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Graduating Life With Honors
A Movie Review

I love watching movies merely for the challenge it brings me toward criticism. With Honors caught my eye because I'm an academic achiever myself. The title in itself tells of a story of a person who graduated with honors or does it?

For most of us, graduating with honors is an unquestionable reward for a job well done. When we study and work hard in school, we oftentimes have one thing in mind...recognition. In reality, very few of us study merely to gain knowledge or even for the sense of fulfillment knowing we understand what we are studying. No, we study because of the achievement it brings. I won't call it selfishness or indifference because it is true that we deserve the honor of being recognized after all the hard work. However, this perception limits us to what more we could've accomplished.

Monty (Brendan Frasier) used to think this way. He was so blinded by his adviser's compliment that when his computer jams, he didn't hesitate to run to the library and make copies of his thesis even at that time of the night. He was making sure he gets a grab-hold to graduating with honors. What he didn't know was that his foolish action could lead him to an accident, a fortunate one that is.

On the way to the library, he tripped and his thesis fell down the boiler room where Simon found it. Simon refused to return his thesis but rather bargained to give him a page of his thesis for every service Monty rendered him.

Sometimes, we get caught up in the same situation. We work hard for something until an accident hits us and shatters everything. Though we try to hold on to what we worked so hard for, it just doesn't seem to work out. What we don't know is that these accidents are rare gifts that we should openly accept and learn everything we can from. These accidents teaches us the realities of life, things we could never learn by reading books written by Nobel prize winners, or by listening to top-University professors. It tells us of things not yet discovered and perhaps never will be, as important as it might be; something we can learn only by ourselves in accidents.

Simon is a self-proclaimed bum, the fortunate accident in Monty's life. Simon taught Monty what all high-class men seem to forget, the simplicity of life. He was a man contented with rubbing stones to remind him of good memories. As inferior as he might consider himself, he was able to alter many things that Monty believed in all his life.

First, he spoke of the genius of the constitution; it's ability to be changed. He defended their ancestors who believed they could make mistakes so they made the constitution as it is now. He told of the president being a servant of the people, powerful as he might be; the president is still a bum to the nation.

Monty also taught Simon something. He told Simon of how he hated his father for leaving him and his mother. He told Simon of how his father wrote him just a few times the last time being when he congratulated Monty for being accepted in Harvard. After that, he never heard from his father again because he died. Monty didn't know that Simon was like his father. Simon realized that he have to at least see his son before he pass away. His dying wish was to see his son. A father indeed could leave home but still have the greatest love for his family.

This situation not only changed Monty but it affected their roommates as well. The movie presented a change in all of their personalities. It mirrored the maturity of four young Harvard students.

Simon may be a bum but he was able to change a Harvard student's perception so much that Monty threw away his thesis and decided to make a new one; something he really believed in. Monty's priorities also changed. He chose to grant a dying friend's wish than finish his thesis and gain the honor he deserved. Suddenly, the recognition seemed of no worth to him. He was contented of having met Simon, and having learned a lot in life. He may not have graduated with honors but he said on Simon's funeral that he graduated life with honor and without regret.

I graduated high school with honors but having watched the movie again, I realized that I have much to learn. I just hope that I could find the fortunate accident that Monty found in Simon.

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