EXT. SOUTH BOSTON ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE -- DAY

INT. L STREET BAR & GRILLE, SOUTH BOSTON -- EVENING The bar is dirty, more than a little run down. If there is ever a cook on duty, he's not here now. As we pan across several empty tables, we can almost smell the odor of last nights beer and crushed pretzels on the floor. CHUCKIE Oh my God, I got the most fucked up thing I been meanin' to tell you. As the camera rises, we find FOUR YOUNG MEN seated around a table near the back of the bar. ALL Oh Jesus. Here we go. The guy holding court is CHUCKIE SULLIVAN, 20, and the largest of the bunch. He is loud, boisterous, a born entertainer. Next to him is WILL HUNTING, 20, handsome and confident, a softspoken leader. On Will's right sits BILLY MCBRIDE, 22, heavy, quiet, someone you definitely would n't want to tangle with. Finally there is MORGAN O'MALLY, 19, smaller than the other guys. Wiry and anxious, Morgan listens to Chuckie's horror stories with eager disgust. All four boys speak with thick Boston accents. This is a rough, working class Irish neighborhood and these boys are its product. CHUCKIE You guys know my cousin Mikey Sullivan? ALL Yeah. CHUCKIE Well you know how he loves animals right? Anyway, last week he's drivin' home. -LRB- laughs. -RRB- ALL What? Come on! CHUCKIE -LRB- trying not to laugh. -RRB- I'm sorry,'cause you know Mikey, the fuckin guy loves animals, and this is the last person you'd want this to happen to. WILL Chuckie, what the fuck happened? CHUCKIE Okay. He's driving along and this fuckin' cat jumps in front of his car, and so he hits this cat - Chuckie is really laughing now. MORGAN - That is n't funny - CHUCKIE - and he's like `` shit! Motherfucker!'' And he looks in his rearview and sees this cat - I'm sorry - BILLY Fuckin' Chuckie! CHUCKIE So he sees this cat tryin to make it across the street and it's not lookin' so good. WILL It's walkin' pretty slow at this point. MORGAN You guys are fuckin' sick. CHUCKIE So Mikey's like `` Fuck, I got ta put this thing out of its misery'' - So he gets a hammer - WILL/MORGAN/BILLY OH! CHUCKIE out of his tool box, and starts chasin' the cat and starts whackin' it with the hammer. You know, tryin' to put the thing out of its misery. MORGAN Jesus. CHUCKIE And all the time he's apologizin' to the cat, goin' `` I'm sorry.'' BANG, `` I'm sorry.'' BANG! BILLY Like it can understand. CHUCKIE And this Samoan guy comes runnin' out of his house and he's like `` What the fuck are you doing to my cat?!'' Mikey's like `` I'm sorry'' - BANG -'' I hit your cat with my truck, and I'm just trying to put it out of it's misery'' - BANG! And the cat dies. So Mikey's like `` Why do n't you come look at the front of the truck.'''Cause the other guy's all fuckin flipped out about - WILL Watching his cat get brained. Morgan gives Will a look, but Will only smiles. CHUCKIE Yeah, so he's like `` Check the front of my truck, I can prove I hit it'cause there's probably some blood or something'' - WILL - or a tail - MORGAN WILL! CHUCKIE And so they go around to the front of his truck. and there's another cat on the grille. WILL/MORGAN/BILLY No! Ugh! CHUCKIE Is that unbelievable? He brained an innocent cat! The opening credits roll over a series of shots of the city and the real people who live and work there, going about their daily lives. We see a panoramic view of South Boston. Will sits in his apartment, walls completely bare. A bed, a small night table and an empty basket adorn the room. A stack of twenty or so LIBRARY BOOKS sit by his bed. He is flipping through a book at about a page a second. Chuckie stands on the porch to Will's house. His Cadillac idles by the curb. Will comes out and they get in the car. We travel across crowded public housing and onto downtown. Finally, we gaze across the river and onto the great cementdomed buildings that make up the M.I.T. campus.

INT. M.I.T. CLASSROOM -- DAY The classroom is packed with graduate students and TOM. PROFESSOR LAMBEAU -LRB- 52 -RRB- is at the lectern. The chalkboard behind him is covered with theorems. LAMBEAU Please finish McKinley by next month. Many of you probably had this as undergraduates in real analysis. It wo n't hurt to brush up. I am also putting an advanced fourier system on the main hallway chalkboard - Everyone groans. LAMBEAU I'm hoping that one of you might prove it by the end of the semester. The first person to do so will not only be in my good graces, but go on to fame and fortune by having their accomplishment recorded and their name printed in the auspicious `` M.I.T. Tech.'' Prof. Lambeau holds up a thin publication entitled `` M.I.T. Tech.'' Everyone laughs. LAMBEAU Former winners include Nobel Laureates, world renowned astro - physicists, Field's Medal winners and lowly M.I.T. professors. More laughs. LAMBEAU Okay. That is all. A smattering of applause. Students pack their bags.

INT. FUNLAND – LATER The place is a monster indoor funpark. Will, Chuckie, Morgan, and Billy are in adjoining batting cages. Will has disabled the pitching machine in his and pitches to Chuckie. The boys have been drinking. Will throws one to Chuckie, high and tight. Several empty beer cans sit by the cage. CHUCKIE Will! Another pitch, inside. CHUCKIE You're gon na get charged! WILL You think I'm afraid of you, you big fuck? You're crowdin' the plate. Will guns another one, way inside. CHUCKIE Stop brushin' me back! WILL Stop crowdin the plate! Chuckie laughs and steps back. CHUCKIE Casey's bouncin' at a bar up Harvard. We should go there sometime. WILL What are we gon na do up there? CHUCKIE I do n't know, we'll fuck up some smart kids. -LRB- stepping back in. -RRB- You'd prob ` ly fit right in. WILL Fuck you. Will fires a pitch at Chuckie's head. Chuckie dives to avoid being hit. He gets up and whips his batting helmet at Will.

EXT. SOUTH BOSTON ROOFTOP -- EARLY AFTERNOON SEAN McGUIRE -LRB- 52 -RRB- sits, FORMALLY DRESSED, on the roof of his apartment building in a beat - up lawn chair. Well - built and fairly muscular, he stares blankly out over the city. On his lap rests an open invitation that reads `` M.I.T. CLASS OF'67 REUNION.'' While the morning is quiet and Sean sits serenely, there is a look about his that tells us he has faced hard times. This is a man who fought his way through life. On his lonely stare we :

EXT. M.I.T. CAMPUS LAWN -- DAY A thirty year REUNION PARTY has taken over the lawn. A well dressed throng mill about underneath a large banner that reads `` WELCOME BACK CLASS OF' 72.'' We find Professor Lambeau standing with a drink in his hand, surveying the crowd. He is interrupted by an approaching STUDENT. STUDENT Excuse me, Professor Lambeau? LAMBEAU Yes. STUDENT I'm in your applied theories class. We're all down at the Math and Science building. LAMBEAU It's Saturday. STUDENT I know. We just could n't wait'till Monday to find out. LAMBEAU Find out what? STUDENT Who proved the theorem.

EXT. TOM FOLEY PARK, S. BOSTON -- AFTERNOON In the bleachers of the visiting section we find our boys, drinking and smoking cigarettes. Will pops open a beer. The boys have been here a while and it shows. Billy sees something that catches his interest. BILLY Who's that? She's got a nice ass. Their P.O.V. reveals a girl in stretch pants talking to a beefy looking ITALIAN GUY -LRB- BOBBY CHAMPA -RRB- MORGAN Yah, that is a nice ass. CHUCKIE You could put a pool in that backyard. BILLY Who's she talking to? MORGAN That fuckin' guinea, Will knows him. WILL Yah, Bobby Champa. He used to beat the shit outta' me in Kindergarten. BILLY He's a pretty big kid. WILL Yah, he's the same size now as he was in Kindergarten. MORGAN Fuck this, let's get something to eat. CHUCKIE What Morgan, you're not gon na go talk to her? MORGAN Fuck her. The boys get up and walk down the bleachers. WILL I could go for a Whopper. MORGAN -LRB- nonchalant. -RRB- Let's hit `` Kelly's.'' CHUCKIE Morgan, I'm not goin' to `` Kelly's Roast Beef'' just cause you like the take - out girl. It's fifteen minutes out of our way. MORGAN What else we gon na do we ca n't spare fifteen minutes? CHUCKIE All right Morgan, fine. I'll tell you why we're not going to `` Kelly's.'' It's because the take - out bitch is a fuckin' idiot. I'm sorry you like her but she's dumb as a post and she has never got our order right, never once. MORGAN She's not stupid. WILL She's sharp as a marble. CHUCKIE We're not goin'. -LRB- beat. -RRB- I do n't even like `` Kelly's.''

INT. M.I.T. HALLWAY -- LATER Lambeau, still in his reunion formal - wear, strides down the hallway, carrying some papers. A group of students have gathered by the chalkboard. They part like the red sea as he approaches the board. Using the papers in hand, he checks the proof. Satisfied, he turns to the class. LAMBEAU This is correct? Who did this? Dead silence. Lambeau turns to an INDIAN STUDENT. LAMBEAU Nemesh? Nemesh shakes his head in awe. NEMESH No way. Lambeau erases the proof and starts putting up a new one. LAMBEAU Well, whoever You are, I'm sure you'll find this one challenging enough to merit coming forward with your identity. That is, if you can do it.

