By Sarah Lawrence
Jamal Wallace, the main character in Finding Forrester, is a sixteen-year-old gifted student with a backpack full of journals who can hardly contain the stories within his brain. With strong verbal and written expression skills, he grows throughout the film from an underachiever to an exceptional writer.
As the movie opens, this underachiever hides his passion for reading and writing behind C grades and a noteworthy talent in basketball. His teacher at his neighborhood school in the Bronx observes that he gains the acceptance of his peer group through basketball and that he does just enough schoolwork to get by and blend in with the crowd.
Gifted students are sensitive, empathetic, and emotional.
For this reason, his remarkable standardized test scores stand in sharp contrast to his lackluster school performance. Yet, even his classroom grades cannot disguise his true talents. After Jamal’s standardized test scores are shared with his mother, she reveals that Jamal’s superior performance is no surprise to her because he reads constantly, including classics from Kierkegaard to Joyce, sometimes books she herself has never read. This characteristic of gifted students being voracious readers is well-noted by researchers and scholars, including Delisle and Galbraith (2002) who include “reads avidly and absorbs books well beyond his or her years” among their list of general characteristics of gifted children (p. 7).
Jamal possesses a fabulous working memory. When a well-dressed White man arrives in his neighborhood in a BMW, Jamal provides to him a succinct history of the origins of the BMW brand. Jamal recalls that Franz Popp started the company, and describes the size of the first engine created in 1920. He even relates that the logo itself reflects the origins of a company that initially made airplane engines. Karen B. Rogers describes this “rapid, extraordinary ability to retain new information in long-term memory with little obvious effort” as a character trait present in students with an intellectual ability domain and also those with a specific academic ability domain (2002, p. 27-28).
Jamal Wallace is an extraordinary character whose giftedness in writing is a treasure to be celebrated in every sphere of his influence.
The quality of Jamal’s written work once he begins to attend Mailor-Callow demonstrates his remarkable ability to synthesize ideas through his writing. Mr. Crawford, his professor, notes the marked improvement from Jamal’s earlier writing samples and inquires about the length of time it took Jamal to create the piece that the professor is holding. When Jamal reports that he constructed it overnight, the professor is surprised, and this interaction reveals that Jamal’s work “is markedly superior in quality and quantity of written vocabulary” (Delisle & Galbraith, 2002, p. 7).
Jamal displays his empathetic nature when Mr. Crawford humiliates a fellow student, Coleridge. Gifted students are sensitive, empathetic, and emotional (Delisle & Galbraith, 2002, p. 7; Hébert, 2011, p. 68). In the subsequent conversation, Jamal corrects Mr. Crawford’s grammar relating to his incorrect usage of the word “farther.” Mr. Crawford responds by directing his pointed questions toward Jamal. As Mr. Crawford quotes many famous passages of literature, Jamal is able to finish or extend each one and name the author. Crawford appears chagrined and embarrassed and kicks Jamal out of class. Later, as Jamal discusses the situation with Forrester, it is evident that he does not believe he has done anything wrong in standing up for the other student. Jamal’s behavior reflects his mature moral development.
Since he is a young African American man from a poor neighborhood in the Bronx, Jamal is subject to social pressures when he is recognized for his academic ability and begins to explore his writing talent in greater depth.
He, like other highly sensitive gifted students “transcend societal norms, having internalized their own moral code of ethics” (Hébert, 2011, p. 95). Another example of his mature moral development was when the board members of Mailor-Callow confront him about the piece he has written, based on Forrester’s work and bearing the same title, “The Season of Faith’s Perfection.” In this scene, Jamal refuses to reveal his relationship with Forrester, even though doing so could potentially exonerate him of wrongdoing and secure his Mailor-Callow scholarship for the following semester. Jamal’s missed free-throw shots at the conclusion of the championship game further reinforce to his accusers that his integrity cannot be purchased.
Given the lack of specific data throughout Finding Forrester, it is challenging to ascertain Jamal’s status as a gifted student based on Pennsylvania standards. Pennsylvania’s criteria to determine giftedness note: “an IQ of 130 or higher or when multiple criteria as set forth in this chapter and in Department Guidelines indicate gifted ability” (22 Pa. Code § 16.21). Multiple criteria could include his exceptional standardized test performance and his high-quality written work, particularly those pieces produced during his time at Mailor-Callow.
These would fall into the category of: “Demonstrated achievement, performance or expertise in one or more academic areas as evidenced by excellence of products, portfolio or research, as well as criterion-referenced team judgment” (22 Pa. Code § 16.21). The observations of educators and psychologists who have experience identifying gifted students, when considering all the evidence, would certainly lead to the conclusion that Jamal Wallace is a gifted student.
