Topic > Major Themes of the Movie Finding Forrester

Finding Forrester features numerous different themes throughout the movie, all with a deeper meaning behind them. Some of the most obvious themes are those of writing, racism and sport, but what are the other more hidden ones? Within the story there are less identifiable themes such as self-acceptance, racism, emotional strength, and family. The film, written by Mike Rich, incorporates several ideas that are up to us to discover. In the story, writing is obviously one of the most important themes, which appears throughout the film. The writing themes contain within them the theme of self-acceptance. At first, Jamal is reluctant to accept that he is a good writer. He never really confided in anyone about it, until Forrester found himself unintentionally reading all of his notes. Forrester helps Jamal accept his abilities for what they are and helps him grow and develop his talents, leading Jamal to be open about his passion for writing. The theme of racism, which can be seen from the way Jamal is mistreated by his teacher Crawford, who assumes that Jamal's writing can't be that good and that he must have plagiarized it. Although it was never said directly, it is implied that this was because Jamal was black and only one of the white kids in school could actually have that level of intelligence in writing. At the beginning of the film, Forrester also challenges Jamal by mentioning Jamal's race and telling him why Jamal can't let it matter, because it doesn't. Family is the theme that goes unnoticed until the end of the film, when it is made clear that Jamal and Forrester have formed a deeper bond than that of mentor and his student. Forrester had lost his family and become withdrawn, and Jamal helped him remember what it was like to feel love and trust for someone. Without that sense of family, Jamal would never have been able to claim his writing for that writing contest, because without Forrester's permission for the introductory paragraph, Jamal could have potentially been expelled from school. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The purposes behind essays are a completely different idea. It's taking the themes to a whole new level of understanding; it's understanding why the topics were raised in the first place. I think Mike Rich was trying to reach his audience on a deeper level, for those who could relate to it. Within its many themes, its purpose seemed to tell people that they should not let what others think control them. A person should not give up, and even though some people may try to discourage him, he should not give up. I also see that the author of the film is against racism and doesn't think it should be a barrier for people. Through Jamal's acceptance and excellence in elementary school, we can see that Rich may also value education, even if it means being in an unfamiliar place. From what I can see of Jamal and Forrester's relationship, I can tell that the movie was also about making people understand that family is important and that you have deeper connections with someone. Without them, a person may not even be able to advance in their abilities or move forward in life once they face challenges. The most obvious purpose I can get from this movie is that a person must live to their fullest potential, even though it may be “uncool” to some people, if it's the thing they love, then it shouldn't matter. It doesn't matter what others say, if what they are.