FINDING FORRESTER
Fresh off the heals of the universally panned Psycho remake, Gus van Sant returned to the type of film that had brought him his most recent and widespead acclaim, Finding Forrester. Bouncing between several different projects, Gus finally settled on filming this tale of a reclusive writer and the teenage genius who forms an unlikely friendship with him. Holding true to his claim, following River Phoenix's death, that he would only make films with an uplifting message, Forrester stars Sean Connery and Rob Brown (in his first feature film) in the title roles and was released to generally positive reviews in late December of 2000 - just in time for Oscar considerations. However, fans of Van Sant's work attacked him for repeating himself, many saw even the poster for the film as further proof that Gus had "sold out" and gone Hollywood. But as always, there's much more to Finding Forrester than its ad campaign and plot description would have you believe.
Featuring an outstanding soundtrack, admirable and overwhelming performances, and consistenly smart direction (though the ending is a bit over the top for many tastes, especially those who prefer Van Sant's usually subtle style). As Oscar season grows ever closer, it is unlikely that the film will receive much attention, opening to barely average business and fading fairly fast. Nonetheless, it is a worthy film - though definitely a lesser one in Gus' filmography. Those who have seen it, including myself, generally seem to enjoy the film and the intelligent take on literature and writing that is presented as well as Connery's deft performance. I will try and get my official review up on the site soon, until then, feel free to browse through the provided links below...
LINKS AND REVIEWS
Rotten Tomatoes
Back to The Wonderful World of Film