After years of critically acclaimed independent films, director Gus Van Zant made his commercial breakthrough with 1997's Good Will Hunting, the story of an underestimated young man from the lower rungs of society who realizes the true potential of his brilliant mind though the help of an older man who has personal demons of his own. His new film, Finding Forrester, is a virtual remake.

Instead of Matt Damon as Will, the young man is named Jamal, played exceptionally by novice Robert Brown. His mentor is reclusive J.D. Salinger clone William Forrester, played by Academy Award winner Sean Connery, giving one of the best performances of his long career. Two other Academy Award winners -- F. Murray Abraham, as a menacing English teacher, and Anna Paquin, as the love interest -- round out the cast, as does rapper Busta Rhymes, who plays Jamal's ticket-scalping older brother.

The acting is all top-notch and the scenes between Jamal and William are engaging, especially the ones revolving around the craft of writing. There are a lot of nice, little moments. But the movie falls short when it comes to the big moments. In the climatic scene in which we're supposed to at last hear some supposedly brilliant prose read aloud, Van Zant cranks up the musical score to drown most of the reading out.

It's a nice movie, just one you'll feel like you've seen before.
(c) Copyright 2001