It amazed me that this film was largely ignored by the UK Cinema going public when it was released earlier this year.
It was highly acclaimed by US Audiences and starred ever popular Sean Connery. So well thought of was it, that it received several Oscar nominations, yet cinemas in this ... Read review
Sean Connery stars in this compelling drama about the unique relationship between an ... more
eccentric reclusive novelist William Forrester (Connery) and a gifted athlete Jamal Wallace (Robert Brown) who has writing aspirations of his own. As their friendshi...
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Finding Forresteris a very accomplished example of the sentimental melodrama that Gus Von ... more
Sant has made his own--issues like integrity and snobbery are presented with just enough simplification to the set pieces that no-one feels challenged. Brilliant ...
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From the director of Good Will Hunting comes Finding Forrester starring Academy Award ... more
winner Sean Connery (Best Supporting Actor - The Untouchables, 1988). Finding Forrester explores the unique relationship between an eccentric reclusive novelist, William Forrester (Connery) and a gifted athlete, Jamal Wallace (Robert Brown) who has writing aspirations of his own. As their friendship develops, Forrester takes the young man on as his protege, giving Jamal a fantastic opportunity to learn all he can from the Pultizer Prize-winning novelist. But he's not the only person who has something to learn from the experience...
The story of the relationship between William Forrester, an eccentric novelist and Jamal ... more
Wallace, a talented athlete, who wishes to also become a novelist. Forrester takes Wallace as his protege and gives the athlete a chance to learn all he can about writing.
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Advantages: excellent performances by the leading men, thoughtful, intelligent drama Disadvantages: slow at times
It amazed me that this film was largely ignored by the UK Cinema going public when it was released earlier this year.
It was highly acclaimed by US Audiences and starred ever popular Sean Connery. So well thought of was it, that it received several Oscar nominations, yet cinemas in this area screened it for one week – and pooooof, it was gone. In fact it should have been renamed – ‘Couldn’t Find Forrester’. ...– Sir Sean Connery (has he been knighted yet?….if not, why not? – but it will come certainly) as reclusive author William Forrester. Now growing old alone in the same New York apartment he grew up in, he takes a black teenage ‘wannabe’ budding writer, Jamal Wallace (played by Rob Brown), under his wing.
The two meet in an odd way. Jamal is a more than competent scholar, but only does just enough to get ... more
It amazed me that this film was largely ignored by the UK Cinema going public when it was released earlier this year.
It was highly acclaimed by US Audiences and starred ever popular Sean Connery. So well thought of was it, that it received several Oscar nominations, yet cinemas in this area screened it for one week – and pooooof, it was gone. In fact it should have been renamed – ‘Couldn’t Find Forrester’.
The film starred – like I said – Sir Sean Connery (has he been knighted yet?….if not, why not? – but it will come certainly) as reclusive author William Forrester. Now growing old alone in the same New York apartment he grew up in, he takes a black teenage ‘wannabe’ budding writer, Jamal Wallace (played by Rob Brown), under his wing.
The two meet in an odd way. Jamal is a more than competent scholar, but only does just enough to get his grades, so as not to alienate him from his friends. He’s playing basketball outside the apartment block where Forrester lives. He leaves his backpack with his schoolwork behind, but next day finds it – and his work has been corrected and comments have been left (…before you ask, it was not the work of a dissident ciao-er!). It was Forrester who had been watching him from his window.
Forrester is famous for writing just the one book – a novel which won him the Pulitzer Prize - and is looked up to by the youngster. The old man’s aim is to teach his young protégé the art of writing, but it eventually goes much further and deeper as he also imparts his wisdom about friendship, family and life in general. In return Jamal sets out to try to encourage Forrester to step back into society and break through his fear of venturing out of his apartment.
Connery has played this type of character before – the experienced, overseeing and authorititve ‘father figure’. And, of course, he plays it very well. But look out for the talented young man who plays opposite him. Brown makes his ‘major league’ film debut in this one and is outstanding. His portrayal of a kid from the Bronx with ideas above his schoolmates, who just want to play basketball and ‘chill’, is superb. Many comparisons have been made to a young Denzel Washington – well maybe, but he’s certainly an actor to look out for in the future.
Look out too for Anna Paquin as Jamal’s ‘love interest’. She was last seen as ‘Rogue‘ in the X-Men, but this is quite a different casting for her as the down-to-earth, straight talking daughter of the school director.
• SUMMARY
This is a well made (Directed by Gus Van Zant), if at times rather slow moving, study of how a relationship can flourish between two ‘opposites’. The road has been travelled before in other books and films, of course, but the two main protagonists – Connery and Brown – bring the film into sharp focus and provide plenty of ‘sparks’. This film has been compared with ‘Good Will Hunting’ another of Van Zant’s film. Whether it is as good is debateable, but it is a classy piece of work with a good pedigree.
Right, so the storyline does not exactly sound like it’s a ‘thrill-a-minute’ action movie. Well it’s not. It’s not a teen comedy either, but if you are looking for a thoughtful, moving and serious drama to settle down in front of, then definately put this on your watch list when the video/DVD is released.
