Good Will Hunting (good/good)

Good Will Hunting, directed by Gus Van Sant is about a janitor that not only has the gift of mathematics, but has a gift of getting on peoples nerves. Throughout the movie, the main character, Will, played by Matt Damon, constantly pushes other characters away, including his significant other. When Robin Williams’ character is trying to help Will through therapy, it mostly ends with an argument. The root issue of the main character is explored as the main problem of the movie. Will has the inability to realize and to let others see he is incredibly smart. During a scene with Will and Skylar, he confesses some of the troubles of his childhood while angry. Will says he’s an orphan, he doesn’t really have 12 brothers, and he had cigarettes put out on him as a little kid. Being the first time any of this is mentioned, it’s shocking to both the viewer and Skylar, but explains why the character has a difficult time becoming close to people in his life. Skylar responds to him with “I want to hear about it because I want to help you” demonstrating that people in Will’s life care about him although he has trouble understanding that. Chuckie also cares about Will confessing “it would be an insult to see you still hanging around here in 20 years” meaning Will has the ability to do anything he wants, but because of his flaw (he cannot get close to people) he stays where he is most comfortable out of fear.

I would rate Good Will Hunting GOOD/GOOD. I had never seen this movie before, but it was surprisingly interesting to me. Personally, I don’t really enjoy the jolly ‘coming of age’ movies, but this film actually caught my attention because of it’s realistic interpretation of a person struggling mentally. Robin Williams’ character is a symbol of hope for the character. He represents Will ending up happy in his life. Sean sees Will for who he truly is by the end of the movie and not for who Will pretends to be as a defense mechanism. Sean asking Professor Lambeau “Why?” then answering “It’s because he was abandoned by the people that love him most”. Finally finding the answer to their problem and being able to provide a solution. This movie actually spoke to me being a person in therapy and I would highly recommend it.