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Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Have you ever had a friend who was really smart? A friend that was head and shoulders above you at the intelligence level but spoke to you like one of the boys or girls. Depending on your group of friends, you could be the genius of the group or just an average person. Your level of intelligence shouldn’t matter if you have friends who respect you but also want you to leave your home to better your life. I want to welcome you to Good Will Hunting. In this film, an intelligent janitor is recruited to do math problems but has anger issues and doesn’t want to apply himself.
Good Will Hunting is a film directed by Gus Van Sant and written and starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Will Hunting (Damon) is a young adult who lives in the slums in Boston. He works as a janitor at the illustrious MIT. Will spends his nights at bars and batting cages with his best friends, which include Chuckie Sullivan (Affleck). Will is known for getting into fights and having a minor criminal record. Even with his criminal record and anger issues, Will has a gift many others dream of. He is wicked smart in mathematics. When Professor Gerald Lambeau (Skarsgård) posts a problem for his class, Will quickly solves it but doesn’t take credit for it. As time passes and Professor Lambeau posts another problem that Will solves quickly, he notices that Will solved it and recruits him to do research. This opportunity can take Will light-years beyond anything he ever dreamed of. Will’s world soon becomes complicated when he meets a beautiful, gifted pre-med student named Skylar (Driver). After being bailed out of jail by Professor Lambeau, he is given an ultimatum. Will works under him for math every week and visits a therapist. Will meets Sean (Williams), who will soon change his life in more ways than he can imagine.
The story of Good Will Hunting is fascinating and entertaining. The old saying, “You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,” is fully displayed. Will is an angry person from the shit parts of Boston who swears, is rude, works construction, and has many defensive walls up. Will is also a genius who picks up and reads things for fun. He is what you call a certified genius. In one world of his life, he loves spending time with his friends and getting into trouble. He is a product of his environment but tries to dumb himself down for his friends. As time progresses, we see Will’s friendship change differently. One scene tells it all when he and Chuckie get into an argument. As the pair work at the construction site and Will gives up on therapy and turns down an opportunity that can change his life, Chuckie becomes angry that he is throwing away one chance to get out of the shithole that they are in. Chuckie tells him how his life will go and that his one dream is to go to Will’s home, knock on the door, and see that Will has finally left. He will smile because Will finally realizes he has gone to better things.
The second part of Will’s story is his relationship with Professor Lambeau. Lambeau is a renowned mathematician who “saves” Will from jail. Lambeau gives Will math problems and research to solve that Will does quickly in 10 minutes or less. As you watch the film, you see that Lambeau and even his assistant are highly jealous and envious of Will’s genius. Will lashes out that the stuff they give him is child’s play, and in return, Lambeau states that he hates Will’s genius and is jealous that someone from his background could have such a gift and wasted on someone like him. This is a telling scene because even one of the most brilliant people in the world can feel dumb. No matter how smart you are, someone is always more intelligent than you.
I would talk about Will and his girl, Skylar, but the best part of this film is talking about the therapy sessions with Sean. As a person who goes to therapy every week, I know the importance of it and how much it can help you in the long run. The film shows what therapy can be like in the beginning. When Will first goes, he is extremely rude and disrespectful to Sean. I love that Sean keeps his cool, but when Will talks badly about his wife, Sean puts up his boundaries and tells Will off. I love it because some things are off-limits. The movie is excellent in this area as you see the bond and growth between Sean and Will. Will starts to trust Sean fully. The best part is when Sean tells the story of how he met his wife and what he sacrificed to be with her. It was one of the best stories showing you should go after the person you love. This story convinces Will to go after Skylar and drive across the country for her.
The acting was phenomenal in this film, with significant credit for Damon and Williams. Damon was excellent as Will Hunting. He showed Will as a person with some powerful internal issues in his life and that no matter how smart you are, everyone has problems. Damon showed the anger Will had but the charming person that Will can be with his love for Skylar and also his love for his friends.
MAJOR praise and accolades must be given to Robin Williams’ performance as Dr. Sean Maguire. Let’s take a moment to show respect to Williams, as his death is still felt today. We miss and love you, Robin Williams. I am thrilled that Williams won the Academy Award for this role. He deserved it, and this film showed his exceptional range as an actor. Williams was calm but also as strong as Sean. He told Will how it was and didn’t back down. It was like Sean was the bigger brother that Will needed. I love the story he spoke about his wife because it showed he had no regrets over his decision. Williams also showed that Sean had his own demons that he was dealing with but kept moving forward with his life. A beautiful performance.
Good Will Hunting is an excellent film to watch. I honestly forgot how good it was until I watched it again. I was utterly invested in this film, and to see Damon and Affleck so young reminds you how much time has passed. The performances are great, especially by Williams and Damon. The story is excellent as it makes you think about your friends. Watch this film and see if you are wicked smart.
