It’s hard for me to pick my one favorite movie, but Good Will Hunting is definitely in the top five. The movie came out in 1997 and featured the work of director Gus Van Sant (who more recently directed Milk) and cinematographer Jean Yves Escoffier. Matt Damon stars as the title character, Will Hunting, a brilliant but troubled young man. Will has led a hard life without any real opportunities, educational or otherwise. He works as a janitor at MIT, where his genius is discovered by Professor Gerald Lambeau after Will solves a nearly impossible math proof without any difficulty. When Will is arrested in a street fight, Professor Lambeau convinces the police to release Will to his care so that they can work together on math, provided that Will also attends weekly therapy sessions. These therapy sessions provide much of the framework for the movie and lead to some intense and riveting scenes. As the movie unfolds, the audience also witnesses the relationships between Will and his closest friends, as well as a developing romance between Will and Skylar, a pre-med student at Harvard, played by Minnie Driver.
Neither the movie trailer nor any summary that I can provide does justice to this awesome movie. I saw it for the first time last year. Matt Damon is one of my favorite actors (I love the Bourne movies too!), and, as a math major, I’m really interesting in the mathematics and problem solving components of the movie. The acting is incredible, particularly Robin Williams’ portrayal of Will’s therapist Sean Maguire (a role for which he was awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor). The movie has a romantic component without being too girly or turning into a chick-flick, and I enjoy watching the friendship between Will and his best friend Chuckie, played by Ben Affleck. The movie is humorous at times, serious at others. It’s fun to watch yet also stimulating. After I saw it for the first time, I couldn’t understand how I hadn’t seen it before. Matt Damon and math: it’s the perfect movie recipe for me. I don’t want to give too much away, but I also like uplifting movies that have a definite, conclusive ending. I would definitely recommend this movie to most anybody.
Good Will Hunting was filmed in Boston in 1996. It was released in theatres on a limited scale in December 1997 and was widely released in January 1998. Another amazing part about this movie is that, in addition to acting in leading roles, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote the script.
Good WIll Hunting is a great movie! Favorite line- “How do ya like them apples?”
Robin Williams did an amazing job in that film. I really thought the cinematography for the film was well done, dark yet at times uplifting and hopeful with the aid of scenery and tantalizing thematic music. I haven’t watched that movie in ages…fall break!!