Title: "Good Will Hunting"
Director: Gus Van Sant
Producers: L. Bender, S. Mosier, K. Smith, etc...
Editing: Pietro Scalia
Composer: Danny Elfman and Elliot Smith
Starring:
- Matt Damon as Will Hunting
- Robin Williams as Sean Maguire
- Ben Affleck as Chuckie Sullivan
- Stellan Skarsgård as Professor Gerald Lambeau
- Minnie Driver as Skylar
- Casey Affleck as Morgan O'Mally
Plot and Critical Review: 20-year-old Will Hunting has a genius-level intellect but chooses to work as a laborer and spend his free time with his friends Chuckie Sullivan, Billy McBride, and Morgan O'Mally. He also works as a janitor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Fields Medal-winning combinatorialist Professor Gerald Lambeau has posted a difficult problem for his graduate students to solve. Will solves the problem quickly and anonymously, leading Lambeau to post a much more difficult problem. He chances upon Will solving it, but Will runs off.
While out drinking with his friends, Will meets Skylar, a British student about to graduate from Harvard and preparing to go on to Stanford University School of Medicine in California. The next day Will gets in a fight in which he attacks a police officer and is subsequently faced with incarceration. Lambeau arranges for him not to serve jail time if he agrees to study mathematics under Lambeau's supervision and to see a therapist. Will agrees, but treats his first few therapists with contempt and they refuse to work with him. In desperation, Lambeau calls on Sean Maguire, his estranged college roommate. Unlike the other therapists, Sean pushes back at Will and overcomes his defense mechanisms, and after a few unproductive sessions Will begins to open up. Will is particularly struck when Sean tells him that he gave up his ticket to see the Boston Red Sox play the sixth game of the 1975 World Series after falling in love at first sight with a stranger who later became his wife. Sean doesn't regret his decision, nor does he regret the final years of his marriage when his wife was dying of cancer. This encourages Will to try to build a relationship with Skylar, though he lies to her about his past and is reluctant to introduce her to his friends or show her his run-down neighborhood (South Boston).
Will begins to chafe under Lambeau's high expectations and makes a mockery of job interviews that Lambeau arranges for him. Sean cautions Lambeau against pushing the boy too hard. Will walks in on a heated argument between the two over his future and is greatly upset. When Skylar asks Will to move to California with her, he panics and pushes her away, revealing that he is an orphan and that his foster father physically abused him. Skylar tells Will that she loves him, but he says that he does not love her in return and leaves the relationship. His behavior escalates when he storms out on Lambeau, dismissing the mathematical research he has been doing as "a joke". Sean points out that Will is so adept at anticipating future failure in his interpersonal relationships that he deliberately sabotages them in order to avoid the risk of emotional pain. When Will refuses to give an honest reply about what he wants to do with his life, Sean shows him the door. Will tells Chuckie that he wants to be a laborer for the rest of his life; Chuckie responds that it would be an insult to his friends for Will to waste his potential, and that his fondest wish is that Will will leave to pursue something greater. Will decides to accept one of the job offers arranged by Lambeau.
At another therapy session, Sean and Will share that they were both victims of child abuse, and Sean helps Will to realize that the abuse he suffered wasn't his fault. With nowhere else to hide, Will breaks down and weeps. Having helped Will to overcome his problems, Sean reconciles with Lambeau and decides to take a sabbatical to travel the world. When Will's friends present him with a rebuilt Chevrolet Nova for his 21st birthday, he decides to pass on his lucrative job offers and drive to California to reunite with Skylar.
Director: Gus Van Sant
Producers: L. Bender, S. Mosier, K. Smith, etc...
Editing: Pietro Scalia
Composer: Danny Elfman and Elliot Smith
Starring:
- Matt Damon as Will Hunting
- Robin Williams as Sean Maguire
- Ben Affleck as Chuckie Sullivan
- Stellan Skarsgård as Professor Gerald Lambeau
- Minnie Driver as Skylar
- Casey Affleck as Morgan O'Mally
Plot and Critical Review: 20-year-old Will Hunting has a genius-level intellect but chooses to work as a laborer and spend his free time with his friends Chuckie Sullivan, Billy McBride, and Morgan O'Mally. He also works as a janitor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Fields Medal-winning combinatorialist Professor Gerald Lambeau has posted a difficult problem for his graduate students to solve. Will solves the problem quickly and anonymously, leading Lambeau to post a much more difficult problem. He chances upon Will solving it, but Will runs off.
