With Honors
Encyclopedia
With Honors is a 1994 dramatic
comedy film
starring Joe Pesci
and Brendan Fraser
. The film was directed by Alek Keshishian
who has more famously directed music video
s for Madonna
and Bobby Brown
.
One night, while working on his thesis, his computer suffers a hard drive failure and all his data is lost. Paranoid about something happening to his sole printed copy, he leaves in the middle of the night to make copies, with Courtney following to make sure he is okay. While taunting Courtney for falling behind, Monty trips over a bike rack, breaking his ankle and dropping his thesis down a steam vent and into the boiler room of Widener Library
.
As Courtney distracts the night security guard, Monty sneaks down into the cellar to retrieve his paper. When he arrives in the boiler room, he sees a disheveled man reading it, then burning the thesis page by page. Shouting for him to stop, he is then attacked by the startled man. Asking only for his thesis back, the homeless man demands compensation for not burning it. Refusing a personal check, he demands donuts and fresh underwear. After returning to his house looking for advice and help from his roommates, he calls the university police on the man. They arrest him and search his belongings, but the thesis is not there.
Following the man to his court appearance, we find his name to be Simon B. Wilder. After convincing the judge to dismiss the charges against him with impressive legal arguments, he is then held on contempt. Monty pays his fine so that he can get his thesis back. Following him outside, he confronts Simon about the paper. Simon then confronts Monty about getting him kicked out of a warm "palace" with "seventeen bathrooms and eight miles of books," telling Monty he sees him only as "a piece of shit" and not a real person. Monty and Simon work out a deal for the thesis where Simon will give one page for each service Monty provides. Simon then takes up residence in Everett's broken-down van in the backyard of Monty's house. Confronted by his roommates, Monty assures them he will get Simon out as soon as possible.
Rejecting Monty's idea of Social Security Disability benefits, Simon tries his best to teach Monty humility and humanity. Monty eventually warms up to Simon and the two become friends. During one memorable scene, Monty takes Simon to one of his classes with Professor Pitkannan. After several students, including Monty, are humiliated into submission over a question asked by Pitkannan, Simon gets into an argument with the professor. Pitkannan attempts to humiliate Simon with his status as a homeless man, but Simon answers his question with such wisdom and eloquence that the entire class applauds as he leaves. Monty also tells Simon about how his father left him and his mother when he was five, having only sporadic contact with him until his death. Simon responds by showing him his collection of "memories," a bag of stones. Each stone reminds him of a specific memory like his "last good night of sleep" and a woman who was "the one".
With time, some of the roommates learn to appreciate Simon's presence. Courtney appreciates the new, gentler Monty and Everett makes a deal with Simon to fix the van in exchange for wine, after their former roommate Boz had a nervous breakdown
and moved to Bali, defaulting on a personal loan. Jeff, however, is annoyed by having to pay for extra food and fears the possible reactions of his visiting parents. On a particularly cold night, Jeff rejects Monty's request for Simon to sleep in the cellar, threatening to move out with his share of the rent. Monty lies to Simon, who also asks to sleep in the cellar, but Simon sees through his deception and leaves in the middle of the night.
After Jeff, Courtney, and Everett leave for Christmas break, Simon sends a homeless friend to the house with instructions to get a meal and deliver the rest of the thesis, along with a philosophical message. Delivering both, the friend tells Monty that Simon doesn't want to see him, but gives Monty his location at a church shelter. Monty goes to the church, discovering that the "shelter" is simply an alley filled with homeless people. Finding Simon on the ground wheezing and coughing, Monty brings him home after promising not to take him to a hospital. He puts Simon up in the attic, Boz's old room, and tells him that he can stay there as long as he likes with no deal. He also asks Simon why he is sick. Simon tells him that he has asbestosis
from his days building and sailing ships for the Merchant Marines. Simon is touched by his courtesy and agrees to accept government benefits to pay his way in the house. Recuperating over the break, Simon cooks a New Year's meal for the two of them and is shocked to discover Monty has thrown out his old thesis and is writing a new one. Simon then shocks Monty when he reveals that the chicken dinner he cooked is made from the carcass of Gorky, Everett's pet rooster and radio co-star.