INT. CHUCKIE'S CAR, DRIVING IN SOUTH BOSTON -- CONTINUOUS The street is crowded as our boys drive down Broadway. They move slowly through heavy traffic, windows down. Chuckie sorts through a large `` KELLY'S ROAST BEEF'' BAG as he drives. MORGAN Double Burger. Will holds the wheel for Chuckie as he looks through the bag. MORGAN -LRB- same tone. -RRB- Double Burger. Chuckie gets out fries for himself, hands Will his fries. MORGAN I, I had a Kelly's Double Burger. CHUCKIE Would you shut the fuck up! I know what you ordered, I was there! MORGAN So why do n't you give me my sandwich? CHUCKIE What do you mean `` your sandwich?'' I bought it. MORGAN -LRB- sarcastic. -RRB- Yah, all right. CHUCKIE How much money you got? MORGAN I told you, I just got change. CHUCKIE Well give me your fuckin' change and we'll put your fuckin' sandwich on layaway. MORGAN Why you got ta be an asshole Chuckie? CHUCKIE I think you should establish a good line of credit. Laughter, Chuckie goes back searching through the bag. CHUCKIE Oh motherfucker. WILL She did n't do it again did she? CHUCKIE Jesus Christ. Not even close. MORGAN Did she get my Double Burger? CHUCKIE NO SHE DID N'T GET YOUR DOUBLE BURGER! IT'S ALL FUCKIN' FLYIN' FISH FILET! Chuckie whips a FISH SANDWICH back to Morgan, then to Billy. WILL Jesus, that's really bad, did anyone even order a Flyin' Fish? CHUCKIE No, and we got four of'em. BILLY You got ta' be kiddin' me. Why do we even go to her? CHUCKIE Cause fuckin' Morgan's got a crush on her, we always go there and when we get to the window he never says a fuckin' word to her, he never even gets out of the car, and she never gets our order right cause she's the goddamn MISSING LINK! WILL Well, she out did herself today. MORGAN I do n't got a crush on her. Push in on Will who sees something O.S. Will's P.O.V. reveals BOBBY CHAMPA and his friends walking down the street. One of them casually lobs a bottle into a wire garbage can. It SHATTERS and some of the glass hits a FEMALE PASSERBY who, although unhurt, is upset. CHUCKIE What do we got? WILL I do n't know yet. Will's P.O.V. : The woman says something to Bobby. He says something back. By the look on her face, it was something unpleasant. MORGAN Come on, Will. CHUCKIE Shut up. MORGAN No, why did n't you fight him at the park if you wanted to? I'm not goin' now, I'm eatin' my snack. WILL -LRB- smiles. -RRB- So do n't go. Will is out of the door, jogging toward Bobby Champa. Billy gets out, following Will with a look of casual indifference. CHUCKIE Morgan, Let's go. MORGAN I'm serious Chuckie, I ai n't goin'. Leaving the car, Chuckie opens his door to follow. CHUCKIE -LRB- spins in his seat. -RRB- You're goin'. And if you're not out there in two fuckin' seconds, when I'm done with them you're next! And with that, Chuckie is out the door.

EXT. SIDEWALK --CONTINUOUS Will comes jogging up towards BOBBY CHAMPA, calling out from across the street, WILL -LRB- smiling, good naturedly. -RRB- Hey, Bobby Champa! I went to Kindergarten with you right? Sister Margaret's class. Bobby is bewildered by this strange interruption and unsure of Will's intentions. Just when it looks as though Bobby might remember him, Will DRILLS HIM with a sucker - punch which begins the FIGHT SEQUENCE : 40 FRAMES OVER M. GAYE'S `` LET'S GET IT ON.'' Will's momentum and respectable strength serve to knock the hapless Champa out cold. As soon as Will hits Bobby, his friends CONVERGE ON WILL. Billy JUMPS IN and wrestles one guy to the ground. The two exchange messy punches on the sidewalk. Will is in trouble, back pedaling, dodging punches, trying to avoid being overrun. When Will goes for one guy, another has an open shot and he HAMMERS WILL with a right hand to the head. Will is staggered and bleary, as a second guy winds up for a shot he is BLIND SIDED by Chuckie who hits the kid like he was a tackling sled, lifting him off the ground. Chuckie turns to see Will still outnumbered. It's all Will can do to stay standing as Morgan DROP KICKS one of Champa's boys from the hood of a car. Contrary to what we might think, Morgan is actually quite a fighter. He peppers the kid with a flurry of blows. The fight is messy, ugly and chaotic. Most punches are thrown wildly and miss, heads are banged against concrete, someone throws a bottle. In the end, it's our guys who are left standing, while Bobby's friends stagger off. Chuckie and Morgan turn to see Will, standing over the unconscious Bobby Champa, still POUNDING him. ANGLE ON WILL : SAVAGE, UGLY, VICIOUS, AND VIOLENT Whatever demons must be raging inside Will, he is taking them out on Bobby Champa. He pummels the helpless, unconscious Champa, fury in his eyes. Chuckie and Billy pull Will away. The POLICE finally arrive on the scene and having only witnessed Will's vicious attack on Champa, they grab him.

EXT. SIDEWALK (FULL SPEED) -- CONTINUOUS A crowd of onlookers have gathered. Chuckie addresses them. CHUCKIE Hey, thanks for comin' out. WILL Yeah, you're all invited over to Morgan's house for a complementary fish sandwich. The Police slam Will into the hood of a car. WILL -LRB- to Police. -RRB- Hey, I know it's not a French cruller, but it's free. The cop holding Will SLAMS his -LSB- Will's -RSB- face into the hood, another cop uses a baton to press Will's face into the car. The look of rage returns to Will's eye. WILL Get the fuck off me! Will resists. Another cop comes over. Will KICKS HIM IN THE KNEE, dropping the cop. Momentarily freed, Will engages in a fracas with three cops. More converge on Will, who - though he struggles - takes a beating.

EXT. SEAN'S ROOF -- NIGHT Sean sits, exactly as we first saw him, except his tie is now loose and an empty bottle of BUSHMILLS is at his side. He stares out over the City. A MATRONLY LANDLADY comes out of a doorway on the roof. LANDLADY Sean? Sean does n't answer. LANDLADY Sean? You okay? SEAN Yeah. A beat. LANDLADY It's getting cold. After a moment, she retreats back down the stairs. Sean does n't move.

EXT. CHARLES RIVER, ESTABLISHING SHOT -- MORNING The morning sun reflects brilliantly off the river.

EXT. COURTHOUSE -- NEXT MORNING Will emerges from the courthouse. Chuckie is waiting for him in the Cadillac with two cups of DUNKIN' DOUGHNUTS coffee. He hands one of them to Will. This feels routine. CHUCKIE When's the arraignment? WILL Next week. Chuckie pulls away.

EXT. M.I.T. CAMPUS, ESTABLISHING SHOT -- MORNING Students walk to class, carrying bags. More than any other, students seem to be heading into one PARTICULAR CLASSROOM.

INT. M.I.T. CLASSROOM -- MORNING The classroom is even more crowded than last we saw it. Tom takes notes as Lambeau plays along with the excited environment with mock pomposity and good humor. LAMBEAU Is it my imagination, or has my class grown considerably? Laughter. LAMBEAU I look around and see young people who are my students, young people who are not my students as well as some of my colleagues. And by no stretch of my imagination do I think you've all come to hear me lecture. More laughter. LAMBEAU But rather to ascertain the identity of who our esteemed `` The Tech'' has come to call `` The Mystery Math Magician.'' He holds up the M.I.T. Tech featuring a silhouetted figure, emblazoned with a large, white question mark. The headline reads `` Mystery Math Magician strikes again.'' LAMBEAU Whoever you are, you've solved four of the most difficult theorems I've ever given a class. So without further ado, come forward silent rogue, and receive thy prize. The class waits in breathless anticipation. A STUDENT shifts his weight in his chair, making a noise. LAMBEAU Well, I'm sorry to disappoint my spectators, but it appears there will be no unmasking here today. I'm going to have to ask those of you not enrolled in the class to make your escape now or, for the next three hours be subjected to the mundities of eigenvectors. People start to gather their things and go. Lambeau picks up a piece of chalk and starts writing on the board. LAMBEAU However, my colleagues and I have conferred. There is a problem on the board, right now, that took us two years to prove. So let this be said ; the gauntlet has been thrown down. But the faculty have answered the challenge and answered with vigor.

INT. M.I.T. HALLWAY -- NIGHT Lambeau comes out of his office with Tom and locks the door. As he turns to walk down the hallway, he stops. A faint TICKING SOUND can be heard. He turns and walks down the hall. Lambeau and Tom come around a corner. His P.O.V. reveals a figure in silhouette blazing through the proof on the chalkboard. There is a mop and a bucket beside him. As Lambeau draws closer, reveal that the figure is Will, in his janitor's uniform. There is a look of intense concentration in his eyes. LAMBEAU Excuse me! Will looks up, immediately starts to shuffle off. WILL Oh, I'm sorry. LAMBEAU What're you doing? WILL -LRB- walking away. -RRB- I'm sorry. Lambeau follows Will down the hall. LAMBEAU What's your name? -LRB- beat. -RRB- Do n't you walk away from me. This is people's work, you ca n't graffiti here. WILL Hey fuck you. LAMBEAU -LRB- flustered. -RRB- Well. I'll be speaking to your supervisor. Will walks out. Lambeau goes to `` fix'' the proof, scanning the blackboard for whatever damage Will caused. He stops, scans the board again. Amazement registers on his face. LAMBEAU My God. Down the hall, we hear the DOOR CLOSE. He turns to look for Will, who is gone.

EXT. BOW AND ARROW PUB, CAMBRIDGE -- THAT NIGHT A crowded Harvard Bar. Will and our gang walk by a line of several Harvard students, waiting to be carded. MORGAN What happened? -LRB- beat. -RRB- You got fired, huh? WILL Yeah, Morgan. I got fired. MORGAN -LRB- starts laughing. -RRB- How fuckin' retarded do you have to be to get shit - canned from that job? How hard is it to push a fuckin' broom? CHUCKIE You got fired from pushing a broom, you little bitch. MORGAN Yah, that was different. Management was restructurin' - BILLY Yah, restructurin' the amount of retards they had workin' for them. MORGAN Fuck you, you fat fuck. BILLY Least I work for a livin'. -LRB- to Will. -RRB- Why'd you get fired? WILL Management was restructurin'. Laughter. CHUCKIE My uncle can probably get you on my demo team. MORGAN What the fuck? I just asked you for a job yesterday! CHUCKIE I told you `` no'' yesterday! After two students flash their ID's to the doorman -LRB- CASEY -RRB- our boys file past him. ALL -LRB- one after another. -RRB- What's up Case. With an imperceptible nod, Casey waves our boys through. A fifth kid, a HARVARD STUDENT, tries to follow. He is stopped by Casey's massive, outstretched arm : CASEY ID?

