Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård, Minnie Driver
Synopsis: The writing debut of Affleck and Damon, Good Will Hunting poignantly tells the tale of troubled twenty-year-old Will Hunting (Matt Damon), Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s seemingly uninterested janitor and undiscovered mathematic genius. Having been bouncing around Boston with a misfit group of underachieving yet supportive friends, and dodging various petty criminal charges, Will is forced to reassess his life when a world of adulthood and responsibility is thrust on his shoulders by veteran mathematician Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård) and Sean Maguire (Robin Williams), the therapist he enlists to help Will realise his talent and potential.
An impressive and star-making role for the youthful Affleck and Damon, their skilled, understated performances of growing up disadvantaged in Boston, are brilliantly offset by Skarsgård and Williams’ assured, assertive duo dynamic, reflecting the generational parallels present in the film. The plot strikes an admirable balance between originality and sentimentality, employing deliberately cheesy slow-motion sequences to portray Will’s impulsive personality, whilst later delivering gut-wrenching scenes of emotion that rightfully earned the film several Oscar nominations. Additionally, Minnie Driver stars as Will’s enchanting girlfriend Skylar, whose wit, charisma and honesty (and infectious laughter) steal the scene on several occasions, especially her phenomenal performance during her and Will’s climatic, raw argument. Despite some of its dark subject matter, stemming from Will’s abusive childhood, the film’s positive, sincere tone is maintained by several components: the energy present in Matt Damon’s scenes with Robin Williams; the goofy comedy provided by his gang of friends – notably, Casey Affleck – and the sheer optimism in the film’s satisfying, if not predictable ending.
Watch It If You Liked: Rain Man, The Shawshank Redemption, Dead Poet’s Society, A Beautiful Mind
Rating: 9/10; it’s a thought-provoking, bittersweet and funny look at the complex and sometimes frustratingly defiant character of Will Hunting, a lost, overconfident boy with unresolved psychological issues. Moreover, its depictions of his developing relationships with several people reveal truthful, likeable characters you can’t forget. (Bonus points for a fantastic Elliott Smith soundtrack.)
Words by Megan Harding