Inspired genius ABSOLUTELY worth revisiting in 2019 - COMPULSORY for first-timers

Rating: 10/10 (29 September 2019)

This is a stunningly good bit of Damon-Affleck co-writing from an astonishing 22 years ago), directed by Gus Van Sant and offering outstanding roles, not only to the aforementioned pair (who absolutely shine together), but also to Minnie Driver, plus Stellan Sktarsgard and Robin Williams (another amazing pairing).
What good did we do to deserve this feast of talent? For the ears in particular, as FANTASTIC, deep, meaningful, powerful dialogue pours out of the mouths of the stars.
Ironically, when I first watched this - not too long after it was made - I felt annoyed and exasperated with Damon's character Will Hunting (hence the clever nature of the title). I just got fed up with someone that gave so little back to (or actively abused and rejected) 4+ great (if of course quite flawed) human beings who were prepared to devote so much time and unrewarding effort.
This time round I'm more charitable. Will is a genius that leaves supervising Prof. Lambeau (Skarsgard) in awe, jealous, admiring, and above all immensely frustrated. For Will comes from absolutely the wrong side of the tracks, and yet is a mathematical genius the likes of which Harvard/MIT have never seen, yet is listless and aimless and drifting over to the bad instead of the good, because of fearful psychological experiences from childhood that psychiatrist Dr Maguire (Williams) seeks to help him with, mostly to no avail.
So Lambeau has his academic and other reasons for going the extra mile, the latter's old schoolmate Maguire has his occupational commitment (though both are strained to and beyond the limit by their pupil-patient), but the Minnie Driver part (Skylar) just has her love for Will - and his throwing that back in his face hurts us even more than the other rejections. Seemingly most complacent and non-judgmental is Will's co-worker on the construction site and drinking and free-time buddy Chuckie (Affleck), who ultimately stops being easy-going when he shakes Will by saying that his non-gifted, worker pals EXPECT Will to make what he can of talents they would give anything to have.
All the interactions here are exquisitely, searingly well-observed and magnificently well-written, but the genuineness of the Affleck-Damon dialogues are the ones that hit home most of all, reminding us of the remarkable kindness and insight and true understanding that can at times exist in real life among ostensibly non-intellectual, tough-exteriored working-class men.
For most of the movie, it seems that none of these helpful and well-meaning interventions is going to cut any ice; and indeed the happy ending may look a bit too cute. However, we would have found the whole thing very tough-going without it.
In any case, the film is indeed an almost excruciatingly erudite work of intense meaningfulness and genius, and a no-possible-shirking must-see for those who haven't.