INT. BOW AND ARROW -- CONTINUOUS Chuckie is collecting money from the guys to buy a pitcher, all but Morgan cough up some crumpled dollars. CHUCKIE So, this is a Harvard bar, huh? I thought there'd be equations and shit on the wall.

INT. BACK SECTION, BOW AND ARROW -- MOMENTS LATER Chuckie returns to a table where Will, Morgan and Billy have made themselves comfortable. He -LSB- Chuckie -RSB- spots two ATTRACTIVE YOUNG HARVARD WOMEN sitting together at the end of the bar. Chuckie struts his way toward the women and pulls up a chair. He flashes a smile and tries to submerge his thick Boston accent. CHUCKIE Hey, how's it goin'? LYDIA Fine. SKYLAR Okay. CHUCKIE So, you ladies ah, go to school here? LYDIA Yes. CHUCKIE Yeah, cause I think I had a class with you. At this point, several interested parties materialize. Morgan Billy and Will try, as inconspicuously as possible, to situate themselves within listening distance. A rather large student in a HARVARD LACROSSE sweatshirt, CLARK -LRB- 22 -RRB- notices Chuckie. He -LSB- Clark -RSB- walks over to Skylar and Lydia, nobly hovering over them as protector. This gets Will, Morgan, and Billy's attention. SKYLAR What class? CHUCKIE Ah, history I think. SKYLAR Oh. CHUCKIE Yah, it's not a bad school. At this point, Clark ca n't resist and steps in. CLARK What class did you say that was? CHUCKIE History. CLARK How'd you like that course? CHUCKIE Good, it was all right. CLARK History? Just `` history?'' It must have been a survey course then. Chuckie nods. Clark notices Chuckie's clothes. Will and Billy exchange a look and move subtly closer. CLARK Pretty broad. `` History of the World?'' CHUCKIE Hey, come on pal we're in classes all day. That's one thing about Harvard never seizes to amaze me, everybody's talkin' about school all the time. CLARK Hey, I'm the last guy to want to talk about school at the bar. But as long as you're here I want to `` seize'' the opportunity to ask you a question. Billy shifts his beer into his left hand. Will and Morgan see this. Morgan rolls his eyes as if to say `` not again.'' CLARK Oh, I'm sure you covered it in your history class. Clark looks to see if the girls are impressed. They are not. When Clark looks back to Chuckie, Skylar turns to Lydia and rolls her -LSB- own -RSB- eyes. They laugh. Will sees this and smiles. CHUCKIE To tell you the truth, I was n't there much. The class was rather elementary. CLARK Elementary? Oh, I do n't doubt that it was. I remember the class, it was just between recess and lunch. Will and Billy come forward, stand behind Chuckie. CHUCKIE All right, are we gon na have a problem? CLARK There's no problem. I was just hoping you could give me some insight into the evolution of the market economy in the early colonies. My contention is that prior to the Revolutionary War the economic modalities especially of the southern colonies could most aptly be characterized as agrarian precapitalist and. Will, who at this point has migrated to Chuckie's side and is completely fed - up, includes himself in the conversation. WILL Of course that's your contention. You're a first year grad student. You just finished some Marxian historian, Pete Garrison prob ` ly, and so naturally that's what you believe until next month when you get to James Lemon and get convinced that Virginia and Pennsylvania were strongly entrepreneurial and capitalist back in 1740. That'll last until sometime in your second year, then you'll be in here regurgitating Gordon Wood about the Pre - revolutionary utopia and the capital - forming effects of military mobilization. CLARK -LRB- taken aback. -RRB- Well, as a matter of fact, I wo n't, because Wood drastically underestimates the impact of - WILL `` Wood drastically underestimates the impact of social distinctions predicated upon wealth, especially inherited wealth.'' You got that from `` Work in Essex County,'' Page 421, right? Do you have any thoughts of your own on the subject or were you just gon na plagiarize the whole book for me? Clark is stunned. WILL Look, do n't try to pass yourself off as some kind of an intellect at the expense of my friend just to impress these girls. Clark is lost now, searching for a graceful exit, any exit. WILL The sad thing is, in about 50 years you might start doin' some thinkin' on your own and by then you'll realize there are only two certainties in life. CLARK Yeah? What're those? WILL One, do n't do that. Two - you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on an education you coulda' picked up for a dollar fifty in late charges at the Public Library. Will catches Skylar's eye. CLARK But I will have a degree, and you'll be serving my kids fries at a drive through on our way to a skiing trip. WILL -LRB- smiles. -RRB- Maybe. But at least I wo n't be a prick. -LRB- beat. -RRB- And if you got a problem with that, I guess we can step outside and deal with it that way. While Will is substantially smaller than Clark, he -LSB- Clark -RSB- decides not to take Will up on his -LSB- Will's -RSB- offer. WILL If you change your mind, I'll be over by the bar. He turns and walks away. Chuckie follows, throwing Clark a look. Morgan turns to a nearby girl. MORGAN My boy's wicked smart.

INT. BOW AND ARROW, AT THE BAR -- LATER Will sits with Morgan at the bar watching with some amusement as Chuckie and Billy play bar basketball game where the players shoot miniature balls at a small basket. In the B.G. occasionally we hear Chuckie shouting `` Larry!'' When he scores. Skylar emerges from the crowd and approaches Will. SKYLAR You suck. WILL What? SKYLAR I've been sitting over there for forty - five minutes waiting for you to come talk to me. But I'm just tired now and I have to go home and I was n't going to keep sitting there waiting for you. WILL I'm Will. SKYLAR Skylar. And by the way. That guy over there is a real dick and I just wanted you to know he did n't come with us. WILL I kind of got that impression. SKYLAR Well, look, I have to go. Got ta' get up early and waste some more money on my overpriced education. WILL I did n't mean you. Listen, maybe. SKYLAR Here's my number. Skylar produces a folded piece of paper and offers it to Will. SKYLAR Maybe we could go out for coffee sometime? WILL Great, or maybe we could go somewhere and just eat a bunch of caramels. SKYLAR What? WILL When you think about it, it's just as arbitrary as drinking coffee. SKYLAR -LRB- laughs. -RRB- Okay, sounds good. She turns. WILL Five minutes. SKYLAR What? WILL I was trying to be smooth. -LRB- indicates clock. -RRB- But at twelve - fifteen I was gon na come over there and talk to you. SKYLAR See, it's my life story. Five more minutes and I would have got to hear your best pick - up line. WILL The caramel thing is my pick - up line. A beat. SKYLAR Glad I came over.

EXT. BOW AND ARROW -- LATER Our boys are walking out of the bar teasing one another about their bar - ball exploits. Across the street is another bar with a glass front. Morgan spots Clark sitting by the window with some friends. MORGAN There goes that fuckin' Barney right now, with his fuckin' `` skiin' trip.'' We should' a kicked that dude's ass. WILL Hold up. Will crosses the street and approaches the plate glass window and stands across from Clark, separated only by the glass. He POUNDS THE GLASS to get Clark's attention. WILL Hey! Clark turns toward Will. WILL DO YOU LIKE APPLES? Clark does n't get it. WILL DO YOU LIKE APPLES?! CLARK Yeah? Will SLAMS SKYLAR'S PHONE NUMBER against the glass. WILL WELL I GOT HER NUMBER! HOW DO YA LIKE THEM APPLES?! Will's boys erupt into laughter. Angle on Clark, deflated.

EXT. STREET -- NIGHT The boys make their way home, piled into Chuckie's car, laughing together.

EXT. CHARLES STREET BRIDGE -- DAWN Shot of car crossing over the Charles St. Bridge, overtaking a red - line train.

EXT. CHARLESTON BACKROAD -- DAWN Traveling through narrow back roads in Charlestown, passing the Bunker Hill monument.

EXT. WILL'S APARTMENT -- DAY Arriving at Will's house and dropping him off.

INT. M.I.T. BUILDING AND GROUNDS GARAGE -- DAY Lambeau walks into a small garage facility. The area stores lawn machinery and various tools. An older man, TERRY -LRB- 58 -RRB- sits behind the desk reading the BOSTON HERALD sports page. Lambeau has obviously never been here before. He takes in the surroundings, somewhat uncomfortable. Gets dirty. LAMBEAU Excuse me. Is this the buildings and grounds office? TERRY Yeah, can I help you? LAMBEAU I'm trying to find the name of a student who works here. TERRY No students work for me. LAMBEAU Could you just check, because the young man who works in my building - TERRY Which one's your building? LAMBEAU Building two. Terry checks a list behind his -LSB- own -RSB- desk. Looks up. TERRY Well, if something was stolen, I should know about it. LAMBEAU No, no. Nothing like that. I just need his name. TERRY I ca n't give you his name unless you have a complaint. LAMBEAU Please, I'm a professor here and it's very important. TERRY Well, he did n't show up for work today. Terry takes a beat. Holding all the cards. TERRY Look, he got his job through his P.O. so you can call him. Terry goes through a stack of paper on his desk. Takes out a card and hands it to Lambeau. Lambeau looks blankly at the card which reads : `` PAROLE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM.''

