Movie · 1994 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 43m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 3.2/10 (31.4K ratings)
If you want a degree go to Harvard. If you want an education go to Simon Wilder.
Overview
Convinced he'll graduate with honors because of his thesis paper, a stuffy Harvard student finds his paper being held hostage by a homeless man, who might be the guy to school the young man in life.
Ratings
Curator score: 3.2/10
IMDb: 6.7/10
Letterboxd: 3.33/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 22%
TMDB: 6.7/10
Director
Alek Keshishian
Production
Spring Creek Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures
Cast
Joe Pesci, Brendan Fraser, Moira Kelly, Patrick Dempsey, Josh Hamilton, Gore Vidal, Deborah Lake Fortson, Marshall Hambro, Melinda Chilton, Harve Kolzow, James Deuter, Caroline Gibson, M. Lynda Robinson, Richard Auguste, Patricia B. Butcher, Mary Seibel, Mara Brock Akil, Clebert Ford, William Ashby King, Frank J. Tieri
Curator Review
Verdict
A warm, earnest 90s dramedy with an appealing odd-couple premise and a sincere heart, but it leans heavily on sentiment and familiar uplift beats. It’s easy to like more than to admire.
Best for
viewers who enjoy sentimental coming-of-age dramas
fans of unlikely friendship stories
people in the mood for a gentle 90s comfort watch
Brendan Fraser or Joe Pesci completists
Skip if
you want sharp, modern dialogue
you’re allergic to earnestness and melodrama
you need a truly original take on class-and-education stories
you prefer polished prestige drama over made-for-TV charm
Overview
With Honors is the kind of movie that knows exactly what it wants to be: a heartfelt, slightly corny lesson in humility and human connection. The setup is a little too neat, and the film is not shy about steering you toward the emotional takeaway, but the central pairing gives it enough personality to stay watchable.
Worth noting
Joe Pesci brings the movie its most memorable energy, turning what could have been a stock “wise outsider” role into something pricklier and funnier. Brendan Fraser plays the entitled Harvard student with enough sincerity to make the arc work, even if the material around him is more predictable than inspired.
Bottom line
What lingers is less the plotting than the mood: a soft-focus 90s dramedy about grief, class, and the possibility of learning something real outside the classroom. It’s not a great film, but it has a big enough heart that many viewers will forgive the sentimentality.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Richard T (3.5★) · 315 likes
With Honors is not a great film. Hell, I'm not entirely sure it's even a good one. It has a simplistic message that is handled in the most sappy and sentimental way possible, and the made-for-tv production values certainly don't help.
And I couldn't care less. Because what this does have, in my eyes, is a big, beating heart. These aren't the most original characters, but I cared for them. The cast doesn't deliver the best work of their careers,… more
Chryse Taylor (2.5★) · 301 likes
Sorry professor, Joe Pesci ate my homework
niamh 🧃 (4★) · 224 likes
good will hunting but it’s homeless joe pesci and rich boy brendan fraser
Marshall 🌲 (3★) · 184 likes
"Could the President of the United States, without consulting those he governs, more or less destroy the entire world?"
Sure seems like it...
Brett (3★) · 143 likes
I saw the cast which included Brendan Fraser and was like eh sure why not. Definitely not the cast strongest career performances.
And I thought it was a decent story about an unlikely friendship, personal growth, and grief/ego lessons. The tone is warm and character-driven. Nothing revolutionary -had some of that 90s charm.
Watched with the wife- Couples Therapy
1990s Movies (Ranked)
First watch