somehow it works

Rating: Null/10 (6 January 2012)

Good Will Hunting is an improbable film about a young man with an unbelievable IQ and gift for mathematics. Set in Boston, Mass, it deals will many issues that I found prevalent in that city when I was growing up 40 years ago. Everyone, rich or poor, wants to be "smaaart" in Boston. No one wants to be a "fucking moron". So, here you have everyone's secret fantasy brought to life, especially if you are a "southie" from the poor part of town. And that fantasy is to be able to outsmart the MIT and Harvard boys. Will Hunting does just that, and the fact that he is a janitor at esteemed MIT only serves to further illustrate the class conflicts that only his prodigious talent can penetrate and overcome.
Now I think that many people watching this film did not find Will's character to be believable. But Will is first of all a Boston native and so I believe that the movie is somewhat autobiographical or at least the expression of a fantasy of his. This makes the movie work for me as he is able to be himself with all of its contradictions - angry and foul mouthed but also smart and wanting the world to know it. He embodies well the Boston I remember with all of its class tensions. Intellectuals hold a place of great respect there, but they also can be resented and envied. That resentment is what fuels Will's ambition and gives the movie a sense of believability. Could this happen in real life? - sure, but only if the gift is toned down somewhat. Yeah, but thats Hollywood and you have to expect that his talent would be trumped up a bit.
Anyway, so I enjoyed this movie on many levels. In particular I loved Minnie Driver and believe that without her, things could have fallen apart very easily. I don't think her relationship with Will was awkward or forced. Smart girls often fall for less fortunate guys. This was one of the more satisfying relationships in a movie I have seen in quite a while. And Robin Williams puts in a strong performance although if you are from Boston you know he's no southie. He is, though, a little like Popeye the sailor man - still a force to be reckoned with. Did he and Will have to bond over fart humor though? Seems they could have worked on that a bit...
But Good Will hunting is overall a well written, thought provoking drama that explores a lot of issues and relationships surrounding class, career ambitions, personal triumph and tragedy. No one escapes unharmed and there are no gods in the end. The fortunate are humbled, and Will can never escape his past. This is Boston. Here we end up with a compromise of sorts where several individuals from completely different backgrounds teach each other a few things about life and grow as a result. Now if you had told me the storyline before I saw the movie, I would have been dubious that it could work. But because you had two up and coming, talented individuals writing and acting from the heart, a sensitive director, some good music and nice city shots, this is a movie I would watch again for sure. Two thumbs up.