I'm pumped! Let the healing begin!

Rating: 8/10 (27 February 2008)

A math genius, Will, grows up in the back streets of Boston. Will has never sought any formal education and frequently gets in trouble with the law. He gets a job as a janitor at Harvard University. Between sweeping floors and cleaning toilets, he finds the time to solve extremely complicated math equations. A professor at Harvard attempts to take him under his wing and to save him from his latest prison sentence. The professor guarantees the court that Will will seek psychotherapy. After a number of therapists refuse to work with him, the professor asks an old friend to counsel Will. Enter Sean, Robin Williams, a man who also grew up in the back streets of Boston. Sean is able to relate to the troubled Will, and thus the healing begins I adored this film when it first opened. It had a fresh, funny, emotionally-charged script. The script was written by two young writers, who had lots of potential to become the most celebrated writers in Hollywood. Instead of sticking to the writing, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon chose the easier path. They became "action" movie stars on the back of Good Will Hunting and left their writing behind. I always thought that this was a shame, that they didn't stick with writing screenplays. Because of this, I think the film lost some of its initial impact. Don't get me wrong. It is still a notable work. When most audiences watch it, they find themselves cheering Will on, as he "cuts" elitist college students down to size. The most hardened and cynical viewers will find it hard not to shed a tear, as Will confronts his past. But what really makes this film masterful is that we are not just told that Will is a Genius. He proves it in every scene. Whether you are listening to his piquant repartee with other characters or his philosophy on life, you are struck by the intelligence of his remarks. The dialogue throughout the film is exceptional. It is earthy and natural (to stay true to the background of Will's character), but it is also adept and sometimes quite, profound.
In the ten years since Good Will hunting was released, Affleck and Damon have written only two other screenplays. In fact, they dropped off the writing "radar" to such a degree that rumours began to surface that William Goldman wrote the script. Goldman vehemently denies this. So it appears, for now, that Good Will Hunting may be a one-hit wonder. But I still have hope that when Affleck and Damon's action movie days are behind them, they will collaborate on one last script. And if it is half as good as Good Will Hunting, it will be a smart script with Oscar-winning potential.