The guidance of a trained counselor will help Jamal to navigate the challenges of developing and maintaining a bicultural identity in order to balance his desire to achieve and his need for belonging and acceptance.
Throughout the movie, Jamal faces challenges related to his membership in a minority demographic. Since he is a young African American man from a poor neighborhood in the Bronx, Jamal is subject to social pressures when he is recognized for his academic ability and begins to explore his writing talent in greater depth. When his brother congratulates him on his standardized test results, Jamal responds, “Don’t say nothin’ ‘bout those test scores to nobody, a’right?” (Van Sant, 2000). This scene illustrates an achievement-affiliation conflict for Jamal because he desires to maintain his relationships with his peers.
Kwan and Hilson (2009) explain, “In peer culture where academic achievement is not valued, the fear of social ostracism and the developmental need for acceptance and belonging has been considered a reason for underachievement among high-ability students” (p. 135). As the academic pressure at Mailor-Callow increases, Jamal appears to be experiencing alienation from his peer group. This “submersion in ability” can happen when “students choose achievement over affiliation needs” (Kwan & Hilson, 2009, p. 135). After a particularly trying day, Jamal watches his friends playing basketball, but does not join in the game, demonstrating that he feels torn between these two spheres of his life.
In a scene with Claire, Jamal discusses the pressure he feels, stating, “What’s hard is…the people you need to worry about, you know you’ve got nothing to give ‘em.”
Claire responds, “So it’s good that you’re here?”
“Yeah, but these people don’t think I’ve got anything to give them, either,” Jamal confesses, revealing how he is struggling with finding a way to juggle both cultures: his desire for achievement and his longing for acceptance within his community (Van Sant, 2000).
Resilience has been defined as “the ability to achieve emotional health and social competence in spite of a history of adversity or stress” (Hébert, 2011, p. 104). Jamal demonstrates extraordinary resilience as he has managed to excel and exceed expectations despite many challenges, including his father leaving after a long struggle with addiction and living in a poor neighborhood. He also is resilient in the face of racist and prejudicial comments by teachers and board members at Mailor-Callow, not giving up, but producing some of his best work even while under scrutiny.
This phenomenon among African Americans and other stigmatized groups can have adverse effects on academic performance.
He appears to carry the same traits observed by Cockrell and Olszewski-Kubilius, where having “a strong sense of self or a high level of resiliency can mitigate negative classroom or peer environments” (p. 229). Given Jamal’s high degree of intelligence, he is more aware of and sensitive to social injustices and prejudice, which leads to the predominant conflict between Jamal and Mr. Crawford. This professor repeatedly engages in microaggressions toward Jamal that negatively affect their relationship. An example of a type of microaggression is “acting surprised or giving outsize praise for being articulate” (Sparks, 2016).
When Mr. Crawford accuses Jamal of cheating or plagiarism he states, “The question about your writing isn’t whether it’s good–it’s whether it’s too good. Either you’ve been blessed with an uncommon gift that suddenly decided to kick in, or you’re getting your inspiration from elsewhere.” The professor continues, “Given your previous education and your background, I’m sure you’ll forgive me for coming to some of my own conclusions” (Van Sant, 2000). As Sparks (2016) observes, “Interactions like these [microaggressions] have been shown in hundreds of studies to trigger stereotype threat, the fear that one’s actions could confirm a negative stereotype about his or her group.”
This phenomenon among African Americans and other stigmatized groups can have adverse effects on academic performance, as the movie portrays in a later scene where Mr. Crawford subsequently forces Jamal to write his paper in the professor’s office at the school. Jamal appears frustrated and unable to focus, which his professor attributes to “not having the resources close at hand.” In reality, Jamal is suffering from stereotype threat, and his internal battle “takes up mental energy—making it harder to think on the spot” (Sparks, 2016). Jamal is eventually vindicated by Forrester reading his letter about family, but Jamal faces unnecessary trauma due to his professor’s bias, prejudice, and lack of cultural competence.
From the perspective of an educator of gifted students, Jamal appears to be doing a great job in an exceptionally difficult environment. One of his greatest assets is his strong, loving relationship with his biological family, his mother and older brother. From the very beginning of the movie, it is evident that Jamal’s mother has a vested interest in his achievement and academic success. She is seen attending meetings at his neighborhood school, subsequently visiting Mailor-Callow with him, and reinforcing the priority of school-work. Despite the challenges of her role as a single working mother, she takes the time to cook meals at home to ensure that her family eats together, an important ritual cementing their family bond. Jamal’s brother looks out for him, encourages him to pursue college, and reminds him to be safe.
Both his mother and brother attend Jamal’s basketball games, cheering him on and supporting him. This family relationship is a critical component to his continued success as “parent and family involvement is one of the most critical psychosocial elements strongly correlated with minority student achievement” (Cockrell & Olszewski-Kubilius, 2012, p. 225). Jamal should prioritize the continued nurturing of this bond and draw strength from his family when faced with prejudice and racism in the world outside his home.
