Finding Forrester

I. Summary of the Movie

A. Jamal Wallace (ROB BROWN) is a smart, sixteen-year-old who

lives in the Bronx with his mom, Janice (STEPHANIE BERRY), and older
brother, Terrell (BUSTA RHYMES). An avid reader and writer, Jamal is a
classic underachiever who'd rather play basketball with his buddies,
including Fly (FLY WILLIAMS III), then let them know how smart he is by
doing well in school.

Although his class grades are just average, his exemplary test scores
as well as his prowess on the basketball court draw the attention of
officials from Mailor-Callow, an exclusive Manhattan prep school, who
want to give Jamal a full scholarship to attend.

In the meantime, Jamal takes a dare from his friends to climb up into
the apartment of a mysterious man they always see watching them
playing basketball from his window. Scared away once inside, Jamal
forgets his backpack full of his writings in the apartment, but later has
it thrown down to him by the still anonymous man.

Checking to make sure everything is there, Jamal discovers that the

man has made critical notes about his writing. Intrigued by this, Jamal
returns to the apartment and enters into an unlikely and unusual
friendship with William Forrester (SEAN CONNERY), a famous writer
known for his highly acclaimed but sole work, "Avalon Landing," that
was published in the 1950s. Now a recluse, Forrester is intrigued by
this young man who's so full of potential.

As Jamal enrolls at Mailor-Callow where he makes friends with Claire

Spence (ANNA PAQUIN) and takes a writing class taught by a haughty
professor, Robert Crawford (F. MURRAY ABRAHAM), he and Forrester
end up teaching each other a thing or two about writing and life.

B. Jamal is intellectually gifted, he puts little effort into his

schoolwork. On a dare, he sneaks into a recluse's apartment and, to his
surprise, befriends the inhabitant. The man helps Jamal with his
writing, in exchange for Jamal keeping a secret: the man is William
Forrester, the secluded author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel,
Avalon Landing, his sole book. When a highly selective private school,
Maylor Callow, sees Jamal's test results, he is offered a scholarship.
Jamal accepts, though it is a major culture shock to go to this elite
 school. He is immediately befriended by a board member's daughter,
which eases the transition. Later, a professor named Crawford accuses
Jamal of plagiarism because he used the title and first paragraph of
one of Mr. Forrester's essays on one of his own. The essay was
previously written by Jamal in Forrester's apartment, and despite the
fact that he was told to keep anything he wrote in Forrester's house,
he turned it in. In the end, Forrester ends his seclusion, pays a surprise
visit to the school to address the professor's accusations in person, and
reads one of Jamal's writing samples in order to prove the young man's
excellence. Forrester then moves back to his homeland of Scotland,
where he dies from cancer. He leaves Jamal his apartment and a
manuscript of his second (and final) novel, 'Sunset'. It is to be
published by Jamal after he has written a foreword.

Finding Forrester

II. Analysis Questions

A. About the Title

• Why do you think the movie is entitled Finding Forrester?

Do you see any beneath – the – surface reasons? Explain
your deduction

* I think the movie was entitled Finding Forrester because

William Forrester did not know who is he after his family
passed away and by the character of Jamal, He help Mr.
Forrester to find himself.

• Judging the title by itself, do you suppose it fits the

storyline? Explain the significance of the title to the plot.

* I think the title of the movie fits on the topic because after
the family of William Forrester passed away, he did not know
what he is after all, he can’t find himself, so Jamal help him to
find himself by realizing that everything is not yet done on his
life.

• If you can suggest an alternative title, what would it be and

why?
 * if I can suggest an alternative title for the movie, I suggest
the title “Avilon Landing” because this is remarkable and thios
is the title of the only book that Forrester made that was
published.

B. About the Setting

• What are the settings of the story? How do these settings

help reveal the personalities of the characters? Relate how
the settings contributed in or enriched telling the story.

* Most of the settings in the movie is in the apartment of

Forrester. You will see inside his house that there so many
books and a type writer, it help the viewers to reveal the
personality of Mr.Forrester that he loves to write. Also you will
see the windows covered with a curtain because William
wants to hide after the tragedy that makes him alone, that’s
why there is only one book by him that was published.

Basketball court is also one of the most settings in the

movie that you will see Jamal Wallace’s personality is. Jamal
loves to play basketball, that’s his life, to play on the court.

• Compare and contrast the setting/s presented in the

movie. What makes them distinct or very similar to each
other?

* If I will compare the settings on the house of Mr. Forrester

and on the basketball court, the similarity is both the major
character wants to stay where they can do what they want
and the contrast is you will never imagine that a basketball
player has a

Finding Forrester

potential to be a writer and can stay where it looks like a

boring place to write something.

