Ordinary People, anyone?

Rating: 4/10 (2 May 1999)

This movie is overrated, predictable and manipulative. There is some quirkiness in the dialogue and Matt Damon does a great job (giving credit to where credit is due), but I can't believe how some audiences and critics view this movie as "revolutionary." First off, the relationship between Damon and Robin Williams echoes, right up to the "it's not your fault" climax, Timothy Hutton and Judd Hirsch in Ordinary People. The people in Will Hunting's life who attempt to get through to him--Ben Affleck, Williams, Minnie Driver, etc--was also liberally borrowed from Robert Redford's classic. As for Williams, the fact he won an Oscar for what is basically a replay of his "Dead Poet's Society" role is baffling to me. I'd like to think that Oscar rewarded him for his overlooked dramatic performances in World According to Garp, Moscow on the Hudson, Awakenings and The Fisher King--his performances in all of those films blew his "GWH" Oscar-winning performance away. Much of this movie is paint-by-numbers (especially the climax). There were some deeper aspects to Will's life that Damon conveyed with his fine acting, yet they were never explored. Bottom line: If the movie had not been described as being "brilliant" and "groundbreaking," my expectations would have been lower. Put this with "Rain Man"and "Terms of Endearment" as one of the most overrated films of the last 20 years. Give me overlooked, unpredictable character dramas like "Dominick and Eugene" and "Birdy" over this one.