While out drinking with his friends, Will meets Skylar, a British student about to graduate from Harvard and preparing to go on to Stanford University School of Medicine in California. The next day Will gets in a fight in which he attacks a police officer and is subsequently faced with incarceration. Lambeau arranges for him not to serve jail time if he agrees to study mathematics under Lambeau's supervision and to see a therapist. Will agrees, but treats his first few therapists with contempt and they refuse to work with him. In desperation, Lambeau calls on Sean Maguire, his estranged college roommate. Unlike the other therapists, Sean pushes back at Will and overcomes his defense mechanisms, and after a few unproductive sessions Will begins to open up. Will is particularly struck when Sean tells him that he gave up his ticket to see the Boston Red Sox play the sixth game of the 1975 World Series after falling in love at first sight with a stranger who later became his wife. Sean doesn't regret his decision, nor does he regret the final years of his marriage when his wife was dying of cancer. This encourages Will to try to build a relationship with Skylar, though he lies to her about his past and is reluctant to introduce her to his friends or show her his run-down neighborhood (South Boston).
Will begins to chafe under Lambeau's high expectations and makes a mockery of job interviews that Lambeau arranges for him. Sean cautions Lambeau against pushing the boy too hard. Will walks in on a heated argument between the two over his future and is greatly upset. When Skylar asks Will to move to California with her, he panics and pushes her away, revealing that he is an orphan and that his foster father physically abused him. Skylar tells Will that she loves him, but he says that he does not love her in return and leaves the relationship. His behavior escalates when he storms out on Lambeau, dismissing the mathematical research he has been doing as "a joke". Sean points out that Will is so adept at anticipating future failure in his interpersonal relationships that he deliberately sabotages them in order to avoid the risk of emotional pain. When Will refuses to give an honest reply about what he wants to do with his life, Sean shows him the door. Will tells Chuckie that he wants to be a laborer for the rest of his life; Chuckie responds that it would be an insult to his friends for Will to waste his potential, and that his fondest wish is that Will will leave to pursue something greater. Will decides to accept one of the job offers arranged by Lambeau.
At another therapy session, Sean and Will share that they were both victims of child abuse, and Sean helps Will to realize that the abuse he suffered wasn't his fault. With nowhere else to hide, Will breaks down and weeps. Having helped Will to overcome his problems, Sean reconciles with Lambeau and decides to take a sabbatical to travel the world. When Will's friends present him with a rebuilt Chevrolet Nova for his 21st birthday, he decides to pass on his lucrative job offers and drive to California to reunite with Skylar.
Watching this movie is like coming back to a song I used to love. While I still love the song, there's something sweetly refreshing about hearing it again after a bit of a break. That's precisely how I felt when I re-watched "Good Will Hunting" for this year's Review. What a breath of fresh air, for here we have a prime example of American film-making. Should we ever create a time capsule and fill it with great American films, I hope you'd agree with me that this would have to go in. The acting is impeccable, and almost immediately we sense that Damon, Affleck (x2), Driver, and Williams had been carved out for these roles. It was an exceptionally dynamic casting (and leap of faith, some would say) for Williams who had been known, more or less, for his comedic performances.
But did it receive the recognition it was due? I do not think so, although it's no great mystery as to why. One film in particular sort of took over the cinematic world in 1998, a highly anticipated historical film called "Titanic". At the time of the Oscars, "Titanic" was still #1 at the Box Office! James Cameron and cast/crew took home 11 Oscars that night, leaving the competition with nothing but the scraps. "Good Will Hunting" managed to grab two statues, and they made their winnings count, receiving awards for Best Original Screenplay (Damon and Affleck) and Best Supporting Actor (Williams). We know that this film will live on, as will these two special moments from the 70th Academy Awards:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8RIS5GJqAg (Best Original Screenplay)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Egi5V_jNU&feature=relmfu (Best Supporting Actor - Watch for the triumphant embrace with Crystal toward the end.)
My Rating: 8/10
Content to Caution:
V-2.5 - An intense street fight, some rough-housing, and one instance of strangling.
L-4 - Almost constant cursing.
DU-2.5 - Many of the characters smoke and/or drink throughout.
RT-1 - No comment.
H/S-.5 - No comment.
CH-2 - "Southie" jokes and humor of the same vain persist throughout.
S/N-1.5 - Will and Skylar share kisses and a romantic evening, but there is no nudity shown.
Content to Caution:
V-2.5 - An intense street fight, some rough-housing, and one instance of strangling.
