Outstanding drama, with great depth

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 2006)

'Good Will Hunting' will always remain one of my favorite movies. It has an engaging storyline, great acting, and enormous emotional depth. It's hard to believe Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were young college students when they conceived of this complex story.
The story is about Will Hunting (Matt Damon) a troubled young man who is working as a night janitor at Harvard University. He also happens to be a one-of-a-kind math genius, and catches the attention of award-winning math professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard) as he begins solving difficult math problems left on the blackboard.
Will, however, has no interest in pursuing a prestigious career in mathematics. He only reluctantly agrees to hold private lessons with the professor, being the only way to get out of jail after a spate of violence lands him there. Part of his parole deal, however, is to meet with a therapist twice a week. After getting a couple of shrinks to give up on him, Will finally lands with psychology teacher Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) who has a similar background as Wills', hailing from the same tough neighborhood in south Boston.
As Sean tries to get through to Will emotionally, the professor tries to train Will's mind in advanced mathematics. All the while, Will, who has had trouble maintaining a loving relationships due to his troubled past, begins to get seriously involved with a girl named Skylar (Minnie Driver). Meanwhile, the professor and the psychiatrist, who've had a rivalry of sorts back in their day, begin to quibble over what's best for Will's future.
Filled with great profound dialogs and intense emotional scenes, it's an immense emotional experience. It obviously has very 'heavy' subject-matter, and thus not an easy light watch, but it is very rewarding and entertains throughout.
It's also a great buy because you will need repeated viewings to appreciate all its subtleties.