Merriam-Webster defines wisdom as the “ability to discern inner qualities and relationships;” “good sense;” “generally accepted belief;” “accumulated philosophical or scientific learning” which could be summarized as insight, judgment and knowledge.
It continues on to define it as “a wise attitude, belief, or course of action” and “the teachings of the ancient wise men.”
My trusty 1980 Funk & Wagnalls defines it similarly, meaning the definition hasn’t changed much. Actually, I prefer the language of the Funk & Wagnalls:
“1 The power of true and right discernment; conformity to the course of action dictated by such discernment. 2 Good practical judgment; common sense. 3 A high degree of knowledge; learning. 4 A wise saying.”
Why the definition? Because when it comes to Simon Wilder, as portrayed by the wonderful Joe Pesci in With Honors, it is with a combination of truth, common sense, knowledge, and turning a wise phrase that Wilder’s wisdom encompasses every definition of the word… Wisdom.
Before I continue, With Honors is a 1994 film starring Joe Pesci, Brendan Frasier, Moira Kelly, Patrick Dempsy, Josh Hamilton, and features Gore Vidal. The premise is simple. After an electric surge fries Monty’s (Fraser) senior thesis, he takes his one printed version to get copied and trips, losing the thesis to the basement of a Harvard library, where it comes into the possession of Simon Wilder (Pesci), who uses the thesis as leverage. Using and keeping that leverage, while getting to know each other and Monty’s roommates is what yields the rest of the film.
During the one-hour-and-43-minute runtime, Wilder dispenses wisdom that doesn’t always fall on open minds, but because the film is written so well, it all seems somewhat timeless.
So let’s take a look at some of the wisdom of Simon Wilder and perhaps discover that it’s not just that the good writing which makes this timeless. It is the wisdom itself that, three decades later, feels equally, or even more, relevant now than ever.
Simon Wilder: Hey, you know what the greatest nation in the world is?
Donation Student: Well I hope it’s the USA.
Simon Wilder: Wrong. It’s donation.
This one might be a quick turn of phrase, but it is self evident, no?
Everett: Oh sure, you’re a mechanic?
Simon Wilder: No, I’m a Zen Buddhist, but that’s close enough.
First published in 1974, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a standard text that was either read by or known to Generation X. Why? That part I can’t answer, but Wilder is wise enough to make a crack about it. For those in Gen Xers and elder millennials, the joke lands pretty solidly.
I haven’t read all of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, but I have read sections of it for reasons that I can’t remember.
Monty: Why did you say that I was a loser?
Simon Wilder: The pot calling the kettle black, huh? I’m not a loser, Harvard. I’m a quitter. You try too hard. Winners forget they’re in a race, they just love to run.
I know that not everybody shares an affinity for pop-psychology, but sometimes, it’s just what you need.
Social Security Clerk: DOB?
Simon Wilder: EFGHIJ.
Social Security Clerk: I’m going to ask again, do you have evidence of birth?
Simon Wilder: I’m sittin’ here ain’t I lady? What do you think, I happened by spontaneous combustion?
Monty: What state were you born in?
Simon Wilder: Infancy.
These three jokes in succession play like a Marx Brothers movie, smart and funny to different degrees. It covers so much in such a short amount of time that the wisdom of the character is more than just a fast wit, which this proves he has as well.
Simon Wilder: Which door do I leave from?
Professor Pitkannan: At Harvard we don’t end our sentences with prepositions.
Simon Wilder: Well, in that case, which door do I leave from, asshole?
Professor Pitkannan: What democratic eloquence.
Simon Wilder: You asked a question sir, let me answer it! The genius of the Constitution is that it can always be changed. The genius of the Constitution is that it makes no permanent rule other than its faith in the wisdom of ordinary people to govern themselves.
Professor Pitkannan: Faith in the wisdom of the people is exactly what makes the Constitution incomplete and crude!
Simon Wilder: Crude? No, sir. Our “founding parents” were pompous, middle-aged white farmers, but they were also great men. Because they knew one thing that all great men should know: that they didn’t know everything. They knew they were gonna make mistakes, but they made sure to leave a way to correct them. They didn’t think of themselves as leaders. They wanted a government of citizens not royalty. A government of listeners not lecturers. A government that could change, not stand still. The president isn’t an “elected king,” no matter how many bombs he can drop. Because the “crude” Constitution doesn’t trust him. He’s a servant of the people. He’s a bum, okay Mr. Pitkannan? He’s just a bum. And the only bliss he is searching for is freedom and justice.
Perhaps now more than ever as the Constitution takes body blows and jabs to the midsection because it’s a convenient way to perpetuate a certain pedagogy or ideology. Those that attack the Constitution tend to know how poorly that will go over, and yet they still hold a willingness to change laws despite Constitutional contradictions. Also, as Wilder states, the founding parents knew “that they didn’t know everything” which makes them so much more honorable than most of the politicians that we currently elect. Perhaps that’s too political, but it does make this relevant, no matter how dated the rest of the film may be in Generation X and Nineties nostalgia. And conversely, if you find that detestable and it angers you, then its relevance is redoubled.
So there’s clearly more to this movie than the wisdom of Simon Wilder, but it’s part of what makes this movie endearing for me. I enjoy all of the parts of this film. I have forgotten about this film probably as many times as I’ve seen it, but that doesn’t make it forgettable. It’s a lovely piece of nostalgia that I watch and enjoy probably more each time I view it.
Why is that? I’ve stated I enjoy the writing and the nostalgia. Perhaps it’s more of a generational thing. I am considered an Elder Millennial, but truthfully, I’m just part of a sandwich generation that could go either way. I think that pieces of media like this that are very “Gen X” speak to me because I feel more comfortable with that generation.
Is that reason enough for you to watch this dated yet relevant nostalgia trip to the 1990s? Perhaps it is. Most folks I know would probably default to a nostalgia trip involving Brendan Fraser in The Mummy rather than With Honors. At minimum, the lessons you could learn and glean from the wisdom of Simon Wilder should be enough, because there are more lessons than what I’ve shared. After all, why should I do all the work? It’s just a movie. You watch it and make your own conclusions.