One of the best things about watching movies with friends is chatting about them afterward. The 2nd Thursday Flix Fest Group meet on the second Thursday of each month, where we can enjoy movies in a cozy setting and have lively discussions.
This month, we’re showing “Finding Forrester,” a 2000 film that beautifully explores the bond between a student and a reclusive writer. Directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Mike Rich, the film focuses on the power of writing which connects these two main characters. Sean Connery, at 70, plays William Forrester, a reclusive writer living in an apartment in the Bronx, overlooking a basketball court where neighborhood high school players of all skill levels hang out.
Rob Brown,16, playing Jamal Wallace, the star of their games, uses his basketball skills to connect with his friends and community while keeping his intelligence hidden so he can fit in. Jamal sneaks into Forrester’s apartment to satisfy a dare from his court buddies, but things don’t go as planned, and Jamal’s backpack with his personal notes gets left behind. Forrester opens the backpack, reads the writing samples, and makes editorial corrections to Jamal’s work, and then hands the backpack back to Jamal.
This little exchange sets off a mentorship that blossoms into a true friendship, helping Forrester reconnect with the real world and giving Jamal a boost to his writing and to a brighter future.
Simultaneously, Jamal’s exceptional high school academic performance and his prowess on the basketball court secure him a scholarship to an esteemed Manhattan preparatory school. Upon admission, he participates in a writing contest with a piece that incorporates a few uncredited introductory remarks from Forrester. However, the English instructor, harboring suspicions regarding the quality of Jamal’s writing, accuses him of plagiarism and threatens to revoke his scholarship.
The school’s Board Chairman, eager to leverage Jamal’s basketball prowess to augment donor contributions, proposes to dismiss the plagiarism charge and reinstate his scholarship contingent upon the school’s triumph in the State championship. Jamal rebels by deliberately losing the State Final game, serving as a testament to his aspiration to excel as a writer while safeguarding the confidentiality of his mentor and confidant.
As “Finding Forrester” wraps up, the audience gets a delightful surprise — a thoughtful ending that explores friendship, mentorship, and the art of writing, complete with some fun grammar tips and inspiring quotes from Shaw, Dickens, Coleridge, and Kipling.
“Finding Forrester” will be screened on Thursday, August 13 at the Piedmont Center for the Arts, 801 Magnolia Ave. Doors will open at 12:45 PM, and the movie is free to anyone over the age of 18. Our next movie is “Monsieur Ibrahim”, a 2003 French drama, starring Omar Sharif, to be shown on September 10 at 1 p.m..