INT. COURTROOM -- DAY Will stands before JUDGE MALONE -LRB- 40 -RRB- being arraigned. It is fairly unceremonious, the courtroom nearly empty, save Will and the PROSECUTOR. Lambeau walks in from the back. WILL There is a lengthy legal precedent, Your Honor, going back to 1789, whereby a defendant may claim self - defense against an agent of the government where the act is shown to be a defense against tyranny, a defense of liberty - The Judge interrupts to address the prosecutor. JUDGE MALONE Mr. Simmons, Officer McNeely who signed the complaint is n't in my courtroom. Why is that? PROSECUTOR He's in the hospital with a broken knee, Your Honor. But I have depositions from the other officers. WILL Henry Ward Beecher proclaimed, in his Proverbs From Plymouth Pulpit back in 1887, that `` Every American citizen is by birth, a sworn officer of the state. Every man is a policeman.'' As for the other officers, even William Congrave said ; `` he that first cries out ` stop thief' is ` oft he that has stolen the treasure.'' PROSECUTOR Your Honor - Will cranks it up. WILL -LRB- to Prosecutor. -RRB- I am afforded the right to speak in my own defense by our constitution, Sir. The same document which guarantees my right to liberty. `` Liberty,'' in case you've forgotten, is `` the soul's right to breathe, and when it can not take a long breath laws are girded too tight. Without liberty, man is a syncope.'' -LRB- beat, to Judge. -RRB- Ibid. Your Honor. PROSECUTOR Man is a what? WILL Julius Caesar proclaimed - Though he be wounded - `` Magna.'' The Judge interrupts. JUDGE MALONE Son. -LRB- a beat. -RRB- My turn. The Judge opens Will's CASE HISTORY. JUDGE MALONE -LRB- reading. -RRB- June,' 93, assault, Sept.'93 assault. Grand theft auto February' 94. A beat, the Judge takes particular notice. JUDGE MALONE Where, apparently, you defended yourself and had the case thrown out by citing `` free property rights of horse and carriage'' from 1798. Lambeau has to smile, impressed. The Judge shakes his head. JUDGE MALONE March,'94 public drunkenness, public nudity, assault. 10/94 mayhem. November' 94, assault. Jan.'95 impersonating a police officer, mayhem, theft, resisting - overturned - The Judge takes a beat. Gives Will a look. JUDGE MALONE You're in my courtroom, now and I am aware of your priors. -LRB- beat. -RRB- I'm also aware that you're an orphan. You've been through several foster homes. The state removed you from three because of serious physical abuse. The Judge holds a look to Will, who looks down. JUDGE MALONE Another Judge might care. You hit a cop, you go in. -LRB- beat. -RRB- Motion to dismiss denied. The Bailiff goes to remove Will from the courtroom. JUDGE MALONE Keep workin' on your arguments, son. A word of advice for trial ; speak English. As Will is removed from the courtroom, Lambeau approaches Judge Malone who is stepping down from the bench. LAMBEAU Excuse me, your Honor. -LRB- offers hand. -RRB- Gerald Lambeau. An awkward beat. Lambeau waits for some sign of recognition. LAMBEAU I'm a professor at M.I.T. -LRB- beat. -RRB- Combunatorial Mathematics. The Judge offers only a blank look. JUDGE MALONE Oh. Pleased to meet you. LAMBEAU Do you have a minute?

INT. MIDDLESEX COUNTY JAIL, HOLDING AREA -- SAME A GUARD walks Will down a hallway toward a group of phones. GUARD One call, to an attorney. -LRB- beat. -RRB- One. The Guard gives Will a hard look for a beat. Then leaves. WILL How many? Will picks up the phone, dials. WILL Hey, Skylar?

INT. SKYLAR'S DORM -- DAY SKYLAR Yeah? WILL It's Will, the really funny good looking guy you met at the bar? SKYLAR I'm sorry, I do n't recall meeting anyone who fits that description. WILL Okay, you got me. It's the ugly, obnoxious, toothless loser who got drunk and would n't leave you alone all night. SKYLAR Oh Will! I was wondering when you'd call. WILL Yeah, I figured maybe sometime this week we could go to a cafe and have some caramels. SKYLAR Sounds good, where are you now? WILL You are n't, by any chance, Pre - law? Are you?

INT. MIDDLESEX COUNTY JAIL, INTERROGATION ROOM -- LATER Professor Lambeau sits, waiting. Will is brought in, shackled, by the guard. LAMBEAU Hello. Gerald Lambeau, M.I.T. WILL Fuck do you want? LAMBEAU I've spoken with the judge and he's agreed to release you under my supervision. WILL -LRB- suspicious. -RRB- Really? LAMBEAU -LRB- beat. -RRB- Yes. Under two conditions. WILL What're those? LAMBEAU That you meet with me twice a week --. -LRB- a beat. -RRB- and you meet with a therapist. WILL If I agree to this, I walk right now? LAMBEAU That's right. WILL I'll do the work. I'm not going to meet with a therapist. LAMBEAU Now, it wo n't be as bad as it sounds, Will. -LRB- beat. -RRB- I've already spoken to one therapist, his name is Henry Lipkin and he's a friend of mine. He's also published four books and is widely considered to be one of the brightest men in his field. -LRB- beat. -RRB- I'm sure it'll be better than spending the next six months in jail.

INT. FUNLAND -- DAY Will and Chuckie walk up to an enclosed trampoline. Billy and Morgan prefer to use it for their own version of `` Wrestlemania.'' As Will and Chuckie approach, Billy is on top of a bloodied Morgan and has him in the `` Cobra Clutch.'' Will and Chuckie watch for a beat. Billy tightens his grip. BILLY Submit, bitch! Submit! Submit! MORGAN -LRB- being strangled. -RRB- Suck my cock! BILLY Oh, Morgan! Chuckie turns to Will, conspiratorially as they wait for the fight to finish. CHUCKIE What'd you get? You get leniency? WILL Probation, counselin', few days a week. CHUCKIE You're fuckin' good. Will smiles. CHUCKIE Just submit, Morgan. He's got you in the Cobra Clutch. MORGAN -LRB- to Chuckie. -RRB- Fuck your mother too!

INT. WILL'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT Will sits alone in his one room apartment, reading. A closer look reveals he is reading a self - help PSYCHOLOGY BOOK. Will is flipping through the book at about a page per second. He shakes his head and smiles. Upon finishing the book, he throws it in a nearby WASTEBASKET. Push in on the back of the book where a SMILING PSYCHOLOGIST is pictured.

INT. PSYCHOLOGIST'S OFFICE -- CONTINUOUS Will sits in a well decorated Psychologist's Office. Across from Will sits the same PSYCHOLOGIST, HENRY LIPKIN -LRB- 40 -RRB-, from the book. They are in mid - session. WILL That's why I love stock - car racin'. That Dale Ernhart's real good. PSYCHOLOGIST Now you know Will, and I know, what you need to be doing. You have a gift. WILL I could work the pit maybe, but I could never drive like Dale Ernhart - PSYCHOLOGIST You have a quality - something you were born with, that you have no control over - and you are, in a sense, hiding that by becoming a janitor. And I'm not saying that's wrong. I'm friends with the janitor that works in my building. He's been to my house for dinner. As a matter of fact I did some free consultation for `` Mike'' - that's not his real name. That's in my book. WILL Yeah, I read your book. `` Mike'' had the same problems as `` Chad'' the stockbroker. PSYCHOLOGIST Yes. The pressures you feel, and again, I am neither labeling nor judging them, are keeping you from fulfilling your potential - you're in a rut. So stop the Tom Foolery - the Shenanigan's, Will. WILL You're right. I know. PSYCHOLOGIST Will, your not getting off that easy. WILL No, but, I mean you know. I do other things. That no one knows about. PSYCHOLOGIST Like what, Will? WILL I go places, I interact. PSYCHOLOGIST What places? WILL Certain, clubs. -LRB- beat. -RRB- Like, Paradise. It's not bad. Will gives the Psychologist a furtive look. WILL It's just that feeling when you can take your shirt off and really dance. -LRB- beat. -RRB- When the music owns you. Do you understand? PSYCHOLOGIST I might understand that. WILL Do you find it hard to hide the fact that you're gay? PSYCHOLOGIST What? WILL C'mon, I read your book. I talked to you. It's just something I know to be true. PSYCHOLOGIST That's very presumptuous. WILL Buddy, two seconds ago you were ready to give me a jump. PSYCHOLOGIST -LRB- a little laugh. -RRB- Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm married and I have two children. WILL I'm sure you do. You probably got a real nice house, nice car - your book's a best seller. PSYCHOLOGIST You're getting defensive, Will. WILL Look, man. I do n't care if you're putting from the rough. There are solid arguments that some of the greatest people in history were gay ; Alexander the Great, Caesar, Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Napoleon, Gertrude Stein, not to mention Danny Terrio, not many straight men can dance like that. PSYCHOLOGIST Who is `` Danny Terrio?'' WILL If you wan na hit `` Ramrod,'' take your shot. Take some pride in it. You go to church? So fuckin' what, God loves you. I mean, Christ. A guy as well known as you? By the time you put your disguise on and skulk out of the house Sunday nights you probably look like `` Inspector Clouseau.'' The Psychologist calmly packs his things. PSYCHOLOGIST Well, I can see this is pointless. WILL You're getting defensive. Henry. And hey, chief - tell the wife, at least. Christ, set her free. The shrink gets up and walks out. WILL Fuckin' hypocrite.

INT. HALLWAY -- CONTINUOUS The Psychologist comes walking out, much to the surprise of Lambeau and Tom who have been waiting in the lobby. LAMBEAU Henry? The Psychologist keeps walking. PSYCHOLOGIST No. You know what, Gerry? This is why I do n't do pro - bono anymore. It's not worth it to me. LAMBEAU What happened? PSYCHOLOGIST I do n't have the time. I'm going on national television this week. LAMBEAU Wait a minute, Henry. He -LSB- Henry -RSB- is out the door. Lambeau looks to Tom.

