Matt Damon sticks to the formula in this cliche ridden drama.

Rating: Null/10 (28 September 1998)

Haven't we seen this one before? Matt Damon must have looked at everything that's won awards in the history of the Academy and included every cliche he could scavenge into his screenplay.
1. The angst-ridden genius who resents his gift, because everybody he knows is trying to force him into a better life. A life he doesn't want because he's happy just being an average loser like all his friends.
2. The teacher who discovers him, who we are meant to believe genuinely wants to help him, but by the end we find out just wants to live his own lost dreams vicariously through his prodigy.
3. The psychiatrist who has troubles of his own, so by the end of the film they unwittingly help each other out.
4. Of course a romantic interest has to be thrown in to create the standard conflict. Should he choose a life with his friends, his girl, or a high paying job. Naturally he chooses to abandon everything and run off to a girl he barely knows. I hope I'm not the only one who saw that coming a mile away. Men are always portrayed as saps in these types of films.
Robin Williams gives us another one of his trademark two characters. He's always either manic and over-the-top, or quiet and introverted. In this case we get the latter, essentially the same guy we saw in Awakenings. I prefer him in the manic roles, at least then I don't have to suspend my disbelief enough to accept Mork giving psychological advice.