Michael_Elliott With Honors (1994) *** 1/2 (out of 4)Brendan Fraser plays Monty, a Harvard student who believes that his thesis is going to send him into the perfect life with the perfect job. The only problem is that the papers fall into the hands of a homeless man named Simon (Joe Pesci) who plans on using them to get things that he needs.WITH HONORS was released to some really horrible reviews and I still remember going to see it on its opening weekend and leaving the theater wondering what everyone had missed. The film took a real beating from critics and it didn't do too well at the box office but for my money it was one of the better movies released that year. Is it a masterpiece? Of course not but it's certainly a very good, heart-warming and funny picture.One thing that the film deserves credit for is taking a serious look at being homeless. This includes how someone can become homeless and then it talks about the various issues that happens because of it. I thought the film was very intelligent when it came to the subject matter and unlike so many other movies this one here at least had something to say on its subject.The best thing about the movie were the performances with Pesci leading the way in a very good role. Pesci was on a hot streak during this era as he was coming off the box office hit of HOME ALONE as well as an Oscar-win for GOODFELASS. He really makes a memorable character here as he can handle the drama and the laughs without any problem. Fraser is also very believable in his role and we get some nice support from Moira Kelly, Josh Hamilton and Patrick Dempsey.The film certainly does a very good job at mixing the laughs with the drama and to me WITH HONORS remains a film that never got its due.

Gustavo Schroeder A With Honors is not a great movie. Nor is it a good movie at that, but I found the film to be a satisfying experience for one or two reasons. First, the actors do what they can with the messy script, which isn't much, although it has its moments, like one scene involving Pesci and a lecture. Fraser and Pesci really do their best with what they're given and I respect that. Their acting really "makes" the movie cause the story is not really believable, if you really think about what is going down on screen.Second, the film delivers a good message, even if it gets lost at times during the movie's sappiness. That's actually a good word to describe the last act of the movie: sappy. The movie tries to be a comedy, then tries to be a drama and then the process repeats itself so you really don't know what the movie is until the last few minutes.With Honors is messy, but some pretty good acting and interesting messages save the movie from being a mess, and although it's by no means a great film, it's an OK one.

mjorgensen62-40-114257 I saw this movie when it first came out. If not for the comedic scenes early on, I might have fallen asleep. I'm glad I didn't. We don't often see movies that have dialog as real as this one. This ensemble cast just...plain...works. The heart-breaking reunion and the final graduation scene are forever stamped into my memory. And the real meaning of "With Honors" will remain with me for all time. Years later, I still have several pebbles in a bag representing MY fondest memories. This is a movie for everyone. I have acquired many movies over the years, but this is still one of my all-time favorites. Only Brendan and Joe have gone on to "stardom", but the rest of the cast makes their roles possible and memorable

pmedina-1 I was once asked: "What is your favorite movie?" in a graduate school application.I have many movies that I love and I couldn't ever decide on a favorite movie. At the time, however, I had recently watched "With Honors" for about the 20th time and I chose it for my answer. Researching the movie on this website, I was astounded when I discovered that it did not win (well, it wasn't even nominated for) any award on screen writing or acting. It was only nominated for Best Original Song ("I'll Remember", performed by Madonna).The film centers on Montgomery 'Monty' Kessler (Brendan Fraser) a government senior student at Harvard University, who thinks his life depends on his thesis. When his computer crashes, Monty decides that the reasonable thing to do is to rush to make copies of the only hard copy of the thesis he has. But on the way to the copy shop, he has an accident and the thesis falls into the boiler room of the library and into the hands of Simon Wilder (Joe Pesci), a homeless man who has made a makeshift home in there. At first, there is tension between the two, as Monty is outraged for the deal he is forced to make with Simon: for each day of food and shelter, Monty gets one page of the thesis. As time goes by, Monty realizes that there is more to Simon than meets the eye. The relationship between Monty and Simon develops into a strong friendship and Monty soon learns that there is more to life than graduating with honors.I am always moved by the beautiful story and the incredible acting in this film. The performances are so honest that the story seems to have been taken out of real life. The transition in the character of Monty, from a young man that considers grades and recognition to be the most important things in the world, to a man, touched by the life of a "bum" – as Simon refers to himself – who is intelligent and good-natured, and knows the meaning of love.The last few lines in the movie always bring tears to my eyes, as Monty reads Simon's self-written obituary: "He is survived by his family: Jeff Hawks, who always remembers to flush; Everett Calloway, who knows how to use words; Courtney Blumenthal, who is strong, and also knows how to love; and by Montgomery Kessler, who will graduate life with honor, and without regret."