A journey to acceptance

Rating: 8/10 (29 October 2015)

Matt Damon as Will Hunting is a troubled young man with an incredible gift for mathematics. As he makes his way from boyhood to manhood he continues to struggle with the issue of his parents' abandonment and his foster-family's abuse. This tale chronicles his journey to accepting himself, his gifts and love from others.
Along on the journey with Will Hunting are his three best friends Chuckie Sullivan played by Ben Affleck, Morgan O'Mally played by Casey Affleck and Billy McBride played by Cole Hauser. Will refer to these three as his brothers. After meeting his love interest Skylar, played by Minnie Driver, Will mentions twelve such brothers.
Will's violent childhood helped him develop a tendency for violence hence his frequent jail stays. When Professor Gerald Lambeau, played by Stellan Skargard, discovers Will's genius, he brokers a deal with Will and the judicial court to council and develop Will's talent and keep him out of trouble. As part of the deal, Will must agree to see a counselor once a week. After many failed attempts, Gerald settled on Sean Maguire, played by Robin Williams. These characters are expertly played. They feel like real people.
Will's journey begins in a very small town in Boston, Massachusetts. His world his small, his impact upon it is big. The prevailing theme of Good Will Hunting is acceptance. Will is very much not accepted by the very people that are supposed to nurture and protect him. Will is rejected by his parents, his abusive foster parents and court system.
Running not so silently yet parallel to the theme of acceptance is the struggles of everyone in Will's life. Counselor Sean Maguire is struggling to put the pieces of his life back together since his wife died of cancer two years ago. Sean's first meeting with Will in his office lays bare the wounds he is struggling with healing. Will notices a painting that Sean created hanging on the wall and suggest that his choice of color reveals that he is just shy of cutting off his ear like the tragic painter Vincent Van Gogh. Will continues to dig at Sean and suggests that his wife left him. This reference to Sean's wife touched a nerve and elicited a violent reaction towards Will. This scene is an excellent example of using the close-up to create drama and tension. Clearly the acceptance of and struggle with the death of his wife of 16 years is not under control for Sean. Will suggestion of abandonment by Sean's wife is akin to the abandonment he felt as a child along with Sean's violence are two things that Will is familiar with. They are a familiar comfort to him.
Professor Lambeau's desire to cultivate in Will that potential for greatness he sees leaves him struggling with the past. Professor Lambeau was discovered 20 years ago by the think-tank at M.I.T. Yet in that time he has failed to distinguish himself among the greats. Determined to do more for Will, he pushes Will to strive for more. The professor wants Will to immerse himself in the academic life at M.I.T, collaborate with other professors to solve complex problems that have eluded them for years and to pursue employment with the most prestigious firms in the world. Will pushed back and rejects Professor Lambeau's efforts as he is not ready to accept his gifts or the fact that someone else could really care enough about him to see him succeed in life. Will's sabotage of his opportunities are so profound that Professor Lambeau's confesses that he wished he had never met Will. The idea that Will would actually squander his genius and throw away is future sickens Professor Lambeau. It leads him to question his own career at M.I.T. This forced rejection by Professor Lambeau is what Will has come to expect in his life. So much so, if he is not rejected, he will cause rejection. This is a familiar comfort to him.
The main thematic idea of acceptance and the subordinate theme of struggle is also prevalent in the film Chocolate. The main character Vianne Rocher wants to be accepted by the people of a small town in France.
Like the setting for Good Will Hunting, Chocolat is set in a very small town where Vianne has a very big impact. She too has an unusual talent for making decadent chocolate treat and wants other to share in her passion for the art. However, Vianne struggles against the moral code of tranquility and abstinence from all things pleasurable of the people. Vianne's need for acceptance is also running counter to her constant need to roam. The life of a free soul, instilled into her by her mother's free spirit, pits her against herself, the townspeople and her talent as a chocolatier. As Vianne's overtures to bring indulgent pleasure to the townspeople are rejected, she prepares to leave that town and roam even more. This rejection and need to run is a familiar comfort to Vianne.