Good Will Hunting (1997)
Director: Gus Van Sant Cast: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, Stellan Skarsgard Rated R: Strong language, some violence
by Nathaniel R. Atcheson (nate@pyramid.net)
Where the heck did Matt Damon come from? A few months ago I hadn't even heard of him, let alone seen his face. When I saw The Rainmaker, I was impressed with his obvious talents as an actor. Now here's Good Will Hunting, which he stars in and co-wrote with his real-life friend Ben Affleck (who co-stars as well), and it's a terrific film. It's a thoughtful, extremely well-written (albeit not entirely original) story that manages to take hold of the audience on multiple levels. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish, but it surpassed simple entertainment--it's a direct, honest story that made me think and left me uplifted.
Damon plays the title character, Will Hunting, a cocky boy genius who has grown up in various foster families. His life has been anything but easy--aside from the frequent beatings he got from his foster parents, he was constantly in trouble with the law, and his only form of education came with his own initiative to continually read books of all kinds. At the time of the film, he is working as a janitor on the Harvard campus. One night he covertly solves a difficult proof posted by math professor Dr. Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard); shortly after, he is arrested for assault and battery. Lambeau bails him out of jail, but the judge rules that he must remain under the supervision of Lambeau (which involves helping with difficult math concepts), and that he must see a psychiatrist.
The first part is easy; Will finds any form of math to be a breeze, so much that he puts Lambeau and many other accomplished mathematicians to shame with his effortless talent. Finding a psychiatrist, however, tends to be more difficult--it takes four failed attempts with various doctors before Lambeau goes to an old college friend, Sean McGuire (Robin Williams), who agrees to see Will because of the challenge Will presents.
Will is anything but a cooperative individual. To describe him as arrogant and smug would be an understatement--this kid thinks he knows everything. He judges people after thirty seconds of contact, and doesn't use the slightest hint of tact or politeness in most situations. He makes the mistake of assuming too much about Sean, who quickly puts Will in his place. Will also meets a young British student named Skylar (Minnie Driver) who teaches him a little about love and relationships with women.
Good Will Hunting is primarily a success because of it's honesty. The director, Gus Van Sant, doesn't distance us with a lot of arty fluff (which never works in dramas of this kind). He uses a lot of still camera work, with long takes and slow panning (note the scene on the lake in which Sean calmly tells Will that he doesn't know anything); the result is often mesmerizing, and it allows a direct line for the audience to understand the characters without a lot of nonsense getting in the way. The script, ornamented with sharp dialogue and great scenes, only accentuates the ease with which we can understand these people.
Equally important are the performances, all of which are dead-on for the mood of the film. Damon is astonishing--easily one of the best performances from a young actor in recent years. He gives Will a great energetic quality, something that tells us that there is a nice guy hidden behind those cocky eyes of his. Driver, sporting her natural British accent, is down-to-earth and very appealing; and Ben Affleck, who plays Will's close friend Chuckie, is much more believable than I would have expected after seeing Chasing Amy. Skarsgard proves vast diversity in his exceptional talents, for this mathematician couldn't be more dissimilar from the paraplegic oil worker he portrayed in Breaking the Waves.
As good as all of these performances are, none of them can touch Robin Williams--although he is clearly under a great deal of restraint here, this performance is quite possibly his best. I've never been a huge Williams fan; films that he often does, like Mrs. Doubtfire and recently Flubber, tend to grate on my nerves, but when he goes dramatic, there is something special about his conduct. The thought of him grappling Will's neck and hissing, "I will end you!" with intense rage sends shivers down my spine. Sean is a tortured individual, and Williams makes these levels obvious with very little dialogue. He has my vote for best supporting actor this year.
I love watching films that obviously come from the heart. Damon, Affleck, Van Sant, and the rest of the people involved weren't interested in the money or the business or anything like that. They wanted to make an straightforward, touching film. Their effort was not in vain--Good Will Hunting is a great movie, one that gets to the point and treats its audience with a little respect. I, for one, will be eagerly awaiting Damon's next project.
>From 0-10: 8 Grade: A-
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Nathaniel R. Atcheson
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