Good Will Hunting is about a hotheaded genius and his struggle to reach his potential.

Rating: 8/10 (23 February 2016)

Gus Van Sant's classic movie, Good Will Hunting, portrays the multi-faceted dynamic of the human soul. Will Hunting, played by Matt Damon, is a lowly janitor at MIT. However, his abilities far surpass his position. While cleaning the the math rooms after class hours, Will stops to solve a difficult problem that a professor had posted on his white board. Within minutes the problem is solved and staff and students alike are baffled. Once his genius is realized, the professor aims to mentor and facilitate him in order for Will to reach his full potential. The problem, however, is that Will has created walls that are nearly impossible to break down. These walls prevent him from fully connecting with those in his life, something we see through the actor's guiltless and nonchalant toying with the emotions and authority of others. After getting in a fist fight over an old feud, he is required to see a therapist once a week to stay out of jail. His therapist Sean Maguire, played by Robin Williams, allows us to see Will's complexity of character. During their sessions, Will's jabs and banter only furthers Sean's desire to break down his barriers. It is Will's physical and verbal defenses to Maguire's gentle probing that show how deeply his problems run. As their sessions progress, the doctor-patient relationship quickly turns into a strong and mutual friendship, and we can see the characters grow and develop through their interactions. Throughout the movie, Damon perfectly plays the wounded genius who has been knocked down one too many times, covering up his hurt with sarcasm and quickly delivered wit. Damon's delivery and mannerisms progress the character... His air of mental superiority and disdain for following authority can easily be seen. The flippant way in which Damon treats others and their emotions helps to bring to light his own character flaws. Similar to Damon, Williams does a wonderful job at showing his character's broken heart and carefully controlled despair. He is haunted by his past, and that is apparent through his acting. In moments where a touchy subject is brought to light, Williams lashes out both physically and verbally. This aggression is contrasted greatly by his usually calm and caring demeanor. Williams makes this switch seamlessly, making his character's pain believable. The script fosters the relationship of the two men, showcasing the benefits that each receives from it. In viewing Good Will Hunting, it is obvious that the scriptwriters know a great deal about the human complexity, brought greatly into play in a scene when Maguire attempts to convince Will that what happened in the past was not his fault. Each character seems to struggle with their sense of self, and we see a general fear of stepping out of the comfort zone. While these issues are covered in the script, the delivery is fast paced and keeps us interested and thoroughly entertained throughout. There are many one-liners sprinkled into heavy conversations to add comic relief, as well as helping the script stay true to the characters themselves. In a world filled with cliché movies that all seem much the same, Good Will Hunting stands out from the masses. It showcases incredible acting and a dynamic script that forces us to reflect upon our own lives. Watching this movie makes one introspectively assess one's own character flaws, much like Will, and inspires one to do something about them.