Good Will Hunting

Rating: 9/10 (3 June 2019)

Matt Damon portrays Will Hunting in the heartfelt movie Good Will Hunting (1997). Will (Matt Damon) works as a custodian at MIT. He secretly observes each class and the material that is taught. When the professor puts certain theorems on the blackboard that seem unsolvable, Will (Matt Damon) goes after hours to solve them. All the professors are baffled by the fact that he can solve the theorems. Although, problems start when Will (Matt Damon) gets into an altercation with a police officer and resists arrest. But to his luck, Professor Lambeau (Stellan SkarsgÃ¥rd) decides to pay his bail under two conditions. One, that he studies advanced mathematics with him. Two, that he receives therapy from another professor at the school.
Throughout the film, we see how Will faces many personal struggles. Such as, starting and ending a relationship with another woman, interviewing for different jobs, and dealing with issues from his early adolescence in his therapy sessions. This films shows the theme of happiness and how it is achieved despite personal struggles depicted by all of the character in some way, shape, or form.
Some strengths that we see in the film are the cast selections and the character development. The cast selection includes two very well known actors: Robin Williams and Matt Damon. Matt Damon is known for playing characters who often have a rough exterior but a good heart. Robin Williams is known for playing humorous characters who are very lovable but can be serious when the need be.
The acting talent is also present in this film. We see many fight scenes with Will (Matt Damon) which tells us a lot about his character but we also see him develop from that as well. We also see his girlfriend, Skylar (Minnie Driver) at the time in pain and sobbing because of Will (Matt Damon) which creates a sense of empathy for her character.
Another aspect of the film that is worth noting is the script and the language that it contains. The script contains a lot of curse words which can be intense for the viewers at times but it is necessary to characterize the era and the environment of the movie.
The music in this film was fitting for the events that were happening. There was often light music to set the scene in the beginning. Also there was calming music in between each scene which made for a smooth transition.
The lighting played an essential part of the film as well. The use of shadows and more obscure lighting was the most frequent in this film. A specific example would be when Will and the professor are in the interrogation room of the jail and since the scene is very intense, the lighting makes both of their facial features more piercing.
The setting of the movie shows Will's house that he lives in. We see that it is very run down and that he lives in a lower class neighborhood. This automatically shows where Will comes from and gives us empathy for him because of his humble beginnings. Then, it shows him when he arrives to the prestigious college of MIT and that is the exact opposite. We also see that he spends most of his time outside of work at the bar in the same neighborhood that he lives in.
The costume and makeup shows us the styles of the time period that this movie was filmed in. But most importantly, it shows a distinction between social classes. We see the difference between social classes when the professors and students at MIT are shown. We see when Will (Matt Damon) goes in for a job interview and he is not dressed to the standards of the employer.
Finally, there were two scenes that were extremely important to the film and they are very much worth analyzing. One, Will's (Matt Damon) very first therapy session with Sean (Robin Williams). We see that even though he is so intelligent and he seems invincible, he still has his troubled childhood and personal struggles that play a part into the way he is. As viewers, we hope to see how his character development plays out from there.
Another scene that is important is when Sean (Robin Williams) talks about how his wife has passed and how she made him so incredibly happy. We see the theme of happiness appear here and we see Will (Matt Damon) express a desire to obtain that same happiness.
Overall, this compelling film was heartfelt and each character was developed with a touch of humanity. We see how personal struggles and happiness fit hand and hand with each other. I truly recommend watching this film.