Trust In The Movie 'Finding Forrester'

One can never truly get to know another until they acquire their trust. This could not be any more true in the movie “Finding Forrester”. The story is told through the lens of Jamal Wallace, an extremely gifted basketball player with cautiously suppressed intelligence. Jamal’s talents begin to show when he finally finds a mentor, William Forrester, he trusts will respect his intelligence. A private school takes notice of his skills, especially on the court, and recruits him to attend. Both Jamal and the school Administration distrust each other’s motives and conflict ensues. It is only when Forrester fulfills the trust that Jamal had in him by visiting the school that the conflict is resolved. The amount of trust one has in another or their

People only show their true nature when in a setting they trust. Jamal had always been a brilliant mind, but it never shown in public school because he did not believe his intelligence would be respected or well received by his peers. According to Clinton (2001) “‘Finding Forrester’ is, at its most basic, a story about an older man mentoring a younger man who is gifted with a great talent -- a talent he hides from the world for fear of not fitting in with his underachieving peers.” (p.1) Not only did Jamal hold back his intellectual talents, but athletic gifts as well when he lacked trust in his setting. He felt like he was just being used for his basketball talent and is just a tool for Mailer to add more trophies to their mantle. Clinton (2001) acknowledges this, stating “He's been chosen not just for his writing skills, but also for his prowess on the basketball court. Jamal knows it, which further alienates him from his rich, white classmates.” (p.2) He did not trust the motives of the school administration while playing at Mailor and subsequently intentionally missed the two free throws in the championship