INT. LAMBEAU'S OFFICE -- DAY Will is in Lambeau's office. Lambeau is at the board, working on a diagram as Tom takes notes. Will seems disinterested. LAMBEAU This rectangle is subdivided into rectangles. One edge of an inner rectangle is an integer. Can you prove that one edge of the larger rectangle is an integer? WILL Of course. LAMBEAU Okay. How? WILL It's an integer proof. Lambeau smiles. WILL What? Hey, look buddy my time's almost up. You want me to sit here for an hour and write it out? Lambeau says nothing. Will gets up and goes to the board. WILL Look, I'll give you the key steps to it but I'm not gon na do the whole thing. Lambeau keeps smiling. LAMBEAU That would be a monumental waste of time, would n't it, Will? WILL I think so. LAMBEAU I happen to know so. Lambeau rises and goes to the board. LAMBEAU You're thinking too hard. What if I did this? He draws a vertical line through the diagram. LAMBEAU Now, what if I do this? He draws a horizontal line through the diagram. He hands Will the chalk. LAMBEAU Have you ever played checkers? Will realizes what Lambeau is getting at. In a flash he starts drawing lines through the diagram, energized. WILL You color - code it. Half - red, half - black. If that's an integer - Lambeau steps in, writing with him -LSB- Will -RSB-. LAMBEAU What's that? WILL Half - red, half - black - LAMBEAU - that? - WILL - Half - red, half - black - LAMBEAU - That edge! WILL An integer. The two stop. They are silent for a moment. Like two gunfighters after a duel, they put down the chalk. LAMBEAU -LRB- checks his watch. -RRB- It would appear we got that proof in under the wire after all. It's not how hard you look at things, young man, it's the way you look at them. If you take aim before you fire, you will find the most difficult problems become, quite literally, child's play. Will gets his coat. LAMBEAU Will, you've managed to offend four of my colleagues so much that they refused to come back. You're meeting with the leading hypnotist in the country next week and Tom and I plan to sit in on the sessions, so I expect you to behave appropriately.

INT. LAMBEAU'S OFFICE -- DAY Will sits in a chair across from Lambeau and the HYPNOTIST. Lambeau's assistant, TOM -LRB- 33 -RRB- takes notes. The Hypnotist makes small talk with Lambeau, who checks his watch. LAMBEAU Shall we start the, uh. WILL Yeah, when do I get my hypnosis? You guys been talkin' for twenty minutes. HYPNOTIST Yes, Will. We'll get to that. But first, why do n't you go to sleep for me. He SNAPS HIS FINGERS and instantly Will's head goes BACK and his EYES CLOSE. The Hypnotist gives Lambeau a look. HYPNOTIST Would you mind standing on one leg? Will gets up and stands on one leg. Lambeau is impressed.

INT. LAMBEAU'S OFFICE -- LATER Will is reclining, eyes closed, in a trance - like state. The mood is more serious now. HYPNOTIST Okay, you're in your bed, Will. Now how old are you? WILL Seven. HYPNOTIST And what do you see? WILL Somethin's in my room. HYPNOTIST What is it? WILL It's like a small figure, hoverin' over me. Gettin' closer. Will flinches. HYPNOTIST You're in a safe place, Will. WILL It's touching me. Lambeau makes a sound. The Hypnotist shushes him -LSB- Lambeau -RSB- with his -LSB- Hypnotist's -RSB- finger. Tom returns to his note - taking. HYPNOTIST Where is it touching you? WILL Down there. -LRB- indicating genitals. -RRB- And I'm nervous. HYPNOTIST You do n't have to be nervous, Will. Lambeau and the Therapist trade looks. This is working. WILL'Cause I'm not ready. -LRB- calming. -RRB- But the figure tells me everything's gon na be all right.'Cause the figure's a Libra too. And we start dancin' and it's beautiful - Will breaks into song at full volume. WILL `` SKY ROCKETS IN FLIGHT!'' LAMBEAU -LRB- getting up. -RRB- Oh Jesus. The Hypnotist gets up and starts heading towards the door. Will is still singing from `` Sky Rockets.'' LAMBEAU Wait a minute, Barry. HYPNOTIST I have better ways to spend my time. He is gone. Will stops singing, laughs. LAMBEAU Oh, for God's sake, Will. WILL Oh, come on! You're not pinnin' this one on me. He left, I wanted to talk to him for another twenty minutes. I was havin' fun. LAMBEAU I told you to cooperate with these people. WILL C'mon, that guy was a fuckin' piece of work. Will gets up and adopts a hypnotic persona in front of Lambeau. WILL -LRB- spooky voice. -RRB- Look into my eyes. I do n't need therapy. LAMBEAU Get out, Will. WILL Okay. do n't forget to get another therapist for next week. LAMBEAU That's enough. Will is out the door. Lambeau turns to Tom. TOM I called Mel Weintraub this morning, to check for availability. LAMBEAU What's the point? TOM What do you want to do? LAMBEAU There is somebody. TOM Who is he? LAMBEAU He was my roommate in college.

INT. BUNKER HILL CAMPUS -- DAY This is SEAN MAGUIRE'S `` Dying and Bereavement'' class. Emblazoned on the door is `` room 101.'' While the lecture hall could hold sixty students, there are less than fifteen here today. Sean Maguire lectures to the class in a resigned tone. Tired of teaching, tired of life, he finds himself resigned to the tedium of teaching core classes to an indifferent student body. SEAN Establishing trust is the most important component in making breakthroughs with a patient. Why? A beat. SEAN Maureen? MAUREEN'S only response is an empty stare. SEAN Keep up the good work, Maureen. Vinnie? VINNIE looks up. VINNIE Because trust is an important thing. SEAN Do n't bullshit me, Vinnie. Did n't your brother give you the notes? Okay. If a patient does n't trust you then they wo n't feel safe enough to be honest with you - then there's no point to them being in therapy. It's like saying - `` Fine, come here and do n't tell me a thing but go home feeling like you're doing something about your problems - and give me my fifty bucks before you leave will ya'!'' He looks around the room for approval. No one is listening. SEAN If you do n't help them trust you - then there's no way you'll ever get them to sleep with you. And that should be the goal of any good therapist. Insecure women, you know. nail'em when they're vulnerable, that's always been my motto. The students look up, somewhat stunned. SEAN See, I got Vinnie's attention. Laughter. Sean starts to resume his lecture, when he notices LAMBEAU standing in the back of the room. There is an awkward moment. SEAN Gerry. LAMBEAU Sean. SEAN -LRB- to class. -RRB- Well, it seems we're in the presence of greatness. Professor Gerald Lambeau is a Field's Medal winner. Combunatorial Mathematics. 1986. The students stare blankly. LAMBEAU Hello. SEAN The Field's Medal is the Nobel Prize for math. -LRB- beat. -RRB- But it's only given out every four years. A beat. SEAN Okay, that's all for today. Try and get through Fernald by Monday. The class starts to pack up and file out. Lambeau approaches Sean who steps down from the lectern. LAMBEAU Good to see you. SEAN Good to see you. LAMBEAU Is there someplace we can talk?

EXT. HARVARD SQUARE -- NIGHT Will and Skylar on their first date. They watch a street MAGICIAN doing tricks with a rabbit. The guy's tricks are pretty good, but his on - stage persona could use some work. He is incessantly repeating the phrase `` this is the rabbit, the rabbit really does the tricks.'' Will gives Skylar a look and they move on.

INT. TOY STORE -- LATER Will and Skylar walk into the small shop. SKYLAR I do n't know, it was just kind of the boring suburban thing. Private school, Harvard, and now Med. School. -LRB- Beat. -RRB- I actually figured out that at the end of it, my brain will be worth a quarter of a million dollars. I should n't have told you that. WILL I bet your parents were happy to pay. SKYLAR I was happy to pay. I inherited the money. WILL Is Harvard gettin' all that money? SKYLAR Stanford. I'm leaving in June after I graduate. WILL So you just want to use me and go? SKYLAR Well, I'm gon na experiment on you for my anatomy class, then go. WILL In that case, fine. -LRB- beat. -RRB- Want to see my magic trick? SKYLAR Sure. Will, pulls out a bulging HANDFUL OF CARAMELS. WILL Now, I'm gon na make all these caramels disappear. SKYLAR Okay. Will goes into all manner of hocus - pocus theatrics. Then shakes his hand wildly. The trick does n't pan out and the caramels go flying all over the store. Skylar laughs. WILL It works better when I have my rabbit.

INT. LOCKOBER RESTAURANT -- NIGHT Lambeau and Sean share a table at this exclusive restaurant. Sean seems slightly out of place in his wrinkled sport coat. LAMBEAU I did n't see you at the reunion. SEAN I've been busy. LAMBEAU You were missed. -LRB- beat. -RRB- How long has it been since we've seen each other? SEAN Since Nancy died. LAMBEAU I'm sorry, that damn conference - SEAN I got your card.

INT. HARVARD SQ. DINER: "THE TASTY" -- NIGHT A FRY COOK hands Will and Skylar a pair of CHEESEBURGERS. SKYLAR Have you ever seen Annie Hall? WILL No. SKYLAR Well, there's this part of the movie that's about how there's always this tension on a first date where both people are thinking about what's going to happen with the whole ` good night kiss' thing. Will smiles. WILL I really do n't ` date' that much. SKYLAR -LRB- laughs. -RRB- You know what I mean. I know you've at least thought about it. WILL No I have n't. SKYLAR Yes you have. You were thinking you were gon na get a good night kiss. WILL -LRB- mock protest. -RRB- No I was n't. SKYLAR Yes you were. WILL I was kinda' hopin' to get a `` good night laid'' but. I'll take a kiss. She laughs. SKYLAR Oh, you will? WILL No. I was hoping to get a kiss. SKYLAR Then why do n't we just get it out of the way. He looks at her. WILL Now? Both of them have cheeseburger in their mouths. SKYLAR Yeah. They kiss, mouths full of burger. It's nice. A beat. SKYLAR That had to be the worst good night kiss. Will laughs. WILL Hey, look lady, I'm just here for the free food. She smiles. SKYLAR Free? WILL Hey, I spent all my money on those caramels. She laughs.