• Research on these places; in reality what perceptions are

held about these places? What stereotypical notions have
been attached to them?
 * In reality, you will see a group of people playing basketball
on basketball court like what we see on the movie and in a
place like in the apartment of Mr. Forrester you will see a busy
persons writing or reading books.

C. About the Characters

 SEAN CONNERY plays a reclusive author who hasn't left his

apartment in years, drinks quite a bit and serves as an
unofficial mentor to Jamal. He briefly uses strong profanity.

 ROB BROWN plays a brilliant but underachieving teen

who's afraid to let his other inner city friends know just
about smart he is. He eventually forms a unique friendship
with Forrester, but uses some of his work in a school
 paper without his permission. He also uses profanity (some
of it strong).
 F. MURRAY ABRAHAM plays one of Jamal's private school
professors, a haughty individual who's more interested in
hearing his own voice than that of his students. He also
forms something of a vendetta toward Jamal.
 ANNA PAQUIN plays one of Jamal's classmates who
befriends and then begins to fall for him.
 BUSTA RHYMES plays Jamal's older brother who's proud of
him.
 FLY WILLIAMS III plays one of Jamal's inner-city friends who
he hangs out with and plays basketball. He uses some
profanity.
• Contrast William Forrester and Jamal. What are their
differences in language, style, upbringing, attitude,
ideologies, interests and the like? How significant are these
characterizations in the movie?

* William Forrester is old-fashioned. He is kind but mysterious

person. He’s hiding because people that he is already dead in
an accident.

He’s interested in writing stories, novel etc. he likes to

read and write. While Jamal moves with the modern world. He
is a kind and sporty person, he loves basketball although he is
good in writing.

• Contrast Jamal and his friends from Bronx (Fly ,etc.).

 * Jamal is addicted to basketball but he is also interested in
writing while his friends just likes to hang-out and play
basketball.

Finding Forrester

• Contrast Claire and Jamal. What are their differences in

language, style, upbringing, attitude, interests and the
like?

* They were both kind and they both cheer up themselves

whenever they were down.

• Contrast Professor Crawford and Mr. Forrester as teachers

to Jamal. Had you been Jamal, which

• method would you prefer based on their teaching

strategies?

* Professor Crawford’s method in teaching is just he let Jamal

feel down while William Forrester let Jamal Know the
techniques in writing as a writer.

• Who would be your favorite character in the movie and

why? What drew you to like that character? Do you see
yourself in his shoes, or at the very least , do find
semblances in both your personalities?

* My favorite character in the movie is Mr. Forrester because

he is a good person. He helps other people to learn more.

D. About the Theme

• What central theme/s do you think is the movie operating

on? Explain your answer briefly

* Two unlikely heroes, in the shadow of Yankee Stadium,

discover themselves through each other.
 • What minor themes do you think were also presented in
the movie?

* Their very unlike to each other comes to an greatest

friendship

• Did the movie attack or go against any existing ideology or

belief?

* The movie attack as ideology because of the reality on

writing things that are made by someone else and we claim
as ours are not good.

E. About the Plot and the Conflict

• What was/were the conflict/s in the story? How were they

resolve?

* Their was a big conflict between Jamal and Mr. Crawford. Mr.
Crawford and Jamal had their difference though out the film.
Their were lots of problems that Mr. Crawford had against
Jamal. The conflicts were based Jamal race, and his
intelligence. It is resolve by making an own writings of Jamal
that is read in front of the class by Mr. Forrester.

Finding Forrester

• Which part would be the story’s climax? Re-tell the

scenario.

* When Mr. Crawford found out that Jamal had used William
Forrester topic to his essay. Mr. Crawford then told Jamal that
he had to write an apology letter and read it in front of the
class. He also told him that he could just tell him if William
Forrester gave him permission to use his title. Jamal refuse to
tell them that he knew William, he also refuse to write the
letter and read it out loud. Jamal told William about the two
option that he was given and asked for his advice. William
told him that he should apologize, but Jamal refused. Jamal
then told William that he should come to the
 school and tell Mr. Crawford, William refused. Jamal told
William that they had threaten to kick him out of school.

• Do you appreciate how the story ended? If you could

provide an alternate ending, how it go?

* Yes, Forrester live more years to mentor Jamal on writing.

• Which part in the movie touched or moved you the most?

* When Mr. Forrester showed up in front of Jamal’s class and

read Jamal’s own essay and tell Mr. Crawford that it is made
by Jamal.

• Which part in the movie do you suppose should be

omitted?

* I think the part that suppose to be omitted is when Mr.

Forrester died.

F. Allusions, Imagery and Symbolism (what do the following images imply?

How were they significant in the movie?)