Advantages: Engaging characters - good visuals Disadvantages: A little ponderous - takes itself a little too seriously - misses a palpable hit
...Sean Connery's new offering. Finding Forrester is meant to be a sincere attempt to explore the ability of gifted individuals to rise above the mediocrity that surrounds them As I said it is meant to be - my opinion is that it falls a little short. It has many of the necessary ingredients - a 16 year-old Afro-American kid from the Bronx who is a great basketball player but is also secretly a very gifted young writer, Jamal Wallace. His test scores ... ...school he is in and drops him the prestigious Mailor College - a private school that uses his test scores as an excuse to recruit him for their basketball team.
Living in a building near where Jamal plays basketball is a crotchety old man living in seclusion. Through a rather childish dare the two meet and eventually become mentor and protege'. The strange old man is Sean Connery - the elusive Forrester who wrote the great American novel and then ...
kimbowa 20.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Finding Forrester (DVD)
Advantages: A great performances from Connery. Disadvantages: It does feel like Van Sant ran out of original ideas....
...man ends up rooting around, finding some papers and is intrigued enough to mark Jamal’s work!
Who is this strange man? And why’s he so nosy?
He is William Forrester, a writer who’s famously reclusive. But why does he want to hide his fame? The first book he published was ‘Avalon Landing’ which ended up winning the Pulitzer Prize. Forrester stopped after he felt he was exploiting hos brother who was a war veteran. But ... ...nurture Jamal’s talent and bring it out of him.
Jamal is soon accepted into an exclusive Manhatten preparatory school....not so much for his writing skills BUT his basketball skills. Feeling out of place with the other students, he finds a friendly face in
Claire (Anna Paquin).
“A black boy and a white girl!? Surely there’s going to be problems!”. Well kind of. Claire’s father (Michael Norui) disapproves and Jamal ...
the_fury 19.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Finding Forrester (DVD)
Advantages: Clever and witty script, good performance from all involved Disadvantages: Girls could cry at the ending ;-)
...at an unexpected time
Finding Forrester tells the story of a young black teenager named Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown), who has always just done enough to get the grades to get through high school, he made sure is always averages a C grade. He does however study at home and is an extremely gifted writer but he doesn’t let this show as he is also a great basketballer and thinks if he shows he is intelligent it may harm his street reputation. Jamal ... ...to his friends. Finding Forrester's writer, Mike Rich, fortunately takes the high road with his story. It never breaks down into a stereotypical "white guy saves youngster from crime-filled ghetto" story; instead focusing on the relationships. Yes, there are a few race and class issues debated, but the script never beats you over the head trying to prove its point, which is refreshing. Connery and newcomer Rob Brown are terrific as expected, and ...
Silent_Bob 30.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Finding Forrester (DVD)
Advantages: good acting, well shot Disadvantages: might be slow pacing for some people
Finding Forrester is one of thise films that doesn't set the box office alight but is far better than the usual dross clogging up the screens around the UK. The story follows a young black american Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown) who lives in an urban part of New York and is quite gifted at writing but keeps it a secret from his friends. Jamal wins a scholarship to a prestigous New York school but faces some opposition from a bitter teacher (F. Murray ... ...into the apartment of a reclusive William Forrester (Connery) and is found out. Jamal finds out that Forrester is the author is a well respected book and slowly edges his way into Forresters life. Forrester at first is apprehensive but with time the pair become friends and he teaches Jamal the true ethics of writing that lead him to better his work. Of course the bitter teacher at the school doesn't beleive that Jamal is capable of such work and ...
utero 29.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Finding Forrester (DVD)
Advantages: Well acted. Briliant soundtrack Disadvantages: Not developed enough
What to do on a Sunday night after having worked half the day, then played and won at squash, how to calm the mind. I know go and see a movie, which is relaxed and stars one of the best actors of all time (Well he's Scottish of course I have to say that). Yes the erudite Sean Connery, I would love to hear him saying the rhyme 'she sells sea shells by the sea shore', as a matter of fact I would love to hear me saying that after a few. Yes, I was saying, ... ...Directed by Gus Van Sant, director of Good Will Hunting, he has come up with a similar formulae to GWH. The plot is similar, however this is where the similarity ends. The story is of a young 16 year old black kid from the Bronx named Jamal (Robert Brown XVII) who reads and writes at every opportunity. He hides his love of reading and writing for fear of retribution from his pears. He opts instead to hang out with his friends and play basketball, ...
aitchison21 19.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Finding Forrester (DVD)
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Advantages: Mad and lovable story Disadvantages: Still didn't find any
is based on reality, cruelty and gruesome life so you have to accept it.
If I could give marks for originality, I would not hesitate to give 11 out of 10 for this story.
In some segments looks like Forrest Gump, and if you liked this film, Underground will certainly find the way to your heart and take valuable place in your DVD collection. ...
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.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
UCA; UNIVERSAL MUSIC OPERATIONS, SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Making Of Featurette, Deleted Scenes, Filmographies, Trailer, Animated Menus, Rob Brown Featurette
Aspect Ratio
1.85 Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Professional reviews
Review
...Touchingly authentic thanks to genuine and profound performances from Connery and newcomer Pitt... (Box Office, )
...Two enormously appealing performances dominate FINDING FORRESTER....The two actors tear into their roles the way a hungry man enters a banquet hall... (Hollywood Reporter, )
...Brown's starmaking turn is the film's heart and soul... (Total Film, )
The film is constructed around Sean Connery's charm... - 3 out of 4 stars (USA Today, )
DVD Description
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.
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