Comedy,Drama
United States of America
The film With Honors stars Brendan Fraser as Montgomery 'Monty' Kessler, a Harvard University senior who is about to graduate with honors. Monty's life is turned upside down when he loses his thesis paper, which is his ticket to graduating with honors. The paper had been in a folder, which Monty accidentally left in the street before a group of homeless people picked it up.
One of the homeless people who found the paper is Simon Wilder (played by Joe Pesci), a witty and worldly-wise man who puts Monty through the wringer. Simon offers to give the paper back to Monty, but with conditions - Monty must do menial jobs for Simon, and let Simon stay in his room at the university. Monty is initially repulsed by Simon and his lifestyle, but gradually comes to see that Simon has a lot to teach him about life and relationships.
As Monty tries to retrieve his thesis paper from Simon, he comes to learn that Simon is a former professor who gave up his teaching career to live on the streets. Through their interactions, Monty learns about the harsh realities of life and the importance of relationships. Meanwhile, Monty's classmates are scrambling to find a copy of his thesis paper in order to ensure that he graduates with honors.
Throughout the film, Monty experiences a range of emotions, including frustration, anger, and enlightenment. At times, he is resentful of Simon's intrusion into his life and struggles to maintain his academic standing. However, he ultimately comes to appreciate Simon's wisdom and humanity, realizing that there are more important things in life than academic success.
The film also stars Moira Kelly as Monty's romantic interest and Josh Hamilton as his roommate. With Honors was released in 1994 and was directed by Alek Keshishian. It received mixed reviews from critics but was a moderate box office success.