As the roommates return home from break, Monty tells them that Simon will be their "new Boz," as he can pay for rent and groceries. Jeff threatens to leave again, but is rebuffed by Courtney, who tells him to go and that Simon can cover his rent. Everett turns out not to care about losing Gorky (the bird bit him a lot, unlike his previous rooster) and only questions why his van isn't fixed yet. Simon then fixes the van after extracting more bottles of wine from the deal. Eventually, Simon reconciles with Jeff, making him feel better about himself and cooking French toast for him, his favorite meal. Simon then reveals to Monty that he left his own wife and son when he joined the Merchant Marines, as he writes his own obituary, preparing for his coming death. Monty is angry, but forgives him and brings Simon as his "date" to the biggest party of the year on campus. As the two watch Courtney dance with her on-again, off-again boyfriend "The Face", Simon recognizes that Monty loves her and gives Monty a poetic pep talk to not let her be a regret.
As Simon accepts an offer to dance from a beautiful co-ed who loved his poem, Courtney and The Face argue and Courtney walks out. Monty follows her and the two embrace outside, ending up consummating their relationship that night. Waking up to hear Simon struggling to breathe and collapsed in the hallway, Monty acquiesces to take Simon to see his long-lost son, Frank, even though it will mean missing his thesis deadline and thus losing his chance to graduate with honors. The entire household sets off on a road trip. When they arrive, Monty talks to Frank, who initially refuses to meet Simon. Only after Monty tells him about Simon's failing health does he agree. The two talk for a minute, with Frank berating Simon for leaving and telling him he wants nothing to do with him. After his daughter (Simon's granddaughter) approaches, Frank tells her that Simon is nobody and leaves. Simon breaks down, grabs a stone for a "memory," and the roommates head back home, without a word.
While driving, Simon has another asbestosis attack and leaves the van, intending to die alone in a field. This follows a story Simon told Monty earlier about a dog of his who had done the same thing. Monty eventually convinces Simon that he doesn't have to die alone, and the friends return home. As Simon lies in bed, the roommates take turns reading to Simon from Walt Whitman
's Leaves of Grass
. After Monty finishes reading, Simon passes away. The four friends bury Simon in a cemetery, reading Simon's final obituary. He highlights each roommate's personality and especially congratulates Monty on his own personal honor. Monty breaks down and the friends embrace.
Monty then goes to meet with Professor Pitkannan. The professor criticizes Monty for changing his thesis and for naively trusting in people in his new approach to government, but appreciates his beliefs and effort, saying there are few who agree with him either. He regrets that because Monty turned his paper in late, he could not graduate summa cum laude as he had intended. The pair shake hands and Monty leaves. At the graduation ceremony, the friends sit together and embrace as they are celebrated as the Class of 1994. They walk out, with Monty grabbing a stone for his own "memory".
, Illinois
, Indiana
, and Minnesota
, including the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The exterior of Winthrop House
appears, but the interiors pictured are not that of actual Harvard houses, and the last scene of the movie was shot at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
. The building
s and surroundings were dressed up to look as if it were Harvard and many of the people in the final scene are Illinois students. The graduation scene was shot while the local climate in Illinois had not allowed for the trees to bloom leaves and so artificial branches and leaves were stapled on. All of the outdoor shots of Harvard's Widener Library
had the University of Minnesota's Northrop Auditorium
in that role. The scene in which Simon Wilder and Professor Pitkannan debate the role of the president in American democracy was filmed in Lincoln Hall at Northwestern Law School.
. It contains the U.S. No.2 hit single and theme song "I'll Remember
" by pop singer Madonna
. She received nominations from the Golden Globes, Grammys
, and MTV Movie Awards
.
