Finding Forrester (2000)
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73% of critics liked it
(124 reviews) -
76% of users liked it
(79,387 ratings)
In the spirit of his Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting, Gus Van Sant directs this tale of the unlikely bond that develops between an aging, reclusive novelist named Forrester (Sean Connery) -- who hasn't written anything since winning a Pulitzer Prize decades earlier -- and Jamal (Rob Brown), a… More In the spirit of his Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting, Gus Van Sant directs this tale of the unlikely bond that develops between an aging, reclusive novelist named Forrester (Sean Connery) -- who hasn't written anything since winning a Pulitzer Prize decades earlier -- and Jamal (Rob Brown), a 16-year-old with a hidden desire to be a writer. When Jamal is cited for his athleticism in basketball by an elite Manhattan prep school, he is forced to adapt to an environment far from his South Bronx upbringing, and a small mishap leads him to the eccentric, uneasy Forrester. After their initial apprehension of each other, they begin to fuel each other's fire for writing, and become unlikely friends despite their ages and backgrounds. Forrester's devotion to Jamal becomes enhanced when he must defend allegations of plagiarism enforced by Professor Crawford (F. Murray Abraham), jeopardizing Jamal's future. The film also features Anna Paquin, Busta Rhymes, and Zane Copeland, Jr.. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi
- Directed By
- Gus Van Sant
- Written By
- Mike Rich
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Dec 20, 2000 Wide
- Studio
- Columbia Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
If director Gus Van Sant had always been a hack it wouldn't matter so much, but personally I find this form of licking the audience's cheeks like an obsequious puppy deeply offensive.
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, Time Out
The leaden screenplay can be fingered for many of the film's faults. But what happened to the off-kilter film-maker last seen at work in To Die For?
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Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
An anti-intellectual film about the intellectual life.
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Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Funny and touching.
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Paul Clinton (CNN.com), CNN.com
A rare find.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Sean Connery
as William Forrester
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Rob Brown (VI)
as Jamal Wallace
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F Murray Abraham
as Professor Crawford
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Anna Paquin
as Claire
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Busta Rhymes
as Terrell
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April Grace
as Ms. Joyce
- Matt Damon
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Michael Nouri
as Dr. Spence



