A Gem

Rating: 8/10 (25 May 2004)

This story about a tough orphan who is an absolute genius struck a familiar note for me because Hunting (Matt Damon) reminds me of my father. Born at the turn of the 20th Century, his mother died after his birth and his father became such a drunkard and tyrant that my father left home at age 11 and did not complete school. A roughneck, stevedore, prize fighter, lumberjack, gun slinger, cowboy and rodeo rider, he finally married at the beginning of the Great Depression at the age of 30 to society girl and concert pianist who gentled him down. After I was born he sought a more stable and safe occupation and became a carpenter. He took correspondence courses to complete his education eventually getting his degrees in civil and construction engineering,
I knew he was smart in mathematics but I didn't know how smart until I took a geometry class from a teacher that was a retired professor from the University of California. One day he gave the class an problem that had never been solved. I took the problem home and asked my father if he could help me with it. Within an hour he had solved it. My professor was amazed. He gave me two more unsolved problems and my father solved both. Like Hunting he was an absolute mathematics genius. Nothing more came of it. My father was a brilliant construction engineer and that was his calling.
So the movie had a tone of authenticity to it. It was a good story although at times it was a bit contrived. I am not a fan of Robin Williams but his performance in this movie by itself made it worth watching. If there was a negative it was Minnie Driver who was miscast. Because she is an ugly duckling, perhaps that is why she was chosen but her acting and her accent were atrocious and I had to knock off a couple of stars on its rating. Otherwise, it is well worth anyone's time to watch.