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Movies / On DVD / Finding Forrester
Finding Forrester

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Finding Forrester (2000)

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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

Theatrical Release:Dec 20, 2000 Limited

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

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Release:

Apr 24, 2001

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Reviews for Finding Forrester

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61 - 80 (sorted by date)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

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.

comment Comment
01/11/01
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

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.

comment Comment
01/11/01
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Sean Connery's finest acting in years.

comment Comment
01/11/01
Mary F. Pols
Mary F. Pols
Contra Costa Times

A conventional stew of overblown, bogus emotion and rigged catharsis.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
01/11/01
Laura Miller
Laura Miller
Salon.com

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.

comment Comment
01/11/01
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There is nothing more appealing to watch in a movie than one character teaching another, except perhaps when two characters teach each other.

Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment Comment
01/10/01
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

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

Try to make your mind a blank slate for Van Sant's full intended effect... Good.

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
01/03/01
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

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.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
01/01/01
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

An interesting portrayal of a generationally-challenged friendship.

comment Comment
12/29/00
Jim Chastain
Jim Chastain
Norman Transcript

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.

Full Review Source: Radio Free Entertainment | comment Comment
12/29/00
Andrew Manning
Andrew Manning
Radio Free Entertainment

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

Brown’s immense likability, exceptional maturity, understated authority and quiet decency steal the picture away.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
12/27/00
Tom Sander
Tom Sander
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

A transparent attempt by director Gus Van Sant to repeat the Oscar success of his earlier Good Will Hunting.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
12/26/00
Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It is very easy to watch.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
12/26/00
Joe Baltake
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee

A juicy and gratifying teacher movie.

comment Comment
12/26/00
Jay Carr
Jay Carr
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: Screen It! | comment Comment
12/25/00
Jim Judy
Jim Judy
Screen It!

The chemistry between [Connery and Brown] is electric.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
12/25/00
Bruce Kirkland
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies

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.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
12/25/00
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A solidly enjoyable, fairly cerebral feature raised above its roots by stout performances from its two leads.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
12/25/00
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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Latest News for Finding Forrester

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