Jamal demonstrates extraordinary resilience as he has managed to excel and exceed expectations despite many challenges.
In order to continue to be successful in both his academic prospects and his relationships within his neighborhood, Jamal will need to develop biculturalism, where he is able to read social cues in different cultural contexts and respond appropriately. While this growth and development is far from easy, researchers have noted that “bicultural identities allow gifted culturally diverse students to maintain their cultural identities while engaging in achievement-oriented behaviors” (Hébert, 2011, p. 314). At the end of the movie, Jamal is making progress in this area, as we see him put aside his letter and gifts from Forrester and play a game of pick-up basketball with his friends.
As part of this growth in biculturalism, Jamal will need to seek community support and involvement. “For African American youth who have historically been discouraged, disenfranchised, and turned off to many programs and services, a community-centered model of youth development allows them to have more input into the types of programs they desire” (Stevens, 2011, p. 92). Particularly because Mailor-Callow is not racially diverse in either the student body or faculty, Jamal will need to reach out to support systems within his own neighborhood to resolve the conflict between his achievement and affiliation needs.
Finding a mentor would be a tremendous benefit to Jamal, particularly as he has lost the influence of Forrester. Perhaps a teacher or guidance counselor from his neighborhood school could recommend a group of like-minded peers where he could build a supportive social network.
“Students who achieved were part of supportive social networks that included other high-achieving peers, family members, teachers, and other adults. These peer support networks consisted of friends who wanted to succeed academically and were willing to work to achieve this goal. They provided emotional support and encouragement to each other, particularly in challenging and stressful times” (Cockrell & Olszewski-Kubilius, 2012, p. 226).
These relationships would provide support to both Jamal and his peers in the neighborhood school, providing mutual benefit.
In order to continue to be successful in both his academic prospects and his relationships within his neighborhood, Jamal will need to develop biculturalism, where he is able to read social cues in different cultural contexts and respond appropriately.
To measure his progress on these goals, Jamal will have to take ownership of this process and develop the metacognitive strategies necessary to evaluate his own behavior and attitudes. One recommendation would be for him to continue journaling and engage in reflection under the guidance of a counselor as “reflection skills are necessary to enable students to understand and articulate how their fears of rejection by student peers and racial peers contribute to feelings of ambivalence and confusion about who they are” (Kwan & Hilson, 2009, p. 149). The guidance of a trained counselor will help Jamal to navigate the challenges of developing and maintaining a bicultural identity in order to balance his desire to achieve and his need for belonging and acceptance.
Jamal Wallace is an extraordinary character whose giftedness in writing is a treasure to be celebrated in every sphere of his influence. The opportunity to write the preface for Forrester’s book will certainly propel him into the spotlight, and perhaps, to a future career in writing. His connection with his family and community, however, will ground him so that his future successes will be viewed as their collective achievement and success. He will be viewed as successful because of his community, and not in spite of it. “Socially competent adolescents have been defined as possessing a sense of belonging, feeling valued, and having opportunities to contribute to society through their schools, neighborhoods, and the broader society” (Stevens, 2011, p. 90). This contribution to his community will be the legacy of Jamal Wallace, child of the Bronx.
Cockrell, K., & Olszewski-Kubilius, P. (2012). Psychological barriers affecting the achievement of gifted minority students. In R. F. Subotnik, A. Robinson, C. M. Callahan, & E. J. Gubbins (Eds.), Malleable minds: Translating insights from psychology and neuroscience to gifted education (pp. 223-231). Storrs, CT: University of Connecticut.
Delisle, J., & Galbraith, J. (2002). When gifted kids don’t have all the answers. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit.
Hébert, T. P. (2011). Understanding the social and emotional lives of gifted students. Waco, TX: Prufrock.
Kwan, K.-L. K., & Hilson, W. J., Jr. (2009). Counseling gifted students from non-White racial groups: Conceptual perspectives and practical solutions. In J. VanTassel-Baska, T. L. Cross, & F. R. Olenchak (Eds.), Social-Emotional curriculum with gifted and talented students (pp. 133-151). Waco, TX: Prufrock.
Rogers, K. B. (2002). Re-Forming Gifted Education: matching the program to the child. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.
Sparks, S. D. (2016). Classroom biases hinder students’ learning. Education Digest, (6), 16. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.449811041&authtype=sso&custid=s3915890&site=eds-live&scope=site
Stevens, F. (2011). Racial identity, religious participation and stereotype threat: the impact on student educational outcomes. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.79D5930D&site=eds-live&scope=site
Van Sant, G. (Director). (2000). Finding Forrester [Film]. Columbia Pictures.