WITH HONORS

US, 1994, 96 minutes, Colour.
Joe Pesci, Brendan Fraser, Moira Kelly, Patrick Dempsey, Josh Hamilton, Gore Vidal.
Directed by Alek Kreshishian.

With Honors is a small film which had only a limited release on its way to video. However, it is worth attention because of its themes which are liberal and compassionate. It focuses on Harvard students caught up in academic ambitions and their need to be aware of people in need, the homeless people of the cities who experience neglect but have their pride. It could be seen as something of a light companion-piece to another film of this era about the US city homeless, The Saint of Fort Washington with Matt Dillon and Danny Glover.

Set in Harvard University, the film stars Joe Pesci (Oscar for Goodfellas and seen in many Martin Scorsese films as well as the Lethal Weapon films) in one of his most sympathetic roles as an intelligent drifter who has made devastating mistakes in his life but who encounters, by accident, a group of students led by Brendan Fraser. This was the beginning of Brendan Fraser's career with such films as School Ties and Encino Man. He went on to considerable commercial success in the Mummy films. The other students are Moira Kelly, Josh Hamilton, Patrick Dempsey. Novelist writer and commentator Gore Vidal appears as a self-opinionated lecturer.

Perhaps the plot is somewhat predictable but there is a very strong humane feeling about the whole film.

1. A liberal and appealing film? The focus on students, the focus on drifters? The interaction between the two, mutual learning and the gaining of respect?

2. The Harvard University settings, the grounds and lecture halls, the libraries, the student apartments? The winter season, Christmas? The musical score?

3. The title, the academic reference, Monty and his ambitions to graduate with honours? His not graduating with honours from the university, his graduating with honours for his learning some humanity from his encounter with Simon Wilder?

4. The predictability of the plot, its pleasant familiarity? The need for middle-class people to encounter the poor, learn respect, see them as human beings? The challenge of the marginalised to the comfortable? In the context of American political science, the constitution, the American belief in freedom for all?

5. The focus on Simon Wilder, his being in the boiler room, his putting Monty's thesis into the furnace to keep warm? The confrontation? Monty's severe attitude towards him? His bargain with Monty about giving him a page per act of generosity? Monty putting him in the abandoned car? Feeling the cold? His appreciation of what he was given, his giving the pages - but always critical and quizzical? The filling in of his story, his marriage, abandoning wife and child, in the navy, the shipyards and the asbestos, his drifting, his having asbestos illness in his lungs? His being about to die? His encounter with the young people, crotchety, the gradual friendship with Monty, their walking the city together, seeing the benches where people slept? The attitude of the other students, the welcome, Jeff and his antagonism? His going into the library, his going into the lecture, the insults from the professor, his explanation of the constitution, the implications of people not knowing everything, allowing for the constitution to be amended? The applause from the students? The discussion of political theory with Monty? Monty changing his thesis because of Simon? His coming into the house, Christmas, his roasting of the rooster? His becoming ill, the hospital? His initial antagonism towards the funding for the disabled? His change of heart? His becoming part of the household? The discussions with Jeff and his antagonism, the socks in the oven, the French toast? His great desire to see his son, the group taking him, the pathos of his son's rejection of him, seeing his grandchild? Stopping on the way back, going into the woods and collapsing? His dying, the students gathered round him, reading Walt Whitman's poetry? His writing his obituary, the students at the cemetery, Monty and his offering the eulogy and reading his obituary? The delineation of the character, Joe Pesci's interpretation? His seeing himself as a bum? The worthwhile value of a human being?

6. Monty, his background, not having money, the interview with Professor Buchanan, wanting to complete his thesis? The computer going down and his losing his text? Going to Xerox the thesis, his fall, yet going into the boiler room, Simon putting it in the furnace? The attack on Simon, the security guards? His feeling responsible? The bargain with Simon about the pages? Monty's putting him in the car, the touch of compassion, giving him the blanket? Their walks, talks? His appreciation of poor people as people rather than as statistics? The lecture and Simon's outburst and his supporting him? Their work in the library, discussions about issues? Jeff not wanting him in the house and Monty wanting to give him care? His disappearance, the drifting man who brought the thesis back, the commandments about studying as written by Simon? Monty going to find him in the church, bringing him back? Christmas, Monty being alone, the meal with Simon? The discovery of the death of the rooster? Monty and his attraction towards Courtney, her having a boyfriend, inviting him home for Christmas? The build-up to the dance, taking Simon to the dance, Simon and his dancing with the young woman? The bond with Courtney, the night together, Simon's collapse? The hospital, bringing him home, going to the social services? The decision to take him to his son's even though it meant his not getting his Honours degree? The final discussion with Professor Buchanan, graduating but with only human honours, not academic?

7. The other students, Everett, not having any money, the eccentricity with the rooster, cooking? His radio program, his interviewing Simon? The talk about Molokai and Simon feeling at home in the leper colony - where he was not as ugly as everyone else? The rooster, its being eaten, his accepting it? Courtney, her background, attraction towards Monty, criticising him, their discussions, the dance, in love, going on the expedition to Simon's son? Jeff, his antagonistic attitude towards Simon, the talk about his parents coming over, his disgust at Simon in the toilet, the socks in the oven? The French toast, his capitulating, an understanding of Simon? His wanting to go with the group to the visit of Simon's son? Their all being present at his death, reading the poetry, the funeral? Their graduation?

8. The casting of Gore Vidal as Professor Buchanan, self-opinionated, his lectures, his sarcasm with the students? His support of Monty, the advice for the thesis? His talking about the Constitution, asking questions, the reactions of the students, his challenging Simon, Simon and his speech about freedom, the president, the Constitution, people making mistakes? His final support of Monty even though he disagreed with the content of the thesis but admired his approach?

9. A portrait of American students in the 90s, Harvard and its education standards? The distance between academic theory and writing essays and the reality of the poor of the city?