INT. LOCKOBER RESTAURANT -- SAME Lambeau and Sean, having finished their meal. Lambeau has been pitching Sean. SEAN I've been busy, Gerry. I got a full schedule. LAMBEAU This kid's special, Sean. I've never seen anything like him. SEAN Not much free time, Gerry. LAMBEAU Have you ever heard of a man named Ramanujan? Sean nods his head. SEAN Yeah. LAMBEAU He was alive over a hundred years ago. He was Indian. Dots, not feathers. Sean finishes the joke. Lambeau chuckles. LAMBEAU So this Ramanujan lived in a tiny hut in India. No formal education, no access to other works. But he came across an old math book and from this basic text he was able to extrapolate theories that had baffled mathematicians for years. SEAN And he mailed it to Hardy - LAMBEAU That's right, Sean. He mailed it to a professor at Cambridge who immediately recognized the brilliance in his work and brought Ramanujan to England. SEAN Where he contracted pneumonia and died at a young age - LAMBEAU They worked together for the remainder of their lives, producing some of the most exciting math theory ever done. Ramanujan's genius was unparalleled, Sean. This boy is like that. But he's very defensive and I need someone who can get through to him. SEAN Why me? LAMBEAU I need someone with your kind of background. SEAN My kind of background? LAMBEAU You're from the same neighborhood. South Boston. SEAN He's from Southie? How many people did you try before you came to me? LAMBEAU -LRB- looks squarely at Sean. -RRB- Five. Sean gives a slight, knowing smile. SEAN Who? Barry, Henry, Rick. Lambeau nods. SEAN Not Rick? You did n't send him to Rick? LAMBEAU Just meet with the boy once a week. SEAN Can we do it at my office? LAMBEAU That would be fine. The waiter comes with the CHECK. Each man reaches for it. LAMBEAU Sean, please. SEAN I got it. LAMBEAU It's on the college. Sean relents.

EXT. BUNKER HILL CAMPUS -- MORNING Establishing shot of the red - brick campus. Planes land at nearby Logan airport. Will walks up the steps.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY Sean's office is comfortable. Books are stacked against the wall. There is a PAINTING on the wall behind Sean. Sean is seated behind a desk. Lambeau sits in a chair in the back of the room, next to Tom. A long beat passes, they wait. LAMBEAU Any vulnerability he senses, he'll exploit. SEAN I'll be okay. LAMBEAU It's a poker game with this young man. Do n't let him see what you've got. Sean nods. Will walks in. Everyone stands to greet Will. LAMBEAU Hello, Will. Any trouble finding the place? WILL No. LAMBEAU Will, this is Sean Maguire. Sean, Will Hunting. Sean and Will nod. An awkward moment as the four men stand. LAMBEAU Well, let's get started. WILL Yeah, let's let the healing begin. Lambeau is slightly embarrassed. Sean smiles at Will's joke. SEAN Would you excuse us? LAMBEAU Tom. SEAN You too, Gerry. Lambeau looks at Sean, surprised. Sean's stare is unwavering. After an awkward moment, Lambeau goes, leaving Sean and Will alone. Will does n't look at Sean for more than a second. He seems more interested in the room. There is a long silence as Sean watches Will. SEAN Hello, Will. I'm Sean Maguire. A smile crosses Will's face as he walks to his chair and sits. He lights a cigarette. Sean continues to watch him. Finally - SEAN Where are you from in Southie? WILL Did you buy all these books retail, or do you send away for like a `` shrink kit'' that comes with all these volumes included? SEAN Have you read all these books, Will? WILL Probably not. SEAN -LRB- indicating a shelf. -RRB- How about the ones on that shelf? Will's eyes flicker up to the shelf for an instant. WILL Yeah, I read those. SEAN What did you think? WILL I'm not here for a fuckin' book report. They're your books, why do n't you read'em? SEAN I did. WILL That must have taken you a long time. SEAN Yeah, it did take me a long time. Sean says this with pride. His determined stare and confident manner catch Will a bit off guard. Will rises from his chair and goes to the shelf. WILL -LRB- looking at book. -RRB- `` A History of the United States, Volume I.'' If you want to read a real history book, read Howard Zinn's `` A People's History of the United States.'' That book will knock you on your ass. SEAN How about Noam Chomsky's `` Manufacturing Consent?'' WILL You people baffle me. You spend all this money on beautiful, fancy books - and they're the wrong fuckin' books. SEAN You think so? WILL Whatever blows your hair back. Will returns to his chair. Pause. SEAN -LRB- indicating cigarette. -RRB- Guy your age should n't smoke so much. Stunt your growth. WILL You're right. It really gets in the way of my jazzercizing. Sean does not seem at all affected by Will's attitude. He remains behind the big desk with almost half a smile on his face. Will is aware of Sean's confidence. WILL Do you lift? SEAN Yes, I do. WILL Nautilus? SEAN Free weights. WILL Oh yeah? Me too. What do you bench? SEAN 285. WILL Oh. Will gets up again and moves around his chair to Sean's painting. It is a picture of an old sailboat in a tremendous storm - by no means a masterpiece. Will studies it. WILL You paint this? SEAN Yeah. Do you paint? WILL No. SEAN Crayons? WILL This is a real piece of shit. SEAN Tell me what you really think. WILL Poor color composition, lousy use of space. But that shit does n't really concern me. SEAN What does? WILL The color here, see how dark it is? It's interesting. SEAN What is? WILL I think you're one step away from cutting your ear off. SEAN Oh, `` Starry Night'' time, huh? WILL You ever heard the saying, `` any port in a storm?'' SEAN Sure, how ` bout `` still waters run deep'' - WILL - Well, maybe that means you. SEAN Maybe what mea - WILL Maybe you were in the middle of a storm, a big fuckin' storm - the waves were crashing over the bow, the Goddamned mast was about to snap, and you were crying for the harbor. So you did what you had to do, to get out. Maybe you became a psychologist. SEAN Maybe you should be a patient and sit down. WILL Maybe you married the wrong woman. SEAN Watch your mouth. WILL That's it is n't it? You married the wrong woman. She leave you? Was she bangin' someone else? Sean is walking slowly towards Will. WILL How are the seas now, D - In a flash, Sean has Will by the throat. Will is helpless. SEAN If you ever disrespect my wife again. I will end you. WILL Time's up.

INT. HALLWAY -- CONTINUOUS Will walks out of Sean's office past Lambeau and Tom who are sitting in the hallway. WILL At ease, gentlemen.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY Sean stands behind his desk in his office, still very much on edge. Lambeau walks in. LAMBEAU Five minutes, Sean. Are you okay? A pause, Sean is staring at his painting. LAMBEAU I'll understand if you do n't want to meet with him again. SEAN Thursday, four o'clock. Make sure the kid is here.

EXT. WONDERLAND RACETRACK -- DAY Will and Skylar sit in the stands watching the dogs run. They ad lib teasing one another about England, Ireland, and America. SKYLAR You grew up around here? WILL Not far from here, South Boston. SKYLAR How was that? WILL Pretty boring, I guess. She smiles. SKYLAR I bet you have a great family. WILL You know, nothing special. SKYLAR You have a lot of brothers and sisters? WILL Do I have a lot of brothers and sisters? SKYLAR Yeah. WILL Well, Irish Catholic. What do you think? SKYLAR How many? WILL You would n't believe me if I told you. SKYLAR What, five? Will shakes his head. SKYLAR Seven? Will shakes his head. Smiles. SKYLAR Come on. WILL I have twelve big brothers. SKYLAR Not a chance. WILL Yup, you're lookin' at lucky thirteen. SKYLAR Bullshit. WILL I swear to God. SKYLAR Your house must have been a zoo. WILL It was great. There was always someone to play with, give you advice. SKYLAR Do you know all their names? WILL ` Course I do, they're my brothers. SKYLAR Well. WILL Marky, Ricky, Danny, Terry, Mikey, Davey, Timmy, Tommy, Joey, Robby, Johnny, and Brian. SKYLAR -LRB- laughing. -RRB- Do you keep in touch with them? WILL All the time. We all live in Southie. I live with three of them now. Skylar smiles. SKYLAR I want to meet them. WILL We'll do that.

INT. SEAN'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT As we pan across Sean's small apartment, we find it strewn with dirty clothes and the sink full of dishes. Although, if it were n't for the clutter, the place would feel pretty bare. A framed SPORTS ILLUSTRATED cover featuring a screaming Larry Bird and entitled `` CELTIC PRIDE'' hangs on the wall. Sean sits at the table next to another nearly empty bottle of BUSHMILL'S IRISH WHISKEY. He is deep in thought.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY Will strolls into the office. Sean is waiting there behind his desk. He seems different. More calm. Will and Sean stare at each other for a long moment. WILL You again. How the paintin' coming? Sean stands up. SEAN Come with me.

EXT. BOSTON COMMON -- MINUTES LATER Sean and Will sit in the bleachers at the mostly empty park. They look out over a small pond, in which a group of schoolchildren on a field trip ride the famous Swan Boats. WILL So what's with this place? You have a swan fetish? Is this something you'd like to talk about? SEAN I was thinking about what you said to me the other day, about my painting. I stayed up half the night thinking about it and then something occurred to me and I fell into a deep peaceful sleep and have n't thought about you since. You know what occurred to me? WILL No. SEAN You're just a boy. You do n't have the faintest idea what you're talking about. WILL Why thank you. SEAN You've never been out of Boston. WILL No. SEAN So if I asked you about art you could give me the skinny on every art book ever written. Michelangelo? You know a lot about him I bet. Life's work, criticisms, political aspirations. But you could n't tell me what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel. You've never stood there and looked up at that beautiful ceiling. And if I asked you about women I'm sure you could give me a syllabus of your personal favorites, and maybe you've been laid a few times too. But you could n't tell me how it feels to wake up next to a woman and be truly happy. If I asked you about war you could refer me to a bevy of fictional and non - fictional material, but you've never been in one. You've never held your best friend's head in your lap and watched him draw his last breath, looking to you for help. And if I asked you about love I'd get a sonnet, but you've never looked at a woman and been truly vulnerable. Known that someone could kill you with a look. That someone could rescue you from grief. That God had put an angel on Earth just for you. And you would n't know how it felt to be her angel. To have the love be there for her forever. Through anything, through cancer. You would n't know about sleeping sitting up in a hospital room for two months holding her hand and not leaving because the doctors could see in your eyes that the term `` visiting hours'' did n't apply to you. And you would n't know about real loss, because that only occurs when you lose something you love more than yourself, and you've never dared to love anything that much. I look at you and I do n't see an intelligent confident man, I do n't see a peer, and I do n't see my equal. I see a boy. Nobody could possibly understand you, right Will? Yet you presume to know so much about me because of a painting you saw. You must know everything about me. You're an orphan, right? Will nods quietly. SEAN Do you think I would presume to know the first thing about who you are because I read `` Oliver Twist?'' And I do n't buy the argument that you do n't want to be here, because I think you like all the attention you're getting. Personally, I do n't care. There's nothing you can tell me that I ca n't read somewhere else. Unless we talk about your life. But you wo n't do that. Maybe you're afraid of what you might say. Sean stands, SEAN It's up to you. And walks away.

