With Honors

Have you ever watched a movie or read a novel without a plot? Most likely your answer to this question would be no, because it would be dull. No one wants to hear a story with no intrigue or conflict. As you read a novel or watch a film, you want to connect with the characters and feel you can relate to the situations they're dealing with. In every film and every story there's a conflict the main character(s) is facing. The story of King Arthur, and the film With Honors appear at first to be on opposite sides of the entertainment spectrum. However, both are excellent examples of searching for ones inner human, and life's meaning.

While watching the film With Honors one could pick up on a lot of symbolism, foreshadowing, and numerous heroes' journeys. Each character goes through their own search and personal development. For example the character Courtney played by Maria Kelly. In the beginning of the film she's head over heals for her roommate and close friend Monty played by Brendan Fraiser. As the story unfolds, Courtney's eyes are opened to see Monty's true inner human qualities.

The biggest heroes journey in the film With Honors is the journey Monty a Harvard law student goes through. During a heavy snowstorm one night, his computer freezes up, while he's in the middle of working on his thesis paper, which he needs to pass in order to graduate. He goes to the library to make a copy of what he already has saved, but then he trips and drops his thesis into the basement of the library. Once in the library he finds a bum burning up his thesis for heat. The bum whose name Simon played by Joe Pesci. Simon makes a deal with Monty he will give him back his thesis page by page, for every good deed he does towards him. As the story unfolds Monty and Simon change each other's lives. Monty starts off as an uptight, stereotypical, close-minded young man. Before knowing Monty, Simon is very set is his ways, and unapproachable.

Because Monty and Simon's personalities are so different, they are FOILS. As Monty earns back pages of his thesis Simon becomes a father figure to him. He shows him what is really valuable in life. Simon keeps rocks from memorial places; the rocks represent Simon's life. Monty's life is his thesis paper, and up until Simon that's all he cares about. Monty's father left him when he was young, and Simon left his son. In the end both characters come