Film Reviews:  Finding Forrester

The film, Finding Forrester, is a great example of how characters and locations relate to each other.  These are details in screenwriting that can improve the craftsmanship of a screenplay.

For example, the characters of William Forrester played by Sean Connery and Jamal Wallace relate not only as characters but also in their settings.

First, they both are writers.  Forrester is a well-known, well-read writer who has chosen to stay in hiding.  Wallace is a young talent, coached by Forrester.  The two become friends.

Second, they both live in the Bronx, where in the present day, is no longer the elite side of town, such as back in the days when Forrester lived there as a young man.  This detail of Forrester not moving from his apartment shows the passage of time, where Forrester has not moved, even if his outside surroundings has changed, where he has to have numerous locks on his front door.

Third, both leading characters are students of Mailor, an exclusive private school.  Forrester is a celebrated graduate from the school as shown by a portrait hanging on the school wall that displays its prominent graduates.  Wallace is a student who has been enrolled because of high test scores.

Where they live, what they do, and their education are important relationships that make this movie a great piece of art.

The organization of how the characters relate not only as themselves but also in the settings of their lives is an excellent example of screenwriting as art.

Jumpstart Your Movie Scripts!