Reflections
on “Finding Forrester” (2000)
Written
by Mike Rich
Directed
by Gus Van Sant
Starring
Sean Connery, Rob Brown and F. Murray Abraham
A video presentation of this material is available here.
This is a story of
friendship (arising from dubious beginnings and circumstances), evolution and
principle set in the Bronx and extending to a prestigious school in Manhattan.
This gentle drama focuses on character development and relationships, with a
relatively restrained and realistic conflict used as a dramatic device to
provoke reflection and growth in the two principal characters.
16-year-old Jamal Wallace
has a raw writing talent not hampered by his relatively impoverished social
background, though his abilities could be honed and developed with focused
tutelage of quality. Jamal has concealed his talent for and desire to write, jotting
down his thoughts and observations in a series of notebooks he carries around
with him in a backpack. Indeed, he has concealed his academic abilities in
general, gaining no more than average grades in assessments. However, he does
well in national testing and is offered a place at the prestigious Mailor-Callow
school where he will encounter support, discipline, academic demands and privileged
competition.
Jamal has learned to use
his sporting prowess in the field of basketball as a means of achieving
acceptance, success and communication. Mailor-Callow is, of course, happy to
offer Jamal an academic education in exchange for sporting success, along with
the attendant publicity and glory such success will bring them. Apart from
displaying skill on the basketball court itself, Jamal uses a basketball almost
as a prop, bouncing it regularly as a means of maintaining reassurance or to
divert attention. He even bounces the ball during a conversation with his
mother who appears to be incapable of exercising influence over his behaviour. It
is interesting to note that later in the film, when he starts to act similarly in
a conversation with Forrester in his flat, Forrester sees through his device
instantly and brings Jamal’s diversionary tactic to a halt with a single look.
William Forrester is the
author of a much-loved, highly praised and enormously successful book but
apparently never wrote another and has led a reclusive life since shortly after
his book’s publication.
We discover, after a
number of conversations with Jamal and considerable soul-searching, that
Forrester was profoundly affected by the death of his brother followed by, in
the space of some five months, the deaths of both his parents. We learn of
Forrester’s trauma and the key to his reclusiveness when Jamal invites him to a
baseball game but the outing goes horribly wrong. Forrester fails to cope with
crowds and the social encounters associated with such an event and he
collapses, triggering a recounting of the circumstances surrounding his brother’s
death and the catastrophic effect this had on Forrester and his attitude to
life. Having made his brother’s post-war experiences the focus of his highly
successful book, exploring his situation, feelings and the deterioration of his
health, the loss of his only brother in a road traffic accident for which he
feels in good part responsible, had a devastating effect on Forrester’s outlook
and the conduct of his life, leading to social anxiety.
These feelings were
exacerbated by the fact that a nurse caring for his brother at the time of his
accident wished to discuss Forrester’s book and its significance to her rather
than deal with the death of his brother. This seems to have triggered something
of an existential crisis in Forrester, possibly prompting doubts concerning the
value of art (in the form of his book), and perhaps his fame as its author, and
questions as to how his work could take priority over reality. He appears to
have been desperately disappointed in people if they are capable of casting
aside understanding, compassion and interest in others and their genuine
experiences for what amounts to a copy of life or an abstraction. This may have
led to his rejection of the status of a famous author whose position derives
from the work he has produced rather than his character, beliefs and actions.
Like most good writers,
this intelligent and sensitive man (despite appearances) is adept at reading
character and understands motivations, purpose and thought processes, as Jamal
learns in his initial meetings with him, meetings in which Forrester is testy
and provocative, but also insightful. Due to his trauma and his subsequent rejection
of society, he is untroubled by the desire to be accepted or popular,
especially as the continued success of his book provides him with the means to
live while writing (though not necessarily publishing) provides him with
stimulus and satisfaction. He rarely leaves his flat, preferring to insulate
himself against the dangers, insecurities and disappointments of the world
outside. Yet he continues to observe life outside, rather than participate in
it, cleaning the windows regularly to ensure clarity of vision. He has
preserved a natural curiosity and social intelligence which he has satisfied
through surveillance of the local area by way of powerful binoculars and a
video camera which enabled him to become vaguely acquainted with Jamal even
before the dare from Jamal’s friends and his consequent breaking into Forrester’s
home.
Forrester cannot hold
himself back from reacting to the pieces of writing he finds in Jamal’s bag
which he left behind in panic when Forrester disturbed his tentative and
furtive exploration of Forrester’s flat. Their common bond of writing paves the
way to friendship as they explore common curiosity, abilities and backgrounds,
leading to shared thoughts, feelings and even affection, and then a willingness
and desire to play a part in one another’s lives, to the point where one friend
is willing to put the other’s interests above his own.
They have much in common:
Both are inspired to
write due to family traumas – for Forrester, it is the return from war of his distressed
brother and his descent into alcoholism and, for Jamal, there is the struggle
with drug addiction of his father, the disintegration of his parents’
relationship and his father’s eventual departure from the family home.
Jamal hides his writing,
scribbling in notebooks kept in a backpack, while Forrester keeps his writing hidden
in a file in his flat.
Both use writing as an
outlet for their feelings and a method of understanding and coming to terms
with the world around them.
Family is essential to
each of them. Jamal is clearly emotionally close to his mother and brother,
even if he does not share his literary aspirations with them, while the loss of
Forrester’s family had a catastrophic and deeply emotional effect on his life.
