Even before Jamal copied Forrester's "Season of Faith's Perfection", Crawford was still all over him.
Jamal writes his own version (with Forrester's help) and Crawford gets really suspicious. He says to one of the other faculty members, "It reeks of something...but I don't know what". What a douche.
Jealousy. He realized this kid had more talent at the age of 16 than Crawford would ever have in his lifetime. Also racism. As Forrester pointed out, he couldn't believe that a kid from the Bronx could write that well.
shareIn addition to some subtle racism, it was also due to Jamal's work in his old school. Jamal was a C student because he wasn't trying to stand out. Crawford just assumed that Jamal got lucky on some big test and was at this new school because the basketball team needed help. Had Jamal been an A+ student, then perhaps Crawford would have been more accepting of him from the start.
shareIt wasn't racism, it was elitism. It wouldn't have mattered the kids color, but coming from a poor neighborhood with a public education was unacceptable to him.
shareAt many tony prep schools with high-powered basketball teams, old-fogey professors resent the hell out of the players. They don't think they deserve or ought to be there and they feel their academic magnificence has been assaulted.
Of course, if the management/trustees/directors of the school really want a high-powered basketball team, old-fogey professors are told they better get their minds around it, or find somewhere else to teach.
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4) You ever seen Superman $#$# his pants? Case closed.
Racism and jealousy. He even said "not this good" when someone asked if he didn't believe the paper could be this good.
shareHe was a Salieri, you know, the kind of person who has some talent, but just enough to recognize that of those who are much more talented than he is. It's an F. Murray Abraham specialty.
shareBecause he was a common man who likes to think he's not a common man.
shareThus why Crawford played a great part in this film; Antonio Salieri.
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