By Paul K. Bisson (THE 'BISSON'S ON' WEB PAGE)
Perhaps it's a metaphor for life. Or, more to the point, perhaps its a metaphor for what we're all supposed to do with our lives. I'd like to believe that. Because "Good Will Hunting" is not a new film in every aspect--in fact, its plot and theme have been given to us many times at the movies. And we know, almost at least, how it will end--so there had better be something new and engaging to watch this time 'round.
Well, thankfully, there is.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck star as two "star-crossed lovers" who set
sail aboard.....Oops! Wrong flick.
Matt Damon stars as the guy we all know. Maybe its a brother or perhaps its a best friend--or maybe its even us. Its the guy that is so certain of his particular talents and potential and so aware of the fact that he can change the course of his life--if he just chose to do it--that it scares him.
What also scares him is the fact that he's got it good right now. Maybe he doesn't have the best job, or the best pay, or the best recognition, or the best home--but his life is a safe one, a secure one. And isn't that what makes us so afraid of change? The fear of losing what security we have now--no matter how much of a dump we know it to be?
Will Hunting (Damon) is a tough, streetwise 20 year old from South Boston, Ma, who spent most of his life being shuffled from one abusive foster home to the next, slowly being stripped of any self-worth or security of "family." Finally ending up in tiny shack of an apartment all his own, he created his own world of security--he's got his best friend, Chuckie (Ben Affleck), a ratpack of trusted, loyal friends and a pretty good job working at MIT--as a janitor. Not much, but its his and he's satisfied. Well almost.
See, he's a genius, too. A mathematical wizard, able to dissect the problems most seasoned math professionals can't. It comes natural to him, so he is easily ignorant of the possibilities such talent can create. But its not so easy for MIT professor, Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård) to ignore, once he discovers that Hunting has this ability--and is wasting it.
The professor sees the amazing contradiction in Hunting. He's a wild, rebellious kid with a chip on his shoulder who just happens to possess the mind of an Einstein. The professor understands that the only way for Hunting to excel, is to rid him of that chip. And when Lambeau tries to coerce the kid into getting therapy, it backfires--as every psychologist discovers that they can't stand to be in the same room with him--much less help him.
That's when Lambeau seeks the aid of a long time friend and rival, Sean McGuire (Robbin Williams in, perhaps, his most dramatic & powerful role yet). McGuire, a widower and ex-therapist turned college teacher, grew up in much the same environment as Hunting...and he may have the key to unlock the kid's emotional doors.
>From here, we are taken on a journey of discovery. Learning about both McGuire and Hunting, realizing that they may, in fact, be the same person inside. During their many battles and sparrings of the mind, we also learn that the kid may be just what McGuire needs to release his own demons.
As I said, the plot isn't very original. But the performers give us such riveting and believable characters, that we don't really care. And the truth about these characters is undeniable. Its easy to see a bit of ourselves or someone we know in all of them. From Hunting's best friend, Chuckie, who knows that his life is already written and who will most likely live and die in the same town, to Hunting's lover, Skylar (Minnie Driver), a young, vibrant medical student that finds in Hunting the one thing missing from her seemingly perfect life, to the professor Lambeau himself, always reaching--never attaining; "Sometimes I wish I had never met you. Because then I could go to sleep at night not knowing there was someone like you out there."
But this is a story about choices. To be satisfied with what we've got now because its secure and safe or to believe in ourselves and take a chance on the unknown. And it's also about redemption. Learning to forgive others, including ourselves, letting go of our shields and letting people into our hearts--no matter what they might find. Learning to trust.
For me, it was easy to identify with Hunting. Our lives contain much the same elements; spending the early parts of my youth in one abusive foster home after another, then fending off the mean streets of South Boston, Dorchester and Roxbury in my early teens--to discovering my talents in the arts and learning to put all my energies toward them. My life now is the result of change. I'd either be dead or in prison had it gone any other way.
And there in lies the success of "Good Will Hunting." What it says to people like me and you about our talents and potential. What it says about opening up and allowing ourselves to trust someone, letting them in. What it says about how doing these things may change our perspective on who we really are and what life is all about, thus, not denying ourselves of what might be...
* * * 1/2
Rated R 125 minutes
Will: Matt Damon McGuire: Robin Williams Chuckie: Ben Affleck Skylar: Minnie Driver Lambeau: Stellan Skarsgard
Directed by Gus Van Sant Written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
REVIEW COPYRIGHT 1998 PAUL K. BISSON Taken from the "BISSON'S ON" Web Page at http://www.harbor.cove.com/~bisson/HuntingReview.htm
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