FamilyFans Movies
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FINDING
FORRESTER
Plot Summary
: An inner-city youth gets the chance to attend a snobby, rich prep school and depends on his friendship with a reclusive author to help him through..Reason for the Rating
: Brief strong language and some sexual references.When I came home from watching
FINDING FORRESTER, my friend asked me if I "found Forrester." "Ha, ha," I thought…bad pun. But then I considered the question a little bit more. Hmmm….yes, I actually did find Forrester…. Here’s what I found:I found Forrester to have a pretty good plot. Though the whole idea of an "underprivileged-yet-still-shining" star getting the chance to overcome his life situation with the help of an unusual friend isn’t exactly new, the movie doesn’t seem overdone. It uniquely combines literature with basketball and throws in some excellent messages about true friendship, unfair stereotypes, integrity, and dedication. Hopefully, it will inspire more kids to read and to express themselves. At any rate, there’s a little something for everyone in the movie, which is always a plus!
I also found Forrester to be well acted. Newcomer Rob Brown plays Jamal Wallace, the talented basketball star / budding writer—and does a wonderful job. Sean Connery, playing to the hilt his role as the legendary and reclusive William Forrester, is good as always. It’d be difficult to find a better eccentric old man who could be convincingly credited with writing "the greatest American novel."
Unfortunately, I also found Forrester to be occasionally boring. It’s often slow moving, and the plot takes some time to develop. Also, given Forrester’s reclusive habits, a lot of scenes happen in the author’s dimly-lit, too-quiet apartment. These scenes aren’t exactly conducive to staying awake, so tired viewers beware!
It’s
also worth noting that the movie contains occasional strong profanity, but this
by no means overshadows the message. Connery’s character drinks constantly,
too, and there is no real positive or negative reference to this. I’m not sure
how much these things would influence youngsters, but they are plainly evident.
As a whole, I think I’d find Forrester more entertaining if it just weren’t so l-o-n-g. After all, two-and-a-half hours is plenty of time for a plot to drag. Still, if you have more patience than I did, this one does offer great acting, a good story, and many other positive qualities.
FamilyFans.com Recommends
: Worth watching—but maybe at a discount theatre or twilight showing. (Don’t pay "full-price" for this movie.)After the Show…
If members of your family choose to view this movie, use these questions to spark discussion about it afterward:-- What did you notice about the inner-city in the movie that surprised or startled you? ?
-- Do you think kids like Jamal are given such good opportunities in real life? Explain your answer.
--Why was it unhealthy for Forrester to stay locked up in his apartment like he did?
AT
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