Dramatic
Dramatic may refer to:* Drama, a literary form involving parts for actors* Dramatic, a voice type classification in European classical music, describing a specific vocal weight and range at the lower end of a given voice part...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
starring Joe Pesci
Joe Pesci
Joseph Frank "Joe" Pesci is an American actor, comedian, and musician.He is known for playing a variety of different roles, from violent mobsters to comedic leads to quirky sidekicks...
and Brendan Fraser
Brendan Fraser
Brendan James Fraser is a Canadian-American film and stage actor. Fraser portrayed Rick O'Connell in the three-part Mummy film series , and is known for his comedic and fantasy film leading roles in major Hollywood films, including Encino Man , George of the Jungle , Dudley Do-Right , Monkeybone ,...
. The film was directed by Alek Keshishian
Alek Keshishian
Alek Keshishian is a Lebanese-born Armenian film director. He is best known for his 1991 film Madonna: Truth or Dare, which for a time was the highest-grossing documentary of all time....
who has more famously directed music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s for Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a...
.
Synopsis
Montgomery "Monty" Kessler is an honors student in the Government program at Harvard University in the middle of writing his senior thesis. Monty rooms with art student Courtney Blumenthal, radio DJ and trust fund child Everett Calloway, and neurotic pre-med student Jeff Hawkes, and is the pet project of Professor Pitkannan, a Nobel Laureate and staunch conservative.One night, while working on his thesis, his computer suffers a hard drive failure and all his data is lost. Paranoid about something happening to his sole printed copy, he leaves in the middle of the night to make copies, with Courtney following to make sure he is okay. While taunting Courtney for falling behind, Monty trips over a bike rack, breaking his ankle and dropping his thesis down a steam vent and into the boiler room of Widener Library
Widener Library
The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, commonly known as Widener Library, is the primary building of the library system of Harvard University. Located on the south side of Harvard Yard directly across from Memorial Church, Widener serves as the centerpiece of the 15.6 million-volume Harvard...
.
As Courtney distracts the night security guard, Monty sneaks down into the cellar to retrieve his paper. When he arrives in the boiler room, he sees a disheveled man reading it, then burning the thesis page by page. Shouting for him to stop, he is then attacked by the startled man. Asking only for his thesis back, the homeless man demands compensation for not burning it. Refusing a personal check, he demands donuts and fresh underwear. After returning to his house looking for advice and help from his roommates, he calls the university police on the man. They arrest him and search his belongings, but the thesis is not there.
Following the man to his court appearance, we find his name to be Simon B. Wilder. After convincing the judge to dismiss the charges against him with impressive legal arguments, he is then held on contempt. Monty pays his fine so that he can get his thesis back. Following him outside, he confronts Simon about the paper. Simon then confronts Monty about getting him kicked out of a warm "palace" with "seventeen bathrooms and eight miles of books," telling Monty he sees him only as "a piece of shit" and not a real person. Monty and Simon work out a deal for the thesis where Simon will give one page for each service Monty provides. Simon then takes up residence in Everett's broken-down van in the backyard of Monty's house. Confronted by his roommates, Monty assures them he will get Simon out as soon as possible.
Rejecting Monty's idea of Social Security Disability benefits, Simon tries his best to teach Monty humility and humanity. Monty eventually warms up to Simon and the two become friends. During one memorable scene, Monty takes Simon to one of his classes with Professor Pitkannan. After several students, including Monty, are humiliated into submission over a question asked by Pitkannan, Simon gets into an argument with the professor. Pitkannan attempts to humiliate Simon with his status as a homeless man, but Simon answers his question with such wisdom and eloquence that the entire class applauds as he leaves. Monty also tells Simon about how his father left him and his mother when he was five, having only sporadic contact with him until his death. Simon responds by showing him his collection of "memories," a bag of stones. Each stone reminds him of a specific memory like his "last good night of sleep" and a woman who was "the one".
With time, some of the roommates learn to appreciate Simon's presence. Courtney appreciates the new, gentler Monty and Everett makes a deal with Simon to fix the van in exchange for wine, after their former roommate Boz had a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
and moved to Bali, defaulting on a personal loan. Jeff, however, is annoyed by having to pay for extra food and fears the possible reactions of his visiting parents. On a particularly cold night, Jeff rejects Monty's request for Simon to sleep in the cellar, threatening to move out with his share of the rent. Monty lies to Simon, who also asks to sleep in the cellar, but Simon sees through his deception and leaves in the middle of the night.
