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Good Will Hunting

Rating

Director

Gus Van Sant

Screenplay

Matt Damon, Ben Affleck

Length

2h 06m

Starring

Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård, Casey Affleck, Cole Hauser, Minnie Driver, Robin Williams

MPAA Rating

R

Basic Plot

A Genius. A Mathemetician. A Psychiatrist. A Girl. A Friend. These 5 things meet in an original screenplay from chums Affleck and Damon. The Genius, Will Hunting, has grown up his entire life in foster homes and the streets of South Boston. He can memorise whole books and recite them at will. The mathematician wants to give Will a chance to use his mind. The Psychiatrist merely wants Will to learn more about himself. The girl falls in love with Will. His friend is there to support him.

Review

Good Will Hunting is a grand coup from first-time writers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Their exploration of the life of a Genius trying to function as a normal person is quite amiable and full of great acting.

Will Hunting (Matt Damon) has been a mathematical genius for many years, not to mention a well-knowledged person. He has an ability that many of us wish we had. To be able to read anything and remember it all. Will swings from job to job working for minimum wage and eeking out a suitalbe, if not subdued living.

While working at MIT, scrubbing its floors, he takes time to solve a mathematical problem placed on a chalkboard in the hallway. Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård) University’s primary math instructor finds out that someone has solved the problem, but cannot figure out who it was.

Ben Affleck plays Chuckie, Will Hunting’s best friend and childhood mate. Their relationship is simple, but complez, as all friendships truly are.

Skylar, played by Minnie Driver, is in a coffee shop in an earlier sequence of the film. Chuckie goes up to her trying to impress her and her friend and possibly get a date or more from. A wiseass college student comes up trying to make Chuckie look like an embicile. Will shows up and summarily trounces the would-be scholar and woos Skylar into a possible relationship.

Meanwhile, Lambeau searches out this mystery genius and tracks him down at a court hearing for assault. He gets Will out of jail by promising to keep an eye on him, putting him to work and sending him into psychological sessions to keep him out of trouble.

Sean Maguire, Robin Williams, is the shrink that takes on the troubled teen who insists on insulting everything he possibly can.

The film continues on with each characters’ search for inner truth and what to do next. The acting is superb with the entire cast deserving a recognition. Standouts are Williams and Driver who are charismatic and enjoyable. Overall the film succeeds in many ways, if not running into cliches on occasion, it brings together human emotion and tells a story that seems to be lacking in Hollywood today. Affleck and Damon are skilled craftsmen and are easily two of Hollywood’s rising stars.

Awards Prospects

An Original Screenplay nomination, if not a win is expected. Damon and Williams could get Acting nominations and if it’s popular enough picture could easily capture a picture nomination.

Review Written

Unknown