Overview"Harvard Man" is a significant thriller directed by James Toback, released in 2001, and embeded in the high-stakes world of the Ivy League University - Harvard. The film includes a cast consisting of Adrian Grenier, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Joey Lauren Adams, and Eric Stoltz.
PlotAdrian Grenier stars as Alan Jensen, an approach trainee at Harvard and likewise the star gamer on the college basketball team. The plot sets off when he discovers himself captured in financial troubles and under commitment to satisfy the demands of Cindy Bandolini (Sarah Michelle Gellar), his girlfriend and mob manager's daughter. His moms and dads' house in Kansas is ruined by a twister and needs financial assistance for repair work.
To help his parents financially while dealing with the mafia, he agrees to a point-shaving scheme orchestrated by Cindy, where he's pressured into missing basketball shots to control the video game ratings that will benefit mob gambling.
Character DevelopmentAs the film advances, a layer of metaphysical and philosophical self-questioning is introduced. Alan, in the middle of his crisis, consumes LSD offered by his philosophy teacher, Chesney Cort (played by Joey Lauren Adams), and start a psychedelic journey, developing a parallel collection of situations contrasting with the crime plot. Cort acts as Alan's guide both philosophically and throughout his psychedelic journey, symbolizing his desperate search for reality and identity.
Conflict and ClimaxThe circumstance complicates even more when two FBI representatives (Eric Stoltz and Rebecca Gayheart) enter the scene. They have been keeping an eye on the mob operations and now look for to make use of Alan to construct their case against Cindy's father. Alan, now stuck in between the FBI, the mafia, his personal crises, and a mind-blowing psychedelic experience, provides a compelling take a look at identity and morality in his pursuits.
Finally, Alan has to deal with the harsh truths of his actions but not before he loses his sanity due to the effects of the psychedelic compound. The climax converges the threads of Alan's options and their effects, resulting in an unanticipated resolution.
Theme and Reception"Harvard Man", at its core, is a story of the mission for fact and the various ethical, ethical, and philosophical issues dealt with in the journey. The movie includes components of thriller, drama, self-questioning, a love triangle, and sprinklings of humor throughout. It greatly contrasts the sober, disciplined life at Harvard University with the chaotic underworld of mafia and the alter-reality of hallucinogen-induced visions.
In spite of the intriguing mix of elements, the film got mixed reviews and was slammed for being disjointedly outrageous at times, with underdeveloped characters and overly-ambitious styles. Nevertheless, some critics lauded the film for its bold attempt to juxtapose philosophical introspection with the exhilarating world of criminal activity and corruption in an academic setting which was additional enlivened by the psychotropic elements.
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