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Surround

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