Rent Good Will Hunting (1997)

A self-taught maths genius undergoes therapy to confront his demons - Good Will Hunting review by Philip in Paradiso

Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is a tough and rebellious 20-year-old man who comes from the working-class neighbourhood of South Boston, which is predominantly white, Irish and Catholic. Will hangs out with 3 friends, including his best friend, Chuckie (Ben Affleck). They go drinking in bars, flirt with girls, and get into fights with other young men. Will is a self-taught mathematics genius, who can solve arcane mathematical problems with ease – a skill he can apply to other sciences, such as biochemistry. He has read a lot – also, books about American history or the law – and finds that his photographic memory enables him to easily retain extremely detailed and comprehensive information. Will works as a janitor at MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

When Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård), a famous professor of mathematics at MIT, sets a challenge for his graduate students – they must solve a highly complex mathematical problem posted on a blackboard – Will puts up the answer anonymously. Prof Lambeau tracks him down and wants to help him. The story develops from this point.

This is an intelligent and moving story. Contrary to what one might expect, there is very little about pure science and mathematics: it would not have been easy to construct a movie around such a theme. The film is, really, a sociological and psychological character study. Will Hunting is a working-class lad who is prone to violence and had a terrible childhood. There is tension between his world and that of MIT: when Will is offered a path into academia (or another promising career that would make use of his mathematical genius), he is reluctant to embrace such a future. The film shows that class differences certainly exist in America. When Will is offered therapy to help him come to terms with his situation, the psychological dimension of the story becomes predominant.

This is a very good film and the actors’ performances are excellent, including that of Robin Williams as the unconventional psychotherapist. The movie is perhaps a little bit predictable and, at times, almost too sentimental. But it is certainly worth watching and up to its reputation.

PS: South Boston features in a superb thriller starring Ben Affleck, “The Town”. It is a grittier and more violent take on that part of the city.

Unmissable - Fantastic heart Warming Drama - Good Will Hunting review by GI

A film that is a success story all round, from the excellent and first time script by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to the unpretentious direction by Gus Van Sant to the award winning performance of Robin Williams. This heart warming drama remains a firm favourite with many and it never ceases to impact even after several times of seeing it. It's actually a very clever story too and one that doesn't fall into the trap of overplaying it's central plot device but uses it to expose the real focus of the film, which is the pain of an abused young man struggling to fit in the world. Will (Damon) is a janitor at the prestigious M.I.T. school at Harvard University. His life revolves around hanging with his best friend (Ben Affleck), drinking and fighting. But he happens to be a mathematical genius, a gift that comes naturally and when he writes the solution to a complex problem on a blackboard at work he comes to the attention of a top professor (Stellan Skarsgård) who sees huge potential in him. But being on parole for assault Will must attend counselling sessions. He resists those and the efforts of everyone to help him change the course of his life. He harbours deep seated pain from his past that only Sean, the counsellor (Williams), understands. The essence of the story is in the relationship between Will and Sean, a father & son dynamic, that is nurtured only very carefully and skilfully by Sean who harnesses his own demons. When Will meets and falls for Skylar (Minnie Driver) he begins to see what Sean is trying to do for him. It's a touching film with all the key performances being exemplary. Williams is the stand out here though in a film where he puts aside his comedy for a serious and moving role for which he rightly won awards. It's his best and most memorable film and he is the rock that the whole narrative revolves around. The narrative only uses the genius of Will to expose the pain he hides and to save him from his past. This is a clever aspect of the story and whilst there are elements of the class differences here especially seen when a Harvard student attempts to embarrass Will and his friends and finds that this lowly janitor knows more than he does, it's not a film that dwells on this. It has an uplifting theme that one should use one's talents whatever they maybe to gain life's full potential. A quite wonderful film and one to check out again if it's been awhile since you've seen it.