The fact that neither of
the main characters has left his familial roots or neighbourhood may also be
worthy of note. Each of us is deeply influenced by our background and family,
and although ability and opportunity may lead to changes in circumstance and
geography, our hearts remain tied to “home”. This may explain why one of the
production companies listed in the film’s credits is “Fountainbridge Films”,
undoubtedly named after the area of Edinburgh in which Sean Connery was born
and raised.
Our two main characters
are drawn together by writing and shared character traits and circumstances.
Almost despite himself, Forrester recognises Jamal’s potential and offers him advice,
while Jamal recognises the value of what is on offer and wants more. And so,
Forrester becomes Jamal’s mentor.
Comparisons may be drawn
between the teaching Jamal receives at Mailor-Callow and the mentoring
undertaken by Forrester.
According to Jamal’s new
friend Claire, teachers at Mailor-Callow are fonder of hearing their own voices
than hearing those of their students and this is confirmed by our encounters
with Robert Crawford, Jamal’s English Language tutor. He appears to take
pleasure in vaunting his own knowledge and in so doing implies the relative
ignorance and inferiority of his students, demoralising them in the process.
His purely knowledge-based and lecturing approach to teaching is far more
restrictive than the mentoring approach adopted by Forrester which depends on
engagement. Although knowledge is incorporated, emphasis is laid on the fluid
exchange of ideas and discussion, allowing the evolution of the student and
quite possibly the teacher too, if he or she is open to it.
Jamal’s skill in
basketball opens a pathway to acceptance and achievement in society. He is
literally following the rules, playing the game and building a career and a
place in society through developing his skills and putting them at the use of
others. However, Jamal’s writing is where his true aspirations lie. Through his
writing he can express himself and give value to his own thoughts and ideas,
leading to his independence.
There comes a point where
he must make a choice between the two pathways. After entering a writing
competition, Jamal is accused of plagiarism and faces possible expulsion from
school. His piece was indeed partially inspired by an article written by
Forrester but Jamal went on to make it his own, though he retained the original
title. Forrester happily recognises it is Jamal’s own work and is probably
proud of the fact he exercised some influence in the development of the piece,
but Forrester has asked Jamal to remain discreet about his identity and so
Jamal will not reveal the source of his inspiration, leaving him in this
difficult position in the school.
Certain authorities at
the school are willing to use this situation to apply pressure to ensure
sporting success, assuring Jamal his problems will disappear if he gains victory
for his team and his school in an upcoming match. Of course, acceptance of such
conditions could lead to perpetual blackmail so Jamal chooses the pathway of
principle and shows he is willing to abandon a burgeoning career and education
to protect the identity of his mentor and inspiration while insisting his
writing is his own work.
Though he initially
refuses to defend his friend because of the impact such action would have on
his life, Forrester is forced to re-assess the direction he has allowed his
life to take and the values by which he has been living. Because of his
friendship with Jamal, the influence Jamal has exercised over him and the
rediscovery of humanity Jamal has kindled in him, Forrester realises he must conquer
his social anxiety, sacrifice his anonymity and appear in public to support his
friend. After all, Jamal’s problems have come about as an indirect consequence
of their friendship and he is facing life-changing repercussions due to his
willingness to protect Forrester.
As suggested in the title
of the film, Jamal found Forrester and that find changed his life. Sharing and
developing his thoughts and aspirations with a kindred spirit gave him strength
and confidence and allowed him to value his own efforts as an individual. Jamal
was already a thinker but his relationship with Forrester not only helped
evolve his talent but encouraged him to remain true to himself.
It is also true that
Forrester re-found Forrester. Through sharing his love of writing, observation
and thought with Jamal, Forrester also learned to share his innermost feelings,
emotions and fears, allowing him to rediscover humanity, the warmth of
friendship and a taste for life.
In the end, we discover
that Forrester has died and has left his flat and its furnishings to Jamal. He
has also left in his care a final novel for which Jamal is to write the
foreword, completing, in a sense, his mentorship of Jamal.
At the heart of the
plagiarism debate was the question of copying, but Forrester inspired Jamal
through his writing and his counselling to produce his own work, thus
encapsulating the means and purpose of art – to observe, consider and express
ideas in order to inspire similar thoughts or ideas in others.
Jamal becomes not just
Forrester’s friend and mentee but also his heir. Forrester bequeathed to Jamal all
his worldly goods but also, and perhaps much more importantly, the essence of
his writing spirit.
This is a film to which I
can return again and again, and I consider that quite an accolade.
Writer Mike Rich and
director Gus Van Sant created a slow-burn character piece that is entertaining,
engaging, touching and thoughtful. The principal characters and their
development are the stars here and the evolution of their friendship is
logical, sensitive and emotive.
Rob Brown, making his
debut at just 16, had a daunting task but coped remarkably well, giving a
mature, rounded and natural performance.
F. Murray Abraham,
totally controlled and self-assured, did his usual excellent job and made you
dislike his superior, condescending and at times oily Robert Crawford.
Sean Connery, in what is
almost certainly his penultimate film role, gives one of his best performances
as the crusty yet vulnerable Forrester. Indeed, the multi-layered nature of his
performance plays a pivotal part in the re-watchability of the film. Various
aspects of the role may have resonated with him and Mr Connery is engaging,
affecting and at times quite moving.
My thanks for taking the
time to read this article. I hope you found it of some value.
Stuart Fernie
I can be contacted at stuartfernie@yahoo.co.uk
