2000, 2 hrs 15 min., Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sexual references.�Dir: Gus Van Sant. Cast: Sean Connery (William Forrester), Robert Brown (Jamal Wallace), F. Murray Abraham (Professor Robert Crawford), Anna Paquin (Claire Spence), Busta Rhymes (Terrell Wallace).

I think Finding Forrester suffers from too many Good Will Hunting comparisons, and that's a shame. This film stands just fine on its own merits as a pleasant and uplifting experience.

Sure, Gus Van Sant is directing it as well, we have the story of a poor blue collar person as a smart kid up against the odds and receiving sage advice from a mentor (Sean Connery here vs. Robin Williams).

Newcomer Robert Brown is Jamal Wallace, a smart-as-a-whip black teen from the Bronx who hides his intelligence from his friends, instead preferring acceptance on the basketball court. They spend much of their conversation wondering about the man in "The Window" in an apartment high up in the neighboring complex, a mysterious character peeking out occasionally, and never venturing outdoors. Sometimes you can't see the forest (or in this case, the Forrester) for the trees.

He has a C average, enough to get by yet not stand out. That is, until his test scores show his real ability, and he goes to school at the millionaire boys and girls club school, Mailor.

Turns out the guy in the window is Sean Connery, as recluse author William Forrester. Seems that Forrester's first book was The Great American Novel, and he mysteriously hid from the public eye soon after the book's success.

Too bad the filmmakers didn't explore a relationship more between Brown and Anna Paquin (The Piano, X-Men), who is an absolute doll. I suppose the culture clash/interracial romance angle was too heavy a plot point and the real story was the interaction between Brown and Connery. I just wanted to see more of Anna; I really like her on screen, and look forward to much more.

Findng Forrester doesn't go overboard on either emotions or humor, finding a nice line with pure dialogue; when other films would push the story too far with an overly dramatic resolution or turning point, Van Sant stops short, giving enough trust to his actors to provide reliable performances that draw in the audience without tricks.