This is pure formula -- and practically identical to the story arc of Good Will Hunting -- but Van Sant keeps things just off-kilter enough to make it compelling anyway.
Comment
01/11/01
Finding Forrester (2000)
74
%
Tomatometer
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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... [More]
Starring: Sean Connery, Rob Brown, Anna Paquin, F. Murray Abraham
Director: Gus Van Sant
Reviews for Finding Forrester
It takes us inside the head of a young man whose black friends are suspicious of anyone who studies too hard and whose white colleagues wonder if he can study hard enough. Those two voyages make it worthwhile.
01/11/01
The well-constructed script isn't especially original, but it gives the Forrester/Jamal relationship time to grow and it makes sure the plot developments are firmly rooted in the specifics of character.
01/11/01
Sean Connery's finest acting in years.
01/11/01
A conventional stew of overblown, bogus emotion and rigged catharsis.
01/11/01
When the movie conveys the light in a student's eyes, and those of his teacher, at the moment when knowledge has been shared, it's a story that can never be told often enough.
01/11/01
There is nothing more appealing to watch in a movie than one character teaching another, except perhaps when two characters teach each other.
01/10/01
The only real lesson we take away is that plagiarism can be OK as long as people don't remember the original source material.
01/05/01
Try to make your mind a blank slate for Van Sant's full intended effect... Good.
01/03/01
A film which celebrates intellect, learning and writing, making it a very rare commodity these days. While it isn't a great film, it is a refreshing change from the usual dreck.
01/01/01
An interesting portrayal of a generationally-challenged friendship.
12/29/00
Despite the fact that most seasoned moviegoers can predict Finding Forrester from beginning to end with the greatest of ease, the movie remains a delight thanks to its first rate performances.
12/29/00
The problem is that viewers will have no trouble predicting most every turn along the way.
12/28/00
Brown’s immense likability, exceptional maturity, understated authority and quiet decency steal the picture away.
12/27/00
A transparent attempt by director Gus Van Sant to repeat the Oscar success of his earlier Good Will Hunting.
12/26/00
It is very easy to watch.
12/26/00
A juicy and gratifying teacher movie.
12/26/00
Thanks to the strong performances from the leads and the fun interaction and often smartly written dialogue between them, the film manages to be entertaining and engaging more often than it's not.
12/25/00
The chemistry between [Connery and Brown] is electric.
12/25/00
Sure, maybe Gus has gone Hollywood, but at least he's gone there sideways -- fully aware that a soul is a terrible thing to waste.
12/25/00
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November 11, 2005:
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