 The Window

* It implies that Mr. Forrester was observing

 The Knife

* It implies as a sharpener of Mr. Forrester’s pencil

 Stock of Book

* It shows that Mr. Forrester loves writing and reading

books

 Multiple Locks in Forrester’s Apartment

* It shows that he don’t want anybody to enter in his

apartment

 The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

* It shows that there are writers that Jamal doesn’t know

 Bird watching
 * It implies that he observe everything that he can see
through his window

 The Train Scene

Finding Forrester

* It shows the past doing of his family

 The Locker at Mailor Callow

* It shows that the locker was already use for many years

 Famous Writers’ Pictures Hang – on Mr. Crawford’s

Classroom

* It implies that those pictures are the writers that Mr.

Crawford’s idolize

III . Evaluation Questions

A. The movie started with a rap. Make sense of the lines. Why do you
suppose was the rap significant to the movie?

* The rap significant to the movie because of the lines that are
discriminate the blacks from whites.

B. Forrester provides an assessment of teachers on academe, where

do you side on this?

* I side on the assessment that teachers must have a narrow skills to

know how to write not to think just for nothing.

C. William and Jamal’s variety of language are different. How can you
contrast the two types? How were they significant in their
characterization? You may cite specific lines which reveal such
differences.

* “The object of a question is to obtain information that matters to us

and to no one else” – Forrester

“Not exactly a soup question, now is it?” – Jamal

 Forrester’s language always points on what they are talking to and
always uses uncommon words. Jamal’s language is a type of
contrasting some of Forrester’s words and sometimes not
appropriate words to use.

D. How would you feel if you find the following lines in your own
essays: constipated thinking, atmosphere pungent, words cheap
and unworthy of the reader? What reaction would you have?

* I would feel embarrass and thankful, because it will help me to

improve my writing skills. Also it will help me know what words to
use for my essay.

E. The movie introduced the concept of “soup” questions? How did you
come to understand what soup question are?

* I understand soup question as a question that only important to us

and what do we have to do with us. For example if you want to
know the taste of the soup you have to taste and know the
ingredients first for you to know what is missing or what is left out.

F. Which line/quote from the movie stuck you the most and has left an
impression on you as the viewer? Discuss how and why it touched
you.

Finding Forrester

* “Someone I once knew wrote that we walk away from our dreams
afraid that we may fail or worse yet, afraid we may succeed.” –
Forrester

This quotations touched me because of inspiring words of Forrester

that is also happening on reality. I also have goals that I am afraid
that I may not succeed on it.

G. How did Mr. Crawford’s words impact you as a student? Have you
been belittled yourself? What can you say about challenging
professors and institutions? Do you think Jamal reacted
appropriately to Mr. Crawford’s words

* The words of Mr. Crawford’s impact me as a student that tells that I

can’t be what I want to be. I’ve never belittled myself on my whole
 life. Challenging a professors or institutions is a risky thing to do
but if it is a good reason I’ll fight for what is right. Jamal reacted on
Mr. Crawford’s words with respect.

H. What lesson about writing did you pick up from the movie? Do you
think there assumptions on writing could be applied in your own
writing? Do you disagree in certain notions? Explain excruciatingly.

* The lesson about writing I pick up is about to write not to think and
you have to write on your own words not by others. I think their
assumptions on writing can help me in my writing because I usually
think that it is a good way to write.

I. Critique the movie in terms of the acting, the plot itself, and the
technicalities of film – making. What would be the movie’s
strengths and weaknesses? If there are lows in the movie, how do
you supposed would they be further improved?

* The acting is good, the plot itself is interesting and the technicalities
of the film – making expose the characters correctly. The strengths
of the movie is the theme and the plot of it, and I think the
weaknesses of the movie is the unwell speak of words that might
not understand by the viewers.

J. In general, what morale can be derived from the movie?

* Our interest should not be blocked by others, instead we should

share this and take good use of it. Sometimes we can help others
by using our interest skills to teach them.

IV. Memorable Quotations: Give your insight/opinion on the following. Choose

3 among the choices below.

A.”Basketball is where he gets his acceptance; but kids here don’t

care about what he can put down on paper” – Ms. Joyce

* Basketball is Jamal and his friends interest, Jamal’s friends usually

don’t like to read so that he can’t do writing in front of his friends.

Finding Forrester

B.”Why is it that the words you write for yourself are always much better
than what you write for others?” – Forrester
 * You write much better for yourself because you want to have
greatness to you first before others did.

C.”Bitterly disappointed teachers can either be very effective or

very dangerous.” – Forrester

* Teachers that only teaches because of their disappointment

cannot help you to gain knowledge instead make you feel what he
already felt.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

College of Tourism and Hotel and Restaurant Management

Sta. Mesa, Manila

In partial fulfillment of the midterm requirements in Study and Thinking Skills

in

English (ENGL1013)

Presented to Miss Maree Angeline D. Reyes, Instuctor I

Title
 FINDING FORRESTER

Presented by

Ray – Ann Lawrence B. Herrera

BSHRM 1 – 4D

Date Presented

Aug. 31, 2010