RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / Finding Forrester
Finding Forrester

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Finding Forrester (2000)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
74 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:121

Fresh:89

Rotten:32

Average Rating:6.5/10

Consensus: Despite the predictability of its plot and its similarity to Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester has an honest, solid feel to it and good rapport between Connery and Brown.

Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins

Genre: Dramas

US Box Office: $51,370,406

Synopsis: Director Gus Van Sant brings to the screen this moving story of a grizzled recluse and an inner-city teenager brought together by their shared passion for writing. Like Van Sant's Oscar-nominated... Director Gus Van Sant brings to the screen this moving story of a grizzled recluse and an inner-city teenager brought together by their shared passion for writing. Like Van Sant's Oscar-nominated GOOD WILL HUNTING, FINDING FORRESTER earnestly explores the struggles of a youthful genius whose position in society (underprivileged kid from the wrong side of the tracks) makes him seem destined for failure until he forms a relationship with a gifted but introverted mentor who helps him see the light.The youthful genius is a talented urban basketball player named Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown), who in his spare time reads everything he can get his hands on, secretly scribbling prose and poetry into a composition pad. The introverted mentor is William Forrester (Sean Connery), who took the literary world by storm with his debut novel, AVALON RISING, 50 years earlier but now spends whole days shut inside his Bronx apartment looking out the window onto a basketball court where Jamal hangs out. Buoyed by excellent performances from Connery and newcomer Brown, FINDING FORRESTER paints a compelling, alluring portrait of friendship while offering intriguing insights into the heart and soul of the dedicated writer. [More]

Starring: Sean Connery, Rob Brown, Anna Paquin, F. Murray Abraham

Starring: Sean Connery, Rob Brown, Anna Paquin, F. Murray Abraham, Busta Rhymes, Michael Nouri, Tom Mullica, Lil' Zane

Director: Gus Van Sant

Director: Gus Van Sant
Screenwriter: Mike Rich
Producer: Laurence Mark, Sean Connery, Rhonda Tollefson
Studio: Columbia Pictures

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 10

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Finding Forrester

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
03/30/01
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
10/30/01
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

For all of Gus Van Sant’s narrative weavings, for all of his grabs towards emotions and reactions, it amounts to little; a belated film with belated functions.

Full Review Source: In Film Australia | comment Comment
05/06/01
Luke Buckmaster
Luke Buckmaster
In Film Australia
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
03/24/02
Boston Phoenix
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
10/18/08
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Premiere Magazine | comment Comment
09/04/01
Glenn Kenny
Glenn Kenny
Premiere Magazine
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
02/07/01
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
02/17/03
Hollywood.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Rather hollow effort.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
03/25/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The leaden screenplay can be fingered for many of the film's faults. But what happened to the off-kilter film-maker last seen at work in To Die For?

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment 1 Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A movie about two writers, but it doesn't seem to have a clue about why writers write or about how writers write.

Full Review Source: culturevulture.net | comment Comment
12/19/00
Arthur Lazere
Arthur Lazere
culturevulture.net

It seems that this script was put through the ‘Hollywood wringer’ far too many times – squeezing out any real sense that it might be something different.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
02/07/01
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

While Finding Forrester is an average film that earns my average rating, the real disappointment is its ultimately disheartening theme that makes you wonder how it ever got made.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
12/14/00
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

All signs of intelligent life are sacrificed to Hollywood formula and liberal wish-fulfilment.

Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
12/15/03
Christopher Tookey
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]

The problem is that viewers will have no trouble predicting most every turn along the way.

Full Review Source: Nitrate Online | comment Comment
12/28/00
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
Nitrate Online

Its intentions are honorable, but its portrait of youth, urban, academic and literary culture is Mesozoic.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
12/24/00
Duane Dudek
Duane Dudek
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

It might've worked better if the film had tried harder to turn these characters into living, breathing people, instead of the bickering odd couple that's become such a stereotype.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
12/24/00
Eric Harrison
Eric Harrison
Houston Chronicle

A mishmash of recent films.

