Gerry Rosenthal

Finding Forrester -- From Academy Award(r) -nominated director Gus Van Sant and starring Academy Award(r) -winning actor Sean Connery, comes a drama about a unique relationship between an eccentric, reclusive novelist and a young, amazingly gifted scholar-athlete.

Liberty Heights -- 1950s Baltimore -- a period of great change with issues of race, religion and class distinction causing turmoil between two generations of a Jewish family.

Jamal Wallace (Robert Brown) is an inner-city kid from the Bronx who has an aptness at basketball and a genius at writing. While always a C student, Jamal comes to the attention of a prestigious New York prep school when he scores highly on his standardized tests. While Jamal is given a heavy load at his new school, both he and the school know that the real reason they took him on is for his prowess on the court. Befriended by fellow student Claire (Anna Paquin) and helped along by Pulitzer-prize winning author and recluse William Forrester (Sean Connery), Jamal pursues his dreams both on and off the court while overcoming obstacles placed by his bitter literature teacher. As Jamal is shaped by Forrester, he finds that he is changing the old writer as well, forcing him to confront his past...and his future.

In the tradition of "Diner," "Tin Men," and "Avalon," Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson ("Man of the Year," "Sphere") continues with this story of 1950s Baltimore -- a period of great change with issues of race, religion and class distinction causing turmoil between two generations of a Jewish family. Starring Academy Award-winner Adrien Brody ("The Pianist," "The Thin Red Line"), Emmy and Golden Globe-nominee Joe Mantegna (TV's "The Last Don," "Three Amigos!"), Emmy-winner Bebe Neuwirth (TV's "Frasier," "How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days") and Orlando Jones ("The Replacements," TV's "Mad TV"). ". . .a grand slam. . . [Levinson's] best film." -- Daily Variety. ". . .an engrossing, heartfelt account of growing up in America. . . Levinson has cast his film with pure genius." -- The Hollywood Reporter.