After Jeff, Courtney, and Everett leave for Christmas break, Simon sends a homeless friend to the house with instructions to get a meal and deliver the rest of the thesis, along with a philosophical message. Delivering both, the friend tells Monty that Simon doesn't want to see him, but gives Monty his location at a church shelter. Monty goes to the church, discovering that the "shelter" is simply an alley filled with homeless people. Finding Simon on the ground wheezing and coughing, Monty brings him home after promising not to take him to a hospital. He puts Simon up in the attic, Boz's old room, and tells him that he can stay there as long as he likes with no deal. He also asks Simon why he is sick. Simon tells him that he has asbestosis
Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory and fibrotic medical condition affecting the parenchymal tissue of the lungs caused by the inhalation and retention of asbestos fibers...
from his days building and sailing ships for the Merchant Marines. Simon is touched by his courtesy and agrees to accept government benefits to pay his way in the house. Recuperating over the break, Simon cooks a New Year's meal for the two of them and is shocked to discover Monty has thrown out his old thesis and is writing a new one. Simon then shocks Monty when he reveals that the chicken dinner he cooked is made from the carcass of Gorky, Everett's pet rooster and radio co-star.
As the roommates return home from break, Monty tells them that Simon will be their "new Boz," as he can pay for rent and groceries. Jeff threatens to leave again, but is rebuffed by Courtney, who tells him to go and that Simon can cover his rent. Everett turns out not to care about losing Gorky (the bird bit him a lot, unlike his previous rooster) and only questions why his van isn't fixed yet. Simon then fixes the van after extracting more bottles of wine from the deal. Eventually, Simon reconciles with Jeff, making him feel better about himself and cooking French toast for him, his favorite meal. Simon then reveals to Monty that he left his own wife and son when he joined the Merchant Marines, as he writes his own obituary, preparing for his coming death. Monty is angry, but forgives him and brings Simon as his "date" to the biggest party of the year on campus. As the two watch Courtney dance with her on-again, off-again boyfriend "The Face", Simon recognizes that Monty loves her and gives Monty a poetic pep talk to not let her be a regret.
As Simon accepts an offer to dance from a beautiful co-ed who loved his poem, Courtney and The Face argue and Courtney walks out. Monty follows her and the two embrace outside, ending up consummating their relationship that night. Waking up to hear Simon struggling to breathe and collapsed in the hallway, Monty acquiesces to take Simon to see his long-lost son, Frank, even though it will mean missing his thesis deadline and thus losing his chance to graduate with honors. The entire household sets off on a road trip. When they arrive, Monty talks to Frank, who initially refuses to meet Simon. Only after Monty tells him about Simon's failing health does he agree. The two talk for a minute, with Frank berating Simon for leaving and telling him he wants nothing to do with him. After his daughter (Simon's granddaughter) approaches, Frank tells her that Simon is nobody and leaves. Simon breaks down, grabs a stone for a "memory," and the roommates head back home, without a word.
While driving, Simon has another asbestosis attack and leaves the van, intending to die alone in a field. This follows a story Simon told Monty earlier about a dog of his who had done the same thing. Monty eventually convinces Simon that he doesn't have to die alone, and the friends return home. As Simon lies in bed, the roommates take turns reading to Simon from Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
's Leaves of Grass
Leaves of Grass
Leaves of Grass is a poetry collection by the American poet Walt Whitman . Though the first edition was published in 1855, Whitman spent his entire life writing Leaves of Grass, revising it in several editions until his death...
. After Monty finishes reading, Simon passes away. The four friends bury Simon in a cemetery, reading Simon's final obituary. He highlights each roommate's personality and especially congratulates Monty on his own personal honor. Monty breaks down and the friends embrace.
