With Honors
Every time I see a movie with Brendan Fraser, I think to myself, "Why does a talented and handsome actor like him star in so many crappy movies!?!?" The Scout could have been better. Blast From the Past is one of the least funny comedies I've ever seen. Monkeybone and Bedazzled looked too moronic to watch. I could go on, but my Top 10 Worst Brendan Frasier Films article will cover the rest. On the other hand, Airheads and The Mummy films are decent. Undoubtedly, With Honors is the highlight of Fraser's career.
Fraser plays the role of Montgomery Kessler, a senior Government major at Harvard University. He shares a house with spunky Courtney, uptight Jeff, and eccentric Everett. One night, Monty is walking to the library to copy his senior thesis. He trips, and the paper falls through a grate and ends up in the library's broiler room. Monty ventures to the boiler room only to see a dirty homeless man (Joe Pesci) burning his thesis paper one page at a time. A pragmatist, the homeless man Ñ whose name is Simon Wilder Ñ proposes a deal to Monty: one page for each favor that Monty does for him. Instead, Monty calls campus security to arrest the man. The paper is not found on Simon's person, so Monty bails him out and then accepts Simon's previous deal.
Jeff, Courtney, and Everett initially balk at the idea of the strange bum staying on their residence. In time, Monty, Everett and Courtney grow close to Simon. Jeff, however, still has a bug up his ass throughout most of the movie. After three years of high-priced Harvard, the four students get a real education from a bum.
Honor's strongest aspect is Simon's wisdom. Even though he is homeless, Simon is shrewd and articulate. Consider the following tidbit from Simon, after he calls Monty a "loser": "Winners forget they're in a race, they just love to run. You try too hard." In another scene, Monty is frustrated at Courtney but disguises it as annoyance toward all women. Simon once again gives him (and us) profound insight: "Yes, they [women] are perfect. Don't matter if they're skinny, fat, blond or blue. If a woman is willing to give you her love, Harvard, it's the greatest gift in the world. Makes you taller, makes you smarter, makes your teeth shine. Boy, oh, boy, women are perfect." Finally, Simon gives an excellent speech about the beauty of the US Constitution, but I won't spoil it for you.
The soundtrack to this movie is remarkable. You probably know "I Will Remember" by Madonna; it was overplayed on the radio at an insane frequency. A better song, "Forever Young," plays during the end credits. It's not a remake of the Rod Stewart tune, but both songs have a similar theme. A moving instrumental score accentuates the dramatic scenes.
If you're in the mood for practical wisdom, meaningful music, and Joe Pesci's best performance since Goodfellas, check out With Honors. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You won't forget it.
Send any comments/ feedback to the author.
Joe Pesci's character enjoys cheap wine. Get into the spirit of the movie by drinking along with him.
The sexual tension between Courtney and Monty erupts near the end. The romantic subplot is predictable but still sweet.
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