every year , hollywood crowns a new " it boy " --a
young actor pegged for major movie stardom .
inheriting the mantle from last year 's " winner , " matthew mcconaughey , is matt damon , and , like mcconaughey , he proves to be more than just a fresh young face , as evidenced in two radically different projects currently in release -- john grisham 's the rainmaker and good will hunting .
damon has his first major starring role , a la mcconaughey , in a john grisham adaptation -- in this case , francis ford coppola 's take on the rainmaker .
damon plays wet - behind - the - ears attorney rudy baylor , who , immediately after passing the bar exam , finds himself representing the mother ( mary kay place ) of a terminally ill young man ( john whitworth ) in a big - league suit against a negligent insurance company .
while rudy 's ( and the film 's ) main concern is this case , he also finds time to protect a young wife ( claire danes ) from her abusive husband ( melrose placer andrew shue , in a mercifully brief role ) .
written for the screen and directed by coppola , the rainmaker is the best grisham film yet
mostly because it does not take itself too seriously .
coppola 's most notable -- and effective -- contribution to the tried - and - true grisham formula is a sense of humor about itself , which largely comes in the presence of danny devito ( as rudy 's unlicensed co - counsel ) and golden globe nominee jon voight ( as the insurance company 's hotshot attorney ) .
the inclusion of the battered wife subplot feels rather superfluous , but danes is as superb as always .
then , of course , there is damon , who nicely juggles the weighty ( the insurance case , the spousal abuse ) and the humorous ( rudy 's often comical naivete ) requirements of his role without missing a beat . as good as he is in the rainmaker , damon showcases the depth of his talent in good
will hunting , directed by gus van sant and written by actor ben affleck and damon himself .
damon plays the title character , will hunting , a troubled young construction worker / janitor at mit who also happens to be a supergenius .
in an attempt to steer this brilliant young mind in the right direction , an mit math professor ( stellan skarsgard ) taps his old college friend , community college psychologist sean mcguire ( robin williams ) , to counsel the abrasive , standoffish will and try to help him come to terms with his turbulent life .
good will hunting is the touchy - feely enterprise its plot synopsis suggests , but to simply dismiss it as that would be to discount the true emotional chords affleck and damon 's intelligent script touches .
even though no one ( and , if so , _ very _ few people ) can directly relate to will 's burden of superhuman intelligence , the insecurities he suffers are universal .
the material is brought to life by the terrific ensemble of actors .
williams delivers a nice dramatic turn ; affleck , a hot up - and - coming actor himself ( chasing amy ) , turns up in a warm and charming performance as will 's best friend ; and the ever - appealing minnie driver shines as will 's harvard - schooled love interest .
the clear standout in the cast , though , is damon , who bravely does not soften
will 's prickly nature but has such a natural ease with the audience that it is hard _ not _ to care for him .
so many names come and go with the fluctuations of the hollywood hype machine , but based on his impressive work in john grisham 's the rainmaker and especially good will hunting , it is a safe bet that matt damon
is one name we will be hearing a lot more of in the years to come .
without missing a beat delivers a nice dramatic turn nicely juggles turns up in a warm and charming performance the material is brought to life by the terrific ensemble of actors is one name we will be hearing a lot more the true emotional chords a sense of humor about itself as superb as always the best grisham film yet shines