Good Will Hunting (1997)

3.0

DRAMA
U.S. Release Date: 12/25/97 (wide)
Running Length: 126 Minutes
MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, mature themes, violence)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgard, Minnie Driver, Casey Affleck, Cole Hauser
Director: Gus Van Sant
Screenplay: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
Cinematography: Jean-Yves Escoffier
Music: Danny Elfman
U.S. Distributor: Miramax Films

Review by: Carter Moulton

02/09/09

If you’re in the mood for an academic drama, you’re in luck. There’s a swimming pool full of these “rousing” coming-of-age tales—Wonder Boys, Dead Poet's Society, The Emperor’s Club, and Rushmore to name a few. Add Good Will Hunting to this pile of scholarly, shirt-and-tie dramas, usually featuring an inspiring teacher or counselor, usually played by Robin Williams. Most of these films have been well made, and as far as ranking them, Good Will Hunting falls somewhere on the bottom half of the upper tier—if that makes sense.

The film’s story follows a familiar formula: a rebellious youth with special abilities who ultimately has to choose between normality and greatness—they usually choose the latter. In this case, Will (Matt Damon) is a genius when it comes mathematics, but his occupation doesn’t show it—he strolls around the halls of Harvard University…as a janitor. He works the night shifts, solving extra-credit proofs on classroom chalkboards as he works. One night, Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard) catches him solving a proof that took him two years to solve.

Photo © Miramax Films

His friends, notably Chuckie (Ben Affleck) and Morgan (Casey Affleck), live rather dishonorable lifestyles. Will seems shackled to a life of boozing, fighting, and construction working. His lifestyle lands him in jail. Luckily, as if above the law, Professor Lambeau bolts to the rescue. Will is given an ultimatum: he can get out of jail if he meets with Lambeau and a therapist each week. We see Will torture a handful of therapists before Lambeau turns to his friend and colleague, Sean Maguire (Williams).

The interactions between Will and Maguire are the memorable material here, usually highlighting the strength in human weakness. Williams—whose character sports a stitched forest cardigan the entire movie—is great at this sort of stirring role. He won an Oscar for this movie, but, while he is great here, he’s even more focused and persevering in Dead Poet’s Society, a performance he didn’t receive an award for. 

Affleck (Ben) and Damon wrote the screenplay. It’s got a soft, gooey center to it, but it’s encased in youthful angst and vulgarity—much like Will himself. In it’s finer moments, their script is outstanding. The dialogue never slips into a production, probably because they wrote the script, thus knowing exactly how to deliver each line. The romance between Will and Skylar (Minnie Driver), however, seems a bit off, a bit misplaced. Luckily, this romance is only a small portion of the films premise, and it does make for a satisfactory ending.

Director Gus Van Sant seems like he’s using blueprints with this film. His approach feels strangely stiff, like an old bookcase caked in dust. I suppose that’s okay, because this allows the performances and the mostly in-tune script to shake off the dust. He sets the camera, sometimes at intriguing angles, on Williams and company, making a simple storyline feel even simpler. Luckily, the inner workings of Will are a little more complex.

Good Will Hunting isn’t as good as Dead Poet’s Society, but that, perhaps, is an unfair assessment—the main similarity being that they both feature Williams knowing more than the common man. It is a well-told story featuring good performances and introspectively real dialogue, and that is a promising combination.