Robin Williams won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck nabbed one for Best Original Screenplay, but the feel-good hit Good Will Hunting triumphs because of its gifted director, Gus Van Sant. The unconventional director (My Own Private Idaho, Drugstore Cowboy) saves a script marred by vanity and clunky character development by yanking soulful, touching performances out of his entire cast (amazingly, even one by Williams that's relatively schtick-free). Van Sant pulls off the equivalent of what George Cukor accomplished for women's... melodrama in the 1930s and 40s: He's crafted an intelligent, unabashedly emotional male weepie about men trying to find inner-wisdom. Matt Damon stars as Will Hunting, a closet maths genius who ignores his gift in favour of nightly boozing and fighting with South Boston buddies (co-writer Ben Affleck among them). While working as a university janitor, he solves an impossible calculus problem scribbled on a hallway blackboard and reluctantly becomes the prodigy of an arrogant MIT professor (Stellan Skarsgård). Damon only avoids prison by agreeing to see psychiatrists, all of whom he mocks or psychologically destroys until he meets his match in the professor's former childhood friend, played by Williams. Both doctor and patient are haunted by the past and, as mutual respect develops, the healing process begins. The film's beauty lies not with grand climaxes, but with small, quiet moments. Scenes such as Affleck's clumsy pep talk to Damon while they drink beer after work, or any number of therapy session between Williams and Damon offer poignant looks at the awkward ways men show affection and feeling for one another. --Dave McCoy [show more]
Good Will Hunting is the story of a likeable young man (Will - Matt Damon) who is lost in life. He is incredibly intelligent but comes from a poor background and has preferred to use his fists, quick temper and smart mouth rather than his brain to get along in life. He hangs around with his three friends, lives alone in a run down house and does odd jobs (if he can hang onto them). All this changes when he solves a maths problem and his talents come to light. Professor Lambeau tells Will he wants to help him, but to improve his attitude Will must visit a psychiatrist, Sean (Robin Williams). Through his clashes with Sean and his interest in University student Skylar (Minni Driver) Will"s doubts about his own place in the world and his self-loathing are unearthed. This could be the plot of a fairly generic film but it turns out to be a film in which the script sparkles and the cast shine. The characters seem to have true chemistry with one another and play their parts well but the film definitely belongs to Matt Damon and Robin Williams (the latter of whom won an Oscar for his role here) as their relationship develops from reluctant to admiring. The script also won an Oscar, and it is easy to see why with really delightful and thoughtful pieces of writing going into the script, again mostly for Damon and Williams, along with a host of quotable lines. There are comic moments and moments of extreme pain but overall this is a feel-good film in the best way possible - without being schmaltzy. When the ending comes you feel that it has truly been earned.
'Good Will Hunting' tells the story of Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a deeply troubled but hugely gifted young man. In short, Will is a genius who inexplicably prefers to spend his time drinking with his similarly-minded friends, rather than making the most of his God-given talents.
His intelligence is brought to the attention of Jerry (Stellan Skarsgård), a stuffy MIT professor. Whilst working as the university janitor, Will solves a near impossible mathematical problem meant for Jerry's students.
To avoid an impending prison sentence, he reluctantly agrees to be tutored by the professor, and to attend regular therapy sessions. A number of psychiatrists try unsuccessfully to resolve Will's problems, until he meets Sean (Robin Williams), a friend from the professor's own university days. Both have equally troubled emotional pasts, and as the parallels are drawn, an unbreakable bond is formed.
The strength of the film lies not in a well written script, but in the heartfelt performances, brought about by the directorial brilliance of Gus van Sant. What makes it particularly memorable are the tear-jerking and poignant moments which stud the film. There are a number of small and unspectacular scenes in the latter part, that wonderfully demonstrate the emotional change in Will, as a person who has learned how to love and be loved.
Overall a truly heart-warming film, which even the toughest of men could learn something from!
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