With Honors

Starring:Joe Pesci, Brendan Fraser, Moira Kelly, Patrick Dempsey, Josh Hamilton, Gore Vidal, Deborah Lake Fortson, Marshall Hambro, Melinda Chilton, Harve Kolzow, James Deuter, Caroline Gibson, M. Lynda Robinson, Richard Auguste, Patricia B. Butcher, Mary Seibel, Mara Brock Akil, Clebert Ford, William Ashby King, Frank J. Tieri
Director: Alek Keshishian
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Joe Pesci gives his most likable performance to date, elevating this predictable comedy-drama. A stuck-up Harvard senior (Brendan Fraser) believes his life is ruined when an educated bum (Pesci) finds his thesis. The bum wants to trade each page for a favor during a harsh New England winter. Of course, the student learns more from his new friend than from the halls of Harvard. Some silly, melodramatic parts including an unbelievable classroom lecture make this comedy tiring at times. But the cast and dialogue ring truer than the tired plot. A solid first feature from Alek Keshishian (Truth or Dare), who graduated with honors from Harvard. --Doug Thomas

Description

Armed with a copy of a harvard student's thesis, a homeless man makes the desperate student an offer: in exchange for food and a place to stay during the harsh winter, he will return the thesis one page at a time.

Customer Reviews:

Write this again...in thirty years.......2007-05-09

This predictable story attempts to be deep, but never makes it past the shallow end. Pesci's great truths to the youth are simplistic, and presented to the students in uninteresting undramatic ways. The students buy into him...only because the script tells them to. I think even junior college students wouldn't take Pesci or his rantings seriously. It's a nice premise, but the script doesn't have the weight necessary. My guess is that the scripwriter was relatively young, and couldn't be expected to present the great essential truths learned from a life lived, when he himself hasn't made that journey yet. A suggestion: "The Paper Chase" with Timothy Bottoms and John Houseman...a much better, satisfying, and involving film about growing wiser while attending Harvard.

A GUILTY PLEASURE.......2007-04-06

What can I say? I like this movie. I know it is manipulative and contrieved. You know how it's going to end, but it is a very entertaining movie! It does have it's virtues though. A very insiteful film that has a lot more going for it than just another college frathouse flick.

Stupid.......2006-12-05

To put it succinctly, Brendan Fraser is a college senior who ends up writing a ridiculously long thesis, which is then swiped by Joe Pesci, the homeless dude who, predictably, is really quite wise. The problem is that his "wise" sayings aren't really too wise; he's like the guy you know who is always trying to sound intelligent, but doesn't really know that much. Joe Pesci's character is pretty annoying. That's probably why he ended up friends with Brendan Fraser's character.

Fraser triumphs as a student who learns the value of an education.......2006-05-11

... a life education, that is. Brendan Fraser has never been one to take on a role with any substance or complexity and this film is certainly not a divergence. I don't begrudge the guy for going for the paycheck -- and he must not begrudge himself either because it seems it's all he does: Dudley Dooright, George of the Jungle, The Looney Tunes Movie, Mummies I & II, Monkeybone, Bedazzled, The Scout, Airheads, Encino Man, etc.

In this earnest to the point of humiliation film, a homeless man throws Fraser's thesis into a furnance. (And as an earlier reviewer pointed out) Let's forget the fact that Fraser is smart enough to get into Harvard but not smart enough to back up or copy his thesis. Because if we were to allow logic into our minds then our hearts would follow. See what I'm saying.

What is an uncanny coincidence is that I brought a homeless man into my thesis defense. Regrettably the man could not enlighten my professors, but he did leave a funny smell in the room after he had asked them all for spare change. This was not one of those "noble homeless" that Pesci portrays here so unconvincingly. It was one of the mentally challenged people whose very existence, is filled with desperation and indignity. And the worst part was that he bit Doc Ahern, took a whole chunk of his ear out.

I only hope this movie does not damage all the progress that the homeless have made in this country. If the average citizen believes that the only thing holding back the homeless is their "live for today, make yourself happy" attitude, then we're in worse shape than I ever thought.

Get That Boy A Floppy Disk..........2006-03-29

I couldn't help being impressed by the favorable comments some of the "citizen reviewers" (as I like to refer to us) have posted below. I sometimes write reviews in a kind of pseudo-professional mode--and sometimes do just the opposite. But it's always interesting to me to see the disparity (and occasional congruity) between the views of the pros (for which nowadays you only have to consult "rottentomatoes.com")and us amateurs (as exemplified here).

