While some would hastily compare Finding Forrester to its director's predecessor Good Will Hunting, there are many differences that make these two films about as opposite as is possible for films with a similar subject matter. At the heart of GWH was Will Hunting, a genius who never had the self-control to exhibit his smarts - at the heart of FF, a genius who exhibits his smarts, but also has a side to him that few see. Both films deal with the subject of rising above adversity and overcoming odds that a normal person wouldn't, but the similarities stop there.

Finding Forrester stars Robert Brown as Jamal, an African-American from the Bronx whose friends really wouldn't approve of his writing - instead, he just gets by with a C average and plays basketball in every spare moment. When he is dared one night to break into "The Window's" apartment - the name they gave a strange man who always watched them from his window, and never came outside - his life would take a 180 degree turn. Inside the window, he found William Forrester, a reclusive author who had written what many called the perfect "20th century novel," but no more. After everyone had told him what his book meant to them, what he was trying to say, and picked his whole novel apart, he never published again. But in Jamal, he saw promise - a writer who had talent, something extraordinary, something he once had - and he knew he had to help nurture it.

While Finding Forrester seemingly offers more than Good Will Hunting, in the end, it offers less. Whereas GWH was able to portray a broad range of emotions and do so with a broad range of acting abilities, FF is constrained to a very narrow range of emotions - either let down, or high hopes - and nothing in between. FF could have been a much better movie, and had Van Sant not worried so much about making it different than GWH (as he must have done), he would have seen that Anna Paquin could have been utilized more and the friendship between her and Jamal explored more. Both Brown and Connery turn in above average performances, but neither really lift the film above the script, and thus it's left to the script to make the film. Van Sant should have realized the actors' true potentials, but instead shifted the focus to the script, and the script alone.

Finding Forrester was still an enjoyable movie, with enjoyable characters, but if Van Sant would have realized the potential of his actors, he would have had much more success. Instead, we're left with a mediocre script left to pick up the pieces, and far too much screen time for Anna Paquin - and a cameo by loveable Matt Damon at the end.

Genres: Drama
Rated: PG-13 - For brief strong language and some sexual references.
Runtime: 133 minutes
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