L-4 - Almost constant cursing.
DU-2.5 - Many of the characters smoke and/or drink throughout.
RT-1 - No comment.
H/S-.5 - No comment.
CH-2 - "Southie" jokes and humor of the same vain persist throughout.
S/N-1.5 - Will and Skylar share kisses and a romantic evening, but there is no nudity shown.
The "Reel Revelation": "Perfect For The Part"
Sensing the impending success of "Good Will Hunting", production companies Castle Rock and Miramax (Miramax ended up buying the film rights from the prior) entered into a financial war trying to determine who would play the pivotal roles of Will Hunting and Sean Maguire. There was a time when Leonard DiCaprio and Brad Pitt were considered. The same sort of contest was also waged over who would direct the film. Directors being considered? Mel Gibson, Steven Soderbergh, and Kevin Smith (whom was asked by Affleck as a personal favor and probably not on an official level), to name a few. Can you imagine "Good Will Hunting" if any of these folks had participated? For good or bad, we know it would not have been the same film at all.
Damon and Affleck forged the script themselves, basing it strongly on their childhood friendship. They knew what they wanted, and they did well to insist that they play two of the leading roles. In rehearsals they improvised heavily, and their improvisation (I don't have to tell you that Williams fit right in once the script went out the window) led to some of the most memorable scenes in the film. The actors, actresses, director, and production crew really were perfect for the part. That's precisely what we wait for in the cinematic world, a sort of mystical convergence when the right people with the right gifts gather and work together to create something beautiful. To say it happens 1 out of 100 times is almost pushing it.
Have you ever been part of a project where you felt like you were "perfect for the part"? If not a project, perhaps you joined a team or got a new job or even met a new friend with whom you felt immediately connected. The chances of landing in such a situation are just as steep as the "mystical convergence" of actors and directors in the cinematic world. But it does happen. We see it in sports teams, especially when the Olympics come around and nations form teams with the highest potential for victory based on collected talent. We see it in the arts when composers and choreographers work together to create music and movement that seem to have always belonged together. But there are few moments as blessed as when a Christian finds the place where his or her God-given gifts can be put to work; when they find the place where God deigned them to be "perfect for the part".
If you've not experienced that moment yet, do not be discouraged, for we see in Scripture that God has a "part" for all of us.
"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain..." (John 15: 12-16a)
Love. We're all "perfect for the part"! See that the God of love who dwells within our hearts has sent us out to love one another, to love all people, and to draw people to Himself through love. Love should never be our "Plan B", but our primary goal in every moment.
If you're out of work...LOVE.
If you're shopping for groceries...LOVE.
If you're making a daily commute...LOVE.
If you're ready to storm out of a meeting...LOVE.
If you're playing PS3...LOVE.
Jesus doesn't suggest, recommend, or refer us to the idea...he commands it!
I've had many conversations which have included the troubling phrase, "I don't feel like I have any worth...that I don't have anything to offer." I've said that myself! Perhaps you have too. The feeling is genuine, but the thought is misguided for in the Gospels we discover that we have everything to offer in every moment...Jesus! And what is our worth to His? What can we give to someone else that He cannot give 1,000 times over, and 1,000 times over again? Does that mean we're worthless? Without Christ...yes. But with Christ...
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15: 1-5)
Perhaps some of you lay awake at night and wonder when your "mystical convergence" (I use the term "mystical" very loosely) will happen. Place your trust in God, for He will lead you to it. "Abide" in Christ. In the meanwhile, pray for your eyes to be open to the opportunities right in front of you, opportunities to bear one another's burdens, bind up wounds in Jesus' name, and lead others to the Lord of Lords. What else could we ask for? What greater opportunity is there than to share the love of God with another person, and see that person come to love God, to know Him, and to serve Him? That's as "good (of) fruit" as we're likely to find.
See you tomorrow- E.T.
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15: 1-5)
Perhaps some of you lay awake at night and wonder when your "mystical convergence" (I use the term "mystical" very loosely) will happen. Place your trust in God, for He will lead you to it. "Abide" in Christ. In the meanwhile, pray for your eyes to be open to the opportunities right in front of you, opportunities to bear one another's burdens, bind up wounds in Jesus' name, and lead others to the Lord of Lords. What else could we ask for? What greater opportunity is there than to share the love of God with another person, and see that person come to love God, to know Him, and to serve Him? That's as "good (of) fruit" as we're likely to find.
See you tomorrow- E.T.
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