Monty then goes to meet with Professor Pitkannan. The professor criticizes Monty for changing his thesis and for naively trusting in people in his new approach to government, but appreciates his beliefs and effort, saying there are few who agree with him either. He regrets that because Monty turned his paper in late, he could not graduate summa cum laude as he had intended. The pair shake hands and Monty leaves. At the graduation ceremony, the friends sit together and embrace as they are celebrated as the Class of 1994. They walk out, with Monty grabbing a stone for his own "memory".
Characters
- Simon Wilder (Joe PesciJoe PesciJoseph Frank "Joe" Pesci is an American actor, comedian, and musician.He is known for playing a variety of different roles, from violent mobsters to comedic leads to quirky sidekicks...
): A homelessHomelessnessHomelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
man who is living in the boiler room of the library on Harvard's campusCampusA campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
. In his past, he worked as a merchant marine before asbestosAsbestosAsbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
damaged his lungs to the point where he could not work and was fired. He also abandoned his family, probably around the same time he started working in the shipyards. Through the trials and tribulations of his life he has become educated on many subjects. He ends up passing this knowledge on to the people he meets in his last days.
- Montgomery 'Monty' Kessler (Brendan FraserBrendan FraserBrendan James Fraser is a Canadian-American film and stage actor. Fraser portrayed Rick O'Connell in the three-part Mummy film series , and is known for his comedic and fantasy film leading roles in major Hollywood films, including Encino Man , George of the Jungle , Dudley Do-Right , Monkeybone ,...
): The protagonist of the movie. A brilliant, albeit cynical, young man that has gotten himself into Harvard without any money ties and is about to graduate as a governmentGovernmentGovernment refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
student with honors if he can put the finishing touches on his senior thesisThesisA dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
. He is rather bitter because of his father's abandonment of him at a young age. His ideas and his thesis all change once he meets and gets to know Simon Wilder.
- Courtney Blumenthal (Moira KellyMoira KellyMoira Kelly is an American actress. She is best known for playing single mother Karen Roe on the teen drama One Tree Hill. She also directed two episodes of the series: "Resolve" and "I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me"...
): The only femaleFemaleFemale is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
roommate of the house. She is a young woman who just uses her male companion, nicknamed "The Face", for sexSexIn biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
. Kessler has been longing to end his platonic friendship with her and begin a romantic relationship, which Simon senses and encourages, which ends up happening during the movie.
- Everett Calloway (Patrick DempseyPatrick DempseyPatrick Galen Dempsey is an American actor, known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Prior to Grey's Anatomy he made several television appearances and was nominated for an Emmy Award...
): One of the four roommates of the house and Monty's best friend. He has a wealthy father who finances his son's education and lifestyle (which he eventually cuts off). He is a long haired disc jockeyDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
for the radio stationRadio stationRadio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
at Harvard. He is one of the first of the roommates to warm up to Simon as he offers him wine if Simon can fix his van.
- Jeffrey Hawkes (Josh HamiltonJosh Hamilton (actor)Josh C. Hamilton is an American actor.Hamilton was born in New York City, New York. His father is actor Dan Hamilton, and his stepmother is actress Stephanie Braxton...
): The neurotic and sissified roommate who is studying to be a gynecologist. He is the roommate who is staunchly against Simon Wilder living in the apartment or on the property. He eventually comes around during the movie as well.
- Professor Pitkannan (Gore VidalGore VidalGore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
): He was originally the antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the film and later a respectful protagonist. He is described as a pessimist. He is the professor Monty must satisfy in order to graduate with honors. He gets into a very heated debate over the ConstitutionConstitutionA constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
with Simon Wilder during a class in which, according to the class reaction, Wilder wins. Pitkannman isn't seen again until the end of the film talking with Kessler and telling him he will never graduate with honors. However Kessler thanked him and respectfully shook his hand making Pitkannan no longer the antagonist.