But when I am not playing critic, I sometimes recall playing actor, artist, singer or actor myself (done the amateur thing in all of those realms too) and become perhaps a little more appreciative of and grateful for the "non-professional" point of view. Sometimes the non-professional audience "gets" the point of a work more readily and more completely than the more jaded critical corps. I can't help but think of how the filmmakers and the cast members would appreciate some of the kinder comments posted below. It's nice to know that your work touched somebody.

Which is not to imply that WITH HONORS (the movie I am ostensibly reviewing here) is a particularly good film. It really isn't. The filmmakers have their hearts in the right place, but this story of an ambitious young grad student learning some valuable life lessons at the hands of street wise and plain old philosophically wise middle aged bum (Joe Pesci) is fairly predictable and not much to write home (or to write a thesis) about.

Forgive the joke. It is, of course, a college thesis written by college whiz Montgomery Kessler (Frazer) that serves as the keye plot device in this film. Young Monty loses his sole copy of his academic masterpiece (has this genius never heard of FLOPPIES?) only to find that it about to become kindling for the proud,unbowed and self-avowed bum, Simon Wilder (Pesci), who generously offers NOT to burn the young scholar's work in exchange for a bit of help in the food, clothing and shelter department. Montgomery is at first appalled. But you can pretty much guess what's going to happen next. The natural resentment and qualified disgust Monty feels toward Simon will soon enough give way to friendship and respect. And this nose-to-the-grindstone academic noodge will soon learn about *LIFE* from this graduate of the School of Hard Knocks.

Of course, almost no sooner does their friendship take root than it is discovered that Simon also has a fatal disease (asbestiosis, which has its roots in Simon's years in the Merchant Marine--so, you see, he is a victim of the system). He will die--we will soon see--tragically rejected by his own family, but nonetheless embraced by his new-found family (Monty and his housemates).

It's a variation on a theme older than the movies. I note one reviewer defends the film by noting that there ARE some surprises. There may be, but not enough to elevate the film into the "true original" category. But it's reasonably well acted, well photographed and competently directed (not really a bad beginning for first time dramatic director Alek Kesheshian--whose previous work included the Madonna doc TRUTH OR DARE). And while I don't think it deserves kudos, every film finds its audience (well, not EVERY film, but a good many), and for younger viewers who haven't been brought up on a steady diet of hokum, it could even be a refreshing change of pace from their actual steady diet of special effects laden action films.

Sometimes we older viewers tend to forget that our "old hat" may be new for SOMEBODY. This is a film with heart, and that counts for something. As fans of WITH HONORS get older--and perhaps a little more jaded themselves--they might even find that they understand and even begin to agree with the criticisms levied against this sort of film. They will likely see that a film can be simultaneously heartwarming AND manipulative. But they will probably still look back at it affectionately. And they may re-watch it (perhaps furtively). At that point, they might start to consider it something of a guilty pleasure. Actually, it's nothing to feel particularly guilty about. It's an OK film with an OK message and some good acting.

That too counts for something.

Average customer rating:

A GREAT HARD TO FIND COMBO!

The Super/With Honors
Starring: Joe Pesci , Brendan Fraser , Moira Kelly , Patrick Dempsey , and Josh Hamilton
Director: Alek Keshishian , and Rod Daniel
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FOPPCO
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Description

Ready, set - Joe! Joe Pesci (1990 Oscar -winning Best Supporting Actor for GoodFellas) energizes two laugh-getters with his mega-watt comedy talents. In The Super (Side A), you see a squalid apartment house, but slumlord Louie Kritski (Pesci) sees a gold mine. The less he does to improve the building, the more he stands to clear when the rents come due. But that's before a judge orders Louie to live in his own rundown property and shape it up...or ship out to jail. Next, Harvard classmates find it takes more than schooling to make the grade in With Honors (Side B). Pesci plays Simon Wilder, a feisty drifter who insinuates himself into the lives of four students (including Brendan Fraser and Patrick Dempsey). If you want a degree, go to Harvard. If you want an education, go see Simon Wilder!

Customer Reviews:

A GREAT HARD TO FIND COMBO!.......2007-01-19

"THE SUPER" IS ONE OF JOE PESCI'S FIRST MOVIES I HAD EVER SEEN HIM IN AND IS VERY FUNNY, BUT ALSO TELLS A TALE OF HUMANITY, DIGNITY AND A TASTE OF REALITY FOR HIM. "WITH HONORS" IS ONE OF HIS BEST FILMS IN MY OPINION SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF PERSON HE PORTRAYS AND HIS WISDOM HE INSPIRES IN THE PEOPLE HE MEETS.

Average customer rating:

With Honors
Starring: Joe Pesci
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000GAKBSK
Release Date: 2005-11-29

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