INT. CONSTRUCTION SITE -- DAY Will and Chuckie doing demo at the site. They throw cinderblocks out a window into a pile. They are filthy.

EXT. SOUTH BOSTON STREET -- NIGHT Rain pounds South Boston. Chuckie sits with the Cadillac fiddling, humming to the radio. Morgan and Billy sit in the back, sharing a case of beer. Will is at a pay phone.

INT. SKYLAR'S ROOM -- NIGHT SKYLAR Hello? Will hangs up and runs back to the car, soaked. CHUCKIE Who'd you call? WILL No one. I did n't have the number. MORGAN What are you, retarded? You went all the way out there in the rain and you did n't have the number? WILL No, it was your mother's 900 number. I just ran out of quarters. Laughter. Chuckie pulls away from the curb. MORGAN Why do n't we get off mothers, I just got off yours. There is a long moment of silence in response to Morgan's attempt at levity. Then laughter. BILLY You're a pretty funny guy. Here, have a nickel. Billy WHIPS his EMPTY BEER CAN off of Morgan's head. MORGAN Keep fuckin' with me. Watch what happens. BILLY All right, then. MORGAN Watch what happens.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY Will sits across from Sean completely silent and takes out a pack of cigarettes. SEAN No smoking. Will puts the cigarettes away. Sean stares at Will and occasionally at the clock. Sean continues to check the clock on the wall. It is the only clock in the room and it is BEHIND Will. Their hour is almost up. CLOSE ON : WILL'S EYES INTERCUT WITH THE CLOCK. He is counting seconds. As the second hand crosses the twelve, Will stands up and walks out, leaving Sean alone.

INT. HALLWAY -- LATER Lambeau and Sean walk down the hallway after the session. LAMBEAU What do you mean `` he did n't talk?'' You sat there for an hour? SEAN No, he just sat there and counted the seconds until the session was over. It was pretty impressive, actually. LAMBEAU Why would he do that? SEAN To show me he does n't have to talk to me if he does n't want to. LAMBEAU Oh, what is this? Some kind of staring contest between two kids from the `` old neighborhood?'' SEAN I wo n't talk first.

EXT. WILL'S APARTMENT -- EVENING Chuckie drops Will off at his apartment, watches him -LSB- Will -RSB- walk up the steps.

EXT. WILL'S APARTMENT -- MORNING Chuckie pulls up to the curb and walks up the steps to Will's front door. After a beat, Will emerges. They get back in -LSB- the car -RSB-.

EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE -- DAY Will and Chuckie at work. Chuckie shows Will how to be a man.

INT. L STREET BAR & GRILLE, SOUTH BOSTON -- NIGHT The bar is a bit more crowded than usual. Will and Chuckie walk back to their table, carrying beers. They pass a table of GIRLS, local regulars getting just as bombed as the guys. These girls are a little overdone. Too much make - up, too much hairspray, and too much body for such tight outfits. One of the girls, KRYSTYN, smiles at Will who seems subdued. KRYSTYN Hi, Will. WILL How you doin', Krystyn. They pass the table of girls. Chuckie looks at one, ruefully. CHUCKIE I did n't get on Cathy last night. WILL Why not? CHUCKIE I do n't know. Chuckie turns back to one of the girls, calling out : CHUCKIE Cathy! Why did n't you give me none of your twat last night? A girl at the table, CATHY, holds up her PINKY FINGER and smiles - revealing a mouthful of MISSING TEETH. CATHY Fuck you and your Irish curse, Chuckie! CHUCKIE She's missin' teeth, Will. Will nods, not really into it tonight. CHUCKIE Plus, it's like, five to two Morgan ends up marryin' her. There's only so many times you can bang your friend's future wife. They get to the table. Will's heart just is n't in it. WILL I'm takin' off. ALL We're goin' late night. WILL I'm tired.

INT. LAMBEAU'S OFFICE -- DAY Will and Lambeau work together at the board. They communicate non - verbally as they collaborate on a problem. After a particularly amusing series of numbers, they share a look and laugh.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY Will and Sean sit in silence. A long moment passes. Sean casually reclines in his chair, disinterested. Will restlessly looks around the room and then back to Sean. An odd half smile crosses Sean's face. After a moment : WILL You know, I was on this plane once. And I'm sittin' there and the captain comes on and is like `` we'll be cruising at 35,000 feet,'' and does his thing, then he puts the mike down but forgets to turn it off. Then he says `` man, all I want right now is a blow - job and a cup of coffee.'' So the stewardess goes runnin' up towards the cock - pit to tell him the mike's still on, and this guy in the back of the plane goes `` do n't forget the coffee!'' SEAN -LRB- smiles. -RRB- You've never been on a plane. WILL I know, but the joke's better if I tell it in the first person. A beat. WILL I have been laid you know. Sean smiles. SEAN Yeah? You got a lady now? WILL Yeah, I went on a date last week. SEAN How'd it go? WILL Fine. SEAN Well, are you going out again? WILL I do n't know. SEAN Why not? WILL Have n't called her. SEAN Jesus Christ, you are an amateur. WILL I know what I'm doing. She's different from the other girls I met. We have a really good time. She's smart, beautiful, fun. SEAN So Christ, call her up. WILL Why? So I can realize she's not so smart. That she's boring. You do n't get it. Right now she's perfect, I do n't want to ruin that. SEAN And right now you're perfect too. Maybe you do n't want to ruin that. Will says nothing. SEAN Well, I think that's a great philosophy Will, that way you can go through your entire life without ever having to really know anybody. Sean looks directly at Will, who looks away. A beat. SEAN My wife used to turn the alarm clock off in her sleep. I was late for work all the time because in the middle of the night she'd roll over and turn the damn thing off. Eventually I got a second clock and put it under my side of the bed, but it got to where she was gettin' to that one too. She was afraid of the dark, so the closet light was on all night. Thing kept me up half the night. Eventually I'd fall asleep, out of sheer exhaustion and not wake up when I was supposed to cause she'd have already gotten to my alarms. Will smiles, Sean takes a beat. SEAN My wife's been dead two years, Will. And when I think about her, those are the things I think about most. Little idiosyncrasies that only I knew about. Those made her my wife. And she had the goods on me too. Little things I do out of habit. People call these things imperfections Will. It's just who we are. And we get to choose who we're going to let into out weird little worlds. You're not perfect. And let me save you the suspense, this girl you met is n't either. The question is, whether or not you're perfect for each other. You can know everything in the world, but the only way you're findin' that one out is by giving it a shot. You sure wo n't get the answer from an old fucker like me. And even if I did know, I would n't tell you. Will smiles. A beat. WILL Why not? You told me every other fuckin' thing. You talk more than any shrink I ever met. Sean laughs. SEAN I teach this shit, I did n't say I knew how to do it. WILL You ever think about gettin' remarried? SEAN My wife's dead. WILL Hence, the word remarried. SEAN My wife's dead. WILL Well I think that's a wonderful philosophy, Sean. That way you can go through the rest of your life without having to really know anyone. A beat. Sean smiles. SEAN Time's up.

EXT. SKYLAR'S DORM -- AFTERNOON Will is waiting outside the door for someone to come out - so he can go in.

INT. SKYLAR'S DORM -- AFTERNOON The door to Skylar's dorm is partially open. Will stands outside while Skylar remains on the threshold. SKYLAR Where have you been? WILL I'm sorry, I been real busy. SKYLAR You were busy? You know, I really was waiting for you to call me. WILL Sorry. I'm sorry. Give me another crack at it. Let me take you out. SKYLAR You should have called. I have an `` O - chem'' lab due tomorrow and it's impossible. -LRB- beat. -RRB- It's not an excuse dummy. I want to go out with you. But look : She holds up her Lab. Will glances at it. SKYLAR Tomorrow? WILL Promise? SKYLAR If you bring the caramels. Will smiles.

EXT. HARVARD SQUARE -- LATER Will sits in an outdoor cafe, thinking. After a beat, he leans over to two students working at a nearby table, borrows a pen and paper and starts writing.

EXT. SKYLAR'S DORM -- DAY Will is a solitary figure strolling across the lawn. He stops at Skylar's dorm and knocks on the door.