Production
The film was shot at various locations in MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, including the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The exterior of Winthrop House
Winthrop House
John Winthrop House is one of twelve undergraduate residences at Harvard College and home to slightly under 400 students.Commonly referred to as Winthrop House, it consists of two buildings, Standish Hall and Gore Hall. Both were built in 1912 as separate freshman dormitories...
appears, but the interiors pictured are not that of actual Harvard houses, and the last scene of the movie was shot at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. The building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
s and surroundings were dressed up to look as if it were Harvard and many of the people in the final scene are Illinois students. The graduation scene was shot while the local climate in Illinois had not allowed for the trees to bloom leaves and so artificial branches and leaves were stapled on. All of the outdoor shots of Harvard's Widener Library
Widener Library
The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, commonly known as Widener Library, is the primary building of the library system of Harvard University. Located on the south side of Harvard Yard directly across from Memorial Church, Widener serves as the centerpiece of the 15.6 million-volume Harvard...
had the University of Minnesota's Northrop Auditorium
Northrop Auditorium
Cyrus Northrop Memorial Auditorium is a stage venue at the University of Minnesota's Minneapolis campus named for Cyrus Northrop, the university's second president. Various events are held there, including concerts, ballet performances, and lectures. The structure was built in 1929 and has...
in that role. The scene in which Simon Wilder and Professor Pitkannan debate the role of the president in American democracy was filmed in Lincoln Hall at Northwestern Law School.
Box office
According to Boxofficemojo.com, the film grossed about $20 million in the U.S. Despite this modest figure, it did manage to be the #1 at the U.S. Weekend Box Office between May 6–8.Soundtrack
The soundtrack was released on March 22, 1994 by Maverick RecordsMaverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
. It contains the U.S. No.2 hit single and theme song "I'll Remember
I'll Remember
"I'll Remember" is a song by American recording artist Madonna. It was released on March 8, 1994, by Warner Bros. Records as the soundtrack single of the film With Honors...
" by pop singer Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
. She received nominations from the Golden Globes, Grammys
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
, and MTV Movie Awards
MTV Movie Awards
The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general...
.
- "Thank You" - Duran DuranDuran DuranDuran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
- "I'll RememberI'll Remember"I'll Remember" is a song by American recording artist Madonna. It was released on March 8, 1994, by Warner Bros. Records as the soundtrack single of the film With Honors...
" (Theme from 'With Honors') - MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983... - "She Sells SanctuaryShe Sells Sanctuary"She Sells Sanctuary" is a song by the English rock band The Cult. It is from their 1985 album Love and was released as a single in May of that year, peaking at no.15 in the UK Singles Chart.The band has released various versions of the song...
" - The CultThe CultThe Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love... - "It's Not Unusual" - BellyBelly (band)Belly was an alternative rock band formed in 1991 by former Throwing Muses members Tanya Donelly and Fred Abong. The band was based in Boston, Massachusetts, though all of the original members grew up in Newport, Rhode Island. The band consisted of Donelly on lead vocals and guitar, Abong on bass,...
- "Cover Me" - CandleboxCandleboxCandlebox is an American alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington. Since their debut, the group has released four studio albums, which have achieved multi-platinum and gold certification, as well as numerous charting singles, a compilation, and a CD+DVD....
- "Your Ghost" - Kristin HershKristin HershKristin Hersh is an American singer/songwriter who performs solo acoustic concerts; she also continues to perform as lead singer and guitarist for alternative rock group Throwing Muses and the hardcore punk-influenced power trio 50 Foot Wave...
/Michael StipeMichael StipeJohn Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often... - "Forever Young" - The PretendersThe PretendersThe Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
- "Fuzzy" - Grant Lee BuffaloGrant Lee BuffaloGrant Lee Buffalo is a rock band based in Los Angeles, California, consisting of Grant-Lee Phillips , Paul Kimble and Joey Peters . All three were previously members of another Los Angeles band, Shiva Burlesque.-Career:...
- "Run Shithead Run" - Mudhoney
- "Tribe" - Babble
- "Blue Skies" - Lyle LovettLyle LovettLyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
- "On the Wrong Side" - Lindsey BuckinghamLindsey BuckinghamLindsey Adams Buckingham is an American guitarist, singer, composer and producer, most notable for being the guitarist and male lead singer of the musical group Fleetwood Mac. Aside from his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has also released six solo albums and a live album...