Finding Forrester (2000)

Finding Forrester is a 2000 American drama film written by Mike Rich and directed by Gus Van Sant. A black American teenager, Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown), is invited into a prestigious private high school. By chance, Jamal befriends a reclusive writer, William Forrester (Sean Connery), through whom he refines his natural talent for writing and comes to terms with his identity. Anna Paquin, F. Murray Abraham, Michael Pitt, and Busta Rhymes star in supporting roles. Connery also served as one of the film's producers. A particular line that Connery's character utters, "You're the man now, dog", was the inspiration for the Internet memetic site YTMND.com.

The film opens with 16-year-old Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown) sleeping in his bedroom, which is stacked with books, and then jumping up to go meet his friends on the basketball court. The friends begin to discuss a recluse, William Forrester (Sean Connery), who lives on the top floor of the building across from the schoolyard and regularly notice him watching them from his window, although they never see his face. One day after school, one of the boys challenges Jamal to sneak into the apartment. Jamal accepts the challenge and sneaks in through the window, but is surprised by the recluse and flees, leaving his backpack. Later, Jamal confronts the man who occasionally delivers supplies to the recluse and displays his gifted intellect discussing his BMW car. After the man leaves, Jamal's backpack is dropped to the street. Jamal finds the man read his journals and made editor notes in it. Jamal returns to the apartment and requests the man read more of his writings, but is told to begin with 5000 words on why Jamal should "stay the fuck out of his home," which Jamal promptly completes. At school, Jamal has just completed state required testing where it is revealed that he is an intellectually gifted student, which he has hidden from others by performing just average in his schoolwork. His school counselor sets up a meeting with Jamal's mother and a recruiter from a highly selective private school, Mallor Callow, which covets Jamal for his athletic ability, as much as for his intellectual capability. The recruiter offers Jamal a scholarship, suggesting that his play on the basketball court is welcome, but not absolutely necessary. At his new school, Jamal makes friends with Claire Spence (Anna Paquin), but clashes with his arrogant literature teacher, Professor Robert Crawford (F. Murray Abraham). Crawford assigns the students to read a novel written by Forrester, his only novel despite its great success. Jamal is led to believe the recluse in the apartment is Forrester. He returns to the apartment and confronts the man. Forrester reveals his identity and agrees to continue to help Jamal with his writing on the condition Jamal not reveal his location to anyone and not question Forrester about his novel or his personal life. Forrester also tells Jamal that Crawford once attempted to have his own book published, but failed, and later Forrester blocked a biography of him Crawford had also written by hinting to publishers that they would be excluded from consideration for his new book if they obliged Crawford. Jamal and Forrester grow closer as Jamal's writing in class improves. Eventually Jamal convinces Forrester to go out of the apartment and attend a game at Madison Square Garden, but Forrester cannot handle the crowds and has a severe anxiety attack. After leaving the game, Jamal takes him to see Yankee Stadium as a surprise. He and Forrester go out on the field to the pitcher's mound, where he tells Jamal about his family, specifically his brother's alcoholism and William's minor role that led to his death. He also explains how the subsequent deaths of his parents soon after affected him and led to his becoming a recluse. As part of Jamal's tutelage, Forrester gives him some of his own private essays to rewrite, with the condition that Jamal is never to show any of this work to anyone. When a prestigious writing contest requires some of Jamal's best work, he falls back on a particular piece of Forrester's that he re-wrote and submits it as his own, not realizing it was one of Forrester's few published works. Crawford finds the parallels with Forrester's piece published in 1960 and brings Jamal up on plagiarism charges. Jamal must either admit Forrester's influence on his work or prove he had Forrester's permission to use his material. He refuses to do either, thus eliminating his entry from the competition and endangering his standing at the school. Jamal tells Forrester what he has done and asks him to defend him, but Forrester is angry at Jamal for breaking his promise and refuses. Jamal then accuses Forrester of being scared and selfish for not helping him. Jamal is then told by the school that they value his contributions in basketball, and agree that they will drop the plagiarism charges if he wins them the state championship. Jamal comes to realize his intellectual gifts have less to do with remaining at the school than his ability on the basketball court, and possibly deliberately misses two free throw shots at the end of the game, costing the team the championship. Immediately following the game, Jamal proceeds to the library and writes a letter to William. Later that night, Jamal's letter is found by his brother (Busta Rhymes) who personally delivers it to William and laments Jamal's bright future about to be taken away from him. When the literary contest is held, the contestants read their own work. Despite discouragement, Jamal attends the competition - signalling his intent to continue at the school. During the readings, Forrester appears, announces himself and receives permission to read an essay that draws a standing ovation from the students. As Crawford is praising the work, Forrester reveals the essay he'd just read was written by Jamal. He goes on to explain that Jamal had written the contest essay - using the published title and first paragraph - with permission and that Jamal's silence was due to honoring the promise he'd made to Forrester. Crawford adamantly states that this will not change any of the board's decisions. The board overrules him and drops the plagiarism charges, readmitting Jamal's entry to the competition. After the competition, Forrester thanks Jamal for his friendship and tells him of his desire to return to his homeland of Scotland. Before departing, Forrester asks Jamal if he missed on purpose, to which Jamal responds with, "that's not exactly a 'soup' question" - repeating to Forrester the response that Jamal received to personal questions he had asked. A 'soup' question is a question whose answer will simply provide instructions and is impersonal (i.e. 'How do you make this soup?'). Several years later, Jamal is in his senior year and is a successful student with many enrollment offers from prestigious universities. Forrester's attorney (Matt Damon) schedules a meeting with Jamal, and reveals that Forrester has died of cancer. Jamal learns that Forrester was terminally ill while they knew each other. In accordance with Forrester's will, Jamal is given a package, keys to his apartment, and a letter, in which Forrester thanks Jamal for helping him rekindle his desire to live. The package contains the manuscript for Forrester's second novel, called Sunset, for which Jamal is to write the foreword.