Finding Forrester [Blu-ray]

Gus Van Sant

Overview

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..

Product Details

Release Date:	06/08/2021
UPC:	0683904635242
Original Release:	2000
Source:	Sony Pictures Home
Language:	English

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Rob Brown	Jamal Wallace
Anna Paquin	Claire
Busta Rhymes	Terrell
Michael Nouri	Dr. Spence
Michael Pitt	Coleridge
Richard Easton	Matthews
Glenn Fitzgerald	Massie
Zane R. Copeland Jr.	Damon
Stephanie Berry	Janice
Fly Williams III	Fly
Damany Mathis	Kenzo
Damien Lee	Clay,Clay
Matthew Noah Word	Coach Garrick
Charles Bernstein	Dr. Simon
Matt Malloy	Bradley
Matt Damon	Sanderson
Jimmy Bobbitt	Rapper
Capital Jay	Opposing Player
James T. Williams II	Student
Cassandra Kubinski	Claire's Friend
Sophia Wu	Librarian
Gerry Rosenthal	Student Speaker
Tim Hall	Student Manager
Tom Mullica	Old Money Man
David Madison	Kid in the Hall
Joey Buttafuoco	Night Man
Jamie McCaig	Referee
William Modeste	Referee
Daniel Rodriguez	Hallway Boy
Samuel Tyson	Creston Player
Vince Giordano	Big Band Leader
Gregory Singer	Violinist
Dean Pratt	Trumpet Player
Kerry MacKillop	Trumpet Player
Harvey Tibbs	Trombone Player
Jack Stuckey	Sax Player
Mark Lopeman	Sax Player
Mark Phaneuf	Sax Player
Larry Wade	Sax Player
Conal Fowkes	Piano Player
Matt Munisteri	Guitarist
John Meyers	Drummer
Ron Morgan	Mailor Priest
Allison Folland	Jeopardy Contestant
Alex Trebek	Himself
Lil' Zane	Actor
Jim Titus	Student
Bill Frisell	Composer
Miles Davis	Composer
Ornette Coleman	Composer

Technical Credits

Mike Rich

Gus Van Sant	Director
F. Murray Abraham	Director
Michael Nouri	Director
Anna Paquin	Director
Glenn Fitzgerald	Director
Stephanie Berry	Director
Sean Connery	Producer
Laurence Mark	Producer
Rhonda Tollefson	Producer
Jonathan King	Producer,Executive Producer
Dany Wolf	Producer,Executive Producer
Mike Rich	Screenwriter
Peter Appleton	Sound Effects
David A. Cohen	Sound Effects

Editorial Reviews

*** The scenes between the old man and the teenager are at the heart of the movie, and it's a pleasure to watch the rapport between Connery, in his 50th year of acting, and Brown, in his first role.... I was reminded of another movie, a great one, named "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" (1962). In both that movie and this one, a disadvantaged young man simply refuses to perform like a trained seal, because he knows that will be a lethal blow against his adult tormentors. In a movie where sports supplies an important theme, Jamal's crucial decision supplies the best insight in the story about his journey between two worlds.

Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert