Review of Finding Forrester (2000) by Tom M — 23 Feb 2008

This was another excellent movie. I've spoken to people about this movie and they will say things such as "Yeah, it's so amazing the way they broke the race barrier by making Jamal a writer." The people who say this missed the point in my opinion.

What I see in this movie is an expression of individuality, but not just the concept of individuality, the difficulty of achieving it.

Jamal is an intelligent guy with a nack for basketball. However, he has a passion for writing that he keeps somewhat private. Though he realizes that he is a good writer, he wants to find something or someone to make him a great writer, something to take him to the next level. He discovers this by accident when he meets William Forrester. It is through William that Jamal becomes a great writer, and through it, he is able to exhibit a distinct character, sort of a "completed self". This natural distinction he achieves causes those around him to realize their own lacking of this intangible quality. The main one is a teacher at Jamal's school who actually knew William.

(spoiler warning).

In the end, the teacher skims through one of Jamal's papers and discovers that he had used a portion of one of William's old editorials to turn in as a paper. The teacher quickly tries to use this fact to get Jamal expelled. In the end, William comes to Jamal's school and reads an incredible piece to the class which is applauded greatly. The teacher makes a comment on how William, even in his age, has continued to expand as a writer. It is then that William reveals that the piece that he read had been written completely by Jamal.

This is a movie that is a must see for anyone.