"Finding Forrester" by Gus Van Sant

     

      The movie I watched  is called "Finding Forrester." And it's about a 16 year African American that is exceptional at writing, but polished his skills even more when he befriend a writer that had lost interest in life. There are two central ideas that stand up in this movie. One of them is the struggles that a black teenager called Jamal Wallace faced in order to be accepted by a group of people that judged him because of his background. The other one is the help Jamal Wallace received by Forrester Williams.  In this movie we are shown the contrast of one idea. On one hand, we have Jamal wanting something from live, but not knowing how to get it.  And on the other hand we have Forrester William knowing how to get what he wants in live, but not knowing what exactly he wants from it.

     The scene that got my attention is when  Jamal is walking in the street late at night. The lights are not so bright, it looks very dark. And as Jamal keeps walking, a car in flames appears in the background. This car is burning and the flames are big. It would be impossible to ignore it, but Jamal didn’t even look at it. Then, a police car appears on the left side of the screen. When I saw that police car I thought the police would stop Jamal and ask him about the car getting burned, and then probably call the firefighters. How surprised I was to see the police car turn left toward Jamal without stopping him or stopping to see the car getting burned. Why? That is the question I made to myself. Then, as I was thinking of that I saw the camera get close to Jamal’s face and then heavy rain started to pour down on Jamal. In my opinion, this scene wasn’t necessary, but it’s shown. Why? I would like to think that the producer wanted to show to whomever was watching the movie, that the people in impoverished neighborhoods are not cared enough and society just turn their back on them.

     Prejudice toward someone's background can lead to difficult circumstances to young black men in America. It is easy to say, “Perseverance is the key to success,” but how many of us have actually faced circumstances that are not so easy to overcome by just practicing this saying. It takes more than just saying these words. It takes courage, decision making, and an overall desire to succeed on whatever adversity that we may be face. This movie shows that through Jamal. He persevered at the end and showed us that we can overcome obstacles as long as we desire to do so, no matter who we are.

"Free Minds and Hearts at Work" by Jackie Robinson

    We can have a future together, oh yes!! A great future with no walls or ceiling that may stop us from archiving our goals in our lives. If people could only take a minute and “think” for a change the great benefits that we as a united whole can bring to society by changing our ways little by little. I, as I believe Jackie Robinson did as well, yearned for a better world. A world where people are color blind by the suffering of past warriors that left everything they had to get us all farther, even if just a little, but farther into a better future. The differences among us humans,  in our current society have changed through the years, but what it has been accomplished already should not be the ceiling, it should only be the beginning to something much greater. A future where  our children could be thankful of our legacy. And this is the idea that I share and like of this essay.

       
        As I was reading the essay I began to think about the struggles and prejudices that Sonny’s faced in "Sonny’s Blues" story. Sonny, like Jackie Robinson, had the same conviction of fighting for their dreams without a regard to the obstacles and prejudices that they faced in society, by keeping their deep rooted believes that there’s a better future as long as they fight for it. Although, Jackie Robinson unlike Sonny, believed in society and the good will of people within that society. He believed that society as a whole could change as long as there are people willing to make that change happen.  “I do not believe that every person, in every walk of life, can succeed in spite of any handicap. That would be perfection. But I do believe—and with every fiber in me—that what I was able to attain came to be because we put behind us (no matter how slowly) the dogmas of the past: to discover the truth of today; and perhaps find the greatness of tomorrow," --- by Jackie Robinson. Even in a society with full of unjust prejudices, there is a chance to change and have a better today and tomorrow because we live in a free society that is bound to have people with free and fresh ideas that think differently than the rest. And can make a difference in today’s society and tomorrow’s.