Forrester Gets Lost: Finding Forrester

The Good: Amazing lead actor!
The Bad: Overdone plot, Stereotypical characters, Poor use of strong cast.
The Basics: Finding Forrester is a film with a lot of potential that does not get lived up to.


Finding Forrester came to me highly recommended by some people I tend to respect. They thought I would enjoy it because I am something of a reclusive writer and I do tend to enjoy films and books that have intelligent characters doing their own thing. I'm the kind of person who occasionally goes to Pizza Hut for their lunch buffet and sit and write about the people I see as I eat. It's a little writing exercise and the food isn't terrible. So, I went into this film with high expectations.

Finding Forrester is a collection of overused plot elements, stereotypical characters and overdone cliches. The redeeming aspect of this film is newcomer Robert Brown who plays the young black aspiring writer. What's so good about him? He can act. My initial reaction upon seeing the film was, "No way this guy is 16!" It turns out he is and the sense that he was a more mature actor attempting to play a 16 year-old and seeming a bit on the nose proves his ability.

Brown plays Jamal Wallace, an especially bright student living and going to school in New York City. When his test scores come back unusually high, this basketball player gets a chance to go to a private school on a full scholarship. Once there, he encounters elite white teachers and students who are pretty much all prejudiced and look down upon Jamal because he's black and a jock. But, he meets a reclusive writer named Forrester as the result of a prank and in an unlikely turn of events, the novelist supports Jamal and his abilities. The two become friends and ultimately, the friendship is tested when Jamal gets in trouble at school.

The other bright spot actors are, naturally Sean Connery, F. Murray Abraham and the always impressive Anna Paquin. The problem comes in how they are used. Sean Connery as reclusive novelist Forrester is a complete cliche, F. Murray Abraham -throughout the film appears to be rolling his eyes, as if he's tired of being the villain in everything and the gorgeous Anna Paquin is completely wasting her talents here.

Paquin's character, Claire Spence, has a great amount of potential and is one of the more interesting facets of the film, however, the writers never resolve her place in the movie and the whole plot thread with her ends up going nowhere. In short, she is relegated to the part of "eye candy" and "potential seductress" and at most fits a very small, very flat character niche.

Nothing in this film lives up to its potential.  The plot of the film is a combination of "underprivileged minority youth gets opportunity to live up to his potential" with "recluse comes out of hiding" mixed, almost as an afterthought with "rich kid falls for poor guy because she sees his true potential."

Everything about the film is a cliche or underused. Nothing in this film lives up to its potential and it's unfortunate. Rent Dead Poet's Society instead.

For other inspiring dramas, please visit my reviews of:
Cradle Will Rock
The Family Man
Whip It


4.5/10

For other film reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2002 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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