young, rebellious intelligent guy comes to grip

Rating: 10/10 (21 February 2002)

I've seen this movie seven times already, and each time I like it better. It is also the only movie thusfar that has brought tears to my eyes and left me unable to make some kind of wise-crack to release the emotional tension (the moment Will Hunting breaks up). Everything about this movie is brilliant: the photography, the acting (what a performance by the ever so irritating Robin Williams, whom I forgive all the Flubber, Jumanji and Robin Hood-crap for this flick), the story, the dialogue, the music.
The story starts of as a no-good punk teenager drama, with lots of swearing but already the emotional weakness of the characters can be sensed underneath the tough surface. It then develops into a story which beautifully explores how difficult it is to love someone if you haven't had a loving childhood, and are inclined to distrust people. Out of fear of betrayal, out of a desire to keep control all the time, Will Hunting (a superb Matt Damon) first tends to settle for nothing rather than to have the high peaks and of course the great downs that inevitably come with relating to people other than himself. In the end he learns that his first option in unliveable, through some sublime dialogues with his surrogate father, the psychiatrist (thank you, thank you, Robin Williams) he gets to know
Then there is the music, of course. Very seldom have I seen a movie that had such appropriate music in it as the Elliott Smith songs: as well textual as musical After seeing this movie, I've started buying his work like a madman, and I can assure you: it's worth the buy!