This film’s portrayal of 1990s American student life has that really important factor of sticking in your mind once you have watched it.
Set at Harvard University, the story centres on Monty (played by Brendan Fraser), who we meet as a rather arrogant and prejudiced student close to completing his thesis for his degree. His work is of sufficient quality that he should graduate ‘with honours’. To graduate from Harvard with honours is the guarantee of a glittering career.
One night disaster strikes Monty’s computer and his thesis is lost. As he runs to photocopy his printed version, it falls into the hands of an aggressive down-and-out, Simon (Joe Pesci), who offers its return on a page-by-page basis in exchange for food and shelter.
We see how Monty gradually loses his arrogance and prejudice and becomes a nicer person, while Simon is shown to be more than just someone to be ignored. Ultimately, in the course of befriending Simon, Monty puts service before honour and pays a very high price.
With Honors highlights the divide in the world: the haves and the have-nots; the big, important people at the top and the little, insignificant people at the bottom; the somebodies and the nobodies.
One important aspect of Christmas in the Bible is that it focuses on little people. Mary and Joseph are two nobodies who turn out to be parents to the biggest Somebody in existence.
This is the outworking of a theme in Mary’s great song, the ‘Magnificat’. ‘[God] has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty’ (Luke 1:51-53 NIV).
With Honors echoes this Christmas theme and sounds a warning: we who find ourselves rich in food, clothes and friends should never forget those who lack the basics. We should care for those who have little and, in the world’s eyes, are little – God may have a very different view of them.
