In the movie Finding Forrester, two people meet and form a relationship that changes the paths of their lives. Jamal Wallace is a bright 16-year-old growing up in the Bronx who hides his intellect from his peers and gets his acceptance through basketball.
William Forrester is an introverted man whose whole world is in his apartment. He never goes outside except to clean his windows and never associates with anyone, except offering an occasional succinct word to the young man who delivers his groceries. His whole life consists of two things, bird-watching and writing. That is, until he meets Jamal.
Before Jamal met William Forrester he was lacking something, which was reflected in his writing. When he became friends with Forrester, he noticed it. “Where are you taking me?” Forrester writes on one of Jamal’s papers. Jamal and Forrester begin working together on writing lessons, which are so outstanding that Jamal was not the only one who learned a thing or two. I did, too. Forester’s first lesson was to write, not to think, because when we think first, what we write is always not exactly what we feel. “You write your first draft with your heart and rewrite with your head.” Also, “sometimes the simple rhythm of writing gets us from page one to page two and when you begin to feel your own words, start typing them” was a meaningful writing lesson.
Likewise, Forrester also learned a very valuable lesson, that of friendship.
This was a movie that was filled with underlying messages. Its significance was to inspire people not only to write but to follow their heart. Also, it teaches the power and meaning of a friendship. The story of Jamal Wallace and William Forrester was as captivating as it was motivating.