Full Review Source: Greenwich Village Gazette | comment Comment
12/19/00
Eric Lurio
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette

The only real lesson we take away is that plagiarism can be OK as long as people don't remember the original source material.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
01/05/01
Erik Childress
Erik Childress
eFilmCritic.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
all

Latest News for Finding Forrester

March 16, 2007: The Weekly Ketchup: "Spider-Man" Sans Tobey Maguire(?), "Transformers," "Superman Returns" Sequel, And More!
In this week's Ketchup, producer Avi Arad talks "Spider-Man"'s future, with or without Tobey Maguire, Shia LaBeouf explains how "Transformers" avoided an R... More...

March 17, 2006: New Line's "Nativity" Nabs Whale Rider
New Line Cinema is venturing into Biblical territory with "Nativity," a baby Jesus prequel, to star "Whale Rider" ingenue Keisha Castle-Hughes. More...

November 11, 2005: Sean Connery Earns AFI's Highest Honor
Thanks to ComingSoon.net for sharing a press release from the American Film Institute: Sir Sean Connery has been selected by the American Film Institute's (AFI) Board of... More...

See All

More Movies

Coming Soon in Australia
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

80% 80% Sherlock Holmes 26/12
39% 39% The Lovely Bones 26/12
100% 100% The French Kissers 26/12
83% 83% Bright Star 26/12
— Nowhere Boy 26/12
— Alvin and the Chipmunk… 26/12
— Did You Hear About the… 26/12
05% 05% Old Dogs 26/12

What’s Hot On RT

Avatar

Avatar

Watch six new clips from the sci-fi epic

20 Must-See Films

20 Must-See Films

Your essential Summer Movie Guide

Sam Worthington

Sam Worthington

We talk with Avatar's action star

Hot Nine Clips

Hot Nine Clips

New videos from the upcoming all-star musical

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Trailer Bulletin: Robin Hood Source: ComingSoon.net
14
  • Mel Gibson Plans a Mexican Vacation Source: Variety
2
  • New Iron Man 2 Clue Posted Source: Screen Rant
18
  • Gibson and DiCaprio are Going Norse Source: HitFix
33
  • Lord of the Rings Coming to Blu-ray April 6 Source: Hollywood Reporter
7
  • Tobey Maguire Rumored for The Hobbit Source: Latino Review
24
  • Mila Kunis Talks Aronofsky's Black Swan Source: Collider.com
12
  • Visiting the Set of The Sorcerer's Apprentice Source: ComingSoon.net
7
  • Weekly Ketchup: James Cameron Plans a Fantastic Voyage
93
  • James Cameron Talks Avatar Sequels Source: Collider.com
8
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Avatar Live Up To The Hype?
236
  • Total Recall: Keith David's Best Movies
82
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Girlpower Rules Again with Princess at #1
69
  • Awards Tour 2009: Inglourious Basterds Lead Critics Choice Noms
42
  • The Gimmicks That Changed Cinema: Part 1
37
  • Awards Tour 2009: Avatar Best Picture at NYFCO!
34
  • Weekly Ketchup: James Cameron Plans a Fantastic Voyage
31
  • The Effects of Where the Wild Things Are
30
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • Critics Consensus: Princess, Invictus Are Certified Fresh
21
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno
3
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
0
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Richard Kelly chats about The Box
2
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Finding Forrester at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Finding Forrester at IGN
  • Finding Forrester at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
Virtuoso Vistas of The Lovely Bones
Virtuoso Vistas of The Lovely Bones External Link

Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

Animated Oscar?
Animated Oscar? External Link

Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter External Link

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.

Competitions
Win Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 prize packs
Win Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 prize packs External Link

We're giving away a bunch of stuff from the upcoming Squeakquel.

Win Inglourious Basterds DVDs
Win Inglourious Basterds DVDs External Link

We're giving away five copies of Tarantino's hit, with thanks to Universal. That's a bingo.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.