First Script, Brilliant, the wonder-boys, Ben and Matt.

Rating: 10/10 (13 September 2006)

I was just starting to write stories, scripts, in my spare time. I wanted to get the form down, so for me, just writing was an exercise in itself. I was putting together a rather simple, down and out story nothing special. Writing in early 97'.
I had heard a story on how Matt Damon and Ben Affleck had put this script together and had 'shopped' it all over Hollywood and were both kind of ready to sell it, even for a 'piece of chicken' (Jokingly they said in an interview) but they were sort of at their wits'-end when....- it finally happened.
Then, look what happened...2 Oscars, 16 other awards and 34 nominations on top of that! Why? Two reasons I can find. First off, they did not give up, or give in to the temptation to finally quit. The other, and this is just a 'shot in the dark' but, the movie was victorious. No, arguments can truly take solid ground against the film, other than yes, they had an affinity for the 'F'-word.
These 'Southies' were really playing the 'streeters' of Boston to steely perfection. They were who they set out to be in their writing. I was amazed, this story touched deeply. they showed the struggle and the belief in and they all sort of had a love for their 'Brilliant' janitor friend, knowing that he is destined for more than they were going to encounter in life. And they still stood up for him and with him on everything from street fights to getting him in the end to embrace what he needed to do and follow and not fear the great task ahead of him. The biggest thing for me in this story is the element of distrust, that came from Matt's Character. He was abused by his dad and through that impact that started the massive down-slide (avalanche) of destructive behavior and thoughts of uselessness in himself. He was almost brought to a place that he might not return, as he didn't feel that he could love or give anything to Skyler, because he was scared of love itself. What should have been there at his childhood home (love) was abandoned to an evil overlord that was nothing more than a 'liability' to his life and personal growth. His biological father became a 'bully' worse than any kid at school on the playground.
They even brought back some classic seventies tunes that I had forgotten for years, I enjoyed the way that they, placed the music in the different sequences, it was just right. To boot, Matt's character needs to keep the !! Skylar loved him, and he would eventually learn to love other than what he had known before, new and more openly.
When the movie ended I was no less than blown away. As a matter of fact I got scared. I was so intimidated, that I stopped writing. Than I heard about the Oscar wins. Robin's first I think it was. And the other wins and nominations and I thought, after a while later, if I quit, I may miss having something to offer to my friends and family, maybe even this country. So I looked at their example and remembered what I took away from the movie and put it back together again for myself.
This one is an inspiration all around. This was a winner through and through! It may have been crass and vulgar and just slightly violent, but that just identified the plot of the story as it got going.
They deserved every award that they received.
This goes beyond just movie for me, it's not as some have been merely entertainment, but it strikes me like life does sometimes, even when God wants to get through to us. We just need to listen and then do the 'right' thing. But we have to follow through for anything good to happened.
I recommend this Gus Van Sant, directed and gifted film highly.
If you can't get passed the expletives.... check out Cleanfilms.com on the web.