INT. SKYLAR'S DORM -- DAY She emerges. He hands her the paper he was working on. It is her O - chem lab. WILL I could n't wait till tomorrow. SKYLAR How the hell did you do that? WILL Did n't your mother ever tell you not to look a gift horse in the mouth? SKYLAR I'm supposed to understand this. WILL You're not going into surgery tomorrow are you? SKYLAR No. WILL Then let's go have some fun. With a smile, she relents.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY Sean and Will in session. SEAN Really? How'd the date go? WILL Do you still counsel veterans? -LRB- beat. -RRB- I read your book last night. SEAN No, I do n't. WILL Why not? SEAN I gave that up when my wife got sick. WILL Is that why you did n't write anything else? SEAN -LRB- smiles. -RRB- I did n't write anything else'cause nobody, including most of my colleagues bothered to read the first one. WILL Well, I've read you colleagues. Your book was good, Sean. -LRB- beat. -RRB- All those guys were in your platoon? SEAN Yeah. WILL What happened to that guy from Kentucky? SEAN Lon? He got married. He has a kid. I kind of lost touch with him after Nancy got sick. WILL Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you never met your wife? SEAN What? Do I wonder if I'd be better off if I never met my wife? Will starts to clarify his question. SEAN No, that's okay. It's an important question.'Cause you'll have your bad times, which wake you up to the good stuff you were n't paying attention to. And you can fail, as long as you're trying hard. But there's nothing worse than regret. WILL You do n't regret meetin' your wife? SEAN Why? Because of the pain I feel now? I have regrets Will, but I do n't regret a singel day I spent with her. WILL When did you know she was the one? SEAN October 21, 1975. Game six of the World Series. Biggest game in Red Sox history, Me and my friends slept out on the sidewalk all night to get tickets. We were sitting in a bar waiting for the game to start and in walks this girl. What a game that was. Tie game in the bottom of the tenth inning, in steps Carlton Fisk, hit a long fly ball down the left field line. Thirty - five thousand fans on their feet, screamin' at the ball to stay fair. Fisk is runnin' up the baseline, wavin' at the ball like a madman. It hits the foul pole, home run. Thirty - five thousand people went crazy. And I was n't one of them. WILL Where were you? SEAN I was havin' a drink with my future wife. WILL You missed Pudge Fisk's homerun to have a drink with a woman you had never met? SEAN That's right. WILL So wait a minute. The Red Sox have n't won a World Series since nineteen eighteen, you slept out for tickets, games gon na start in twenty minutes, in walks a girl you never seen before, and you give your ticket away? SEAN You should have seen this girl. She lit up the room. WILL I do n't care if Helen of Troy walked into that bar! That's game six of the World Series! Sean smiles. WILL And what kind of friends are these? They let you get away with that? SEAN I just slid my ticket across the table and said `` sorry fellas, I got ta go see about a girl.'' WILL `` I got ta go see about a girl''? What did they say? SEAN They could see that I meant it. WILL You're kiddin' me. SEAN No Will, I'm not kiddin' you. If I had gone to see that game I'd be in here talkin' abouta girl I saw at a bar twenty years ago. And how I always regretted not goin' over there and talkin' to her. I do n't regret the eighteen years we were married. I do n't regret givin' up counseling for six years when she got sick. I do n't regret being by her side for the last two years when things got real bad. And I sure as Hell do n't regret missing that damn game. A beat. Will is impressed. WILL Would have been nice to catch that game though. SEAN -LRB- breaking. -RRB- Well hell, I did n't know Pudge was gon na hit the home run. They laugh.

INT LAMBEAU'S OFFICE -- DAY The office is more crowded than usual. TOM and THREE of LAMBEAU'S COLLEAGUES including the esteemed ALEXANDER PEKEC are in the room. Will sits at a work - station which projects a proof of his -LSB- Will's -RSB- onto the chalkboard. Lambeau stands beside the projected image at the board arguing with Pekec, a foreign mathematician. The image is of a Ramses graph binary tree. LAMBEAU Alexander, I know your theory. The boy is updating, he's strategy stealing. PEKEC With a Ramses graph on the binary tree - LAMBEAU - But what he's doing, he's attaching an edge to the adjacent vertex. He can always failsafe to either side - PEKEC Maker can. This is not new, Gerry! Pekec starts writing lines beside Will's proof on the board. PEKEC But I can always garbage out. -LRB- writes frantically. -RRB- All the way to `` N'' to the minus one. LAMBEAU No, there's a limit. PEKEC The limit is not found! -LRB- turns to Will. -RRB- The limit is not found. WILL But I can always go to the other side. PEKEC There is no proof - Lambeau can no longer contain himself. LAMBEAU Maker builds `` K'' to the `` N.'' N is three to the K times - PEKEC - But - WILL Look, I wrote it down. They turn to Will who places his proof on the projector. The image is cast over their faces. It reads : As Pekec reads and the realization dawns on him : WILL It's just simpler this way. Lambeau turns with satisfaction to an understanding Pekec. LAMBEAU Alexander, your theory is changed.

INT. SKYLAR'S ROOM -- NIGHT Will and Skylar in her room, post coital. They are wrapped in a sheet. Will is absent - mindedly playing the memory game SIMON. The pattern grows increasingly complex. After a beat : SKYLAR Why do we always stay here? WILL'Cause it's nicer than my place. SKYLAR I've never seen your place. WILL Exactly. SKYLAR What about your friends? Or your brothers? When do I get to meet them? WILL They do n't come over here that much. SKYLAR I think I can make it to South Boston. WILL Aah, it's kind of a hike. SKYLAR Is it me you're hiding from them or the other way around? WILL All right, all right. We'll go. SKYLAR When? WILL Sometime. I do n't know. Next week. SKYLAR What if I said I would n't sleep with you again until you let me meet your friends? WILL I'd say. -LRB- reaches for phone. -RRB- It's only four in the mornin', they're prob ` ly up. She laughs. Stops him. SKYLAR You men are shameful. If you're not thinking of your wiener then you're acting on its behalf. WILL Then on behalf of my wiener, I'd like to ask for an advance.

INT. L STREET BAR & GRILLE -- LATER Skylar and Will sit together along with Will's gang. The boys are considerably drunk, but it makes for good entertainment. Everyone here is having fun including Sylar. MORGAN Will, I ca n't believe you brought Skylar here when we're all wrecked. What's she gon na think about us? WILL Yeah, Morgan. It's a real rarity that we'd be out drinkin'. BILLY I've been shit faced for like two weeks. MORGAN Oh great, tell her that! Now she really thinks we're problem drinkers! CHUCKIE Two weeks? That's nothin'. My Uncle Marty? Will knows him. That guy fuckin' drinks like you've never seen! One night he was drivin' back to his house on I - 93 - Statie pulls him over. ALL Oh shit. CHUCKIE Guy's tryin' to walk the line - but he ca n't even fuckin' stand up, and so my uncle's gon na spend a night in jail. Just then there's this fuckin' BOOM like fifty yards down the road. Some guy's car hit a tree. MORGAN Some other guy? CHUCKIE Yeah, he was probably drunker than my Uncle, who fuckin' knows? So the cop goes `` Stay here'' And he goes runnin' down the highway to deal with the other crash. So, my Uncle Marty's standin' on the side of the road for a little while, and he's so fuckin' lit, that he forgets what he's waitin' for. So he goes, `` Fuck it.'' He gets in his car and drives home. MORGAN Holy shit. CHUCKIE So in the morning, there's a knock on the door it's the Statie. So my Uncle's like, `` Is there a problem?'' And the Statie's like `` I pulled you over and you took off.'' And my Uncle's like `` I never seen you before in my life, I been home all night with my kids.'' And Statie's like `` Let me get in your garage!'' So he's like `` All right, fine.'' He takes around the garage and opens the door - and the Statie's cruiser is in my Uncle's garage. ALL No way! You're kiddin'! CHUCKIE No, he was so hammered that he drove the police cruiser home. Fuckin' lights and everything! MORGAN Did your Uncle get arrested? CHUCKIE The fuckin' Trooper was so embarrassed he did n't do anything. The fuckin' guy had been drivin' around in my Uncle's car all night lookin' for the house. Everyone is laughing. Skylar speaks above the din. SKYLAR There was this Irish guy, walking down the beach one day. She has everyone's attention. Will is nervous. SKYLAR And he comes across a bottle, and this Genie pops out. The genie turns to the Irishman and says - `` You've released me from my prison, so I'll grant you three wishes.'' The Irish guy thinks for a minute and says `` What I really want is a pint of Guiness that never empties.'' And - POOF! A bottle appears. He slams it down, and - lo and behold - it fills back up again. C/U of Will. Hoping the joke pans out. SKYLAR Well, the Irish guy ca n't believe it. He drinks it again, and again - BOOM! It fills back up. So, while the Irish guy is marveling at his good fortune, The Genie is getting impatient, because it's hot and he wants to get on with his freedom. He says `` Let's go, you have two more wishes.'' The Irish guy slams his drink again, it fills back up, he's still amazed. The Genie ca n't take it anymore. He says `` Buddy, I'm boiling out here. What are your other two wishes?''. -LRB- beat. -RRB- The Irish guy looks at his drink, looks at the Genie and says. `` I guess I'll have two more of these.'' The gang erupts with laughter. CHUCKIE It's a good thing no one's Irish here. MORGAN I'm Irish. Chuckie, Will look at Morgan, baffled.

EXT. L STREET BAR & GRILLE -- LATER Everyone is walking out, saying good - bye. Chuckie goes over to Will and Skylar. CHUCKIE I'm glad you came by, changed my opinion of Harvard people. SKYLAR See ya' Chuckie. I had fun. Chuckie heads towards Will to say goodnight. WILL I do n't know what the fuck you're doin'. You're givin' us a ride. CHUCKIE What do I look like, Al Cowlins? -LRB- seriously. -RRB- You want to take my car, drop her off? WILL I was countin' on it. MORGAN Chuck, let's go. CHUCKIE You're walkin' bitch, Will's takin' the car. Morgan mumbles something and staggers off. Billy follows with an indifferent shrug. WILL Thanks, Chuck. CHUCKIE Do n't get too slap - happy, you're takin' me home first. WILL I do n't know, Chuck. It's kinda outta the way. CHUCKIE Just'cause you do n't have to sleep in the one room palace, do n't start thinkin' you're bad. SKYLAR -LRB- to Will. -RRB- I thought you said you'd show me your place. WILL Not tonight. CHUCKIE Yeah, not tonight. Not any other night. He knows, once you see that shit - hole he's gettin' dropped like a bad habit. SKYLAR I wanted to meet your brothers. Chuckie gives Will a curious look. WILL They're all sleepin' now. -LRB- a beat, to Chuckie. -RRB- Let me get those keys.

INT. FACULTY CLUB -- NIGHT A cocktail party is underway. Professors mingle with representatives from high tech companies. Lambeau stands holding a drink and surrounded by several RECRUITERS. Apparently he's the star of the show. RECRUITER #1 What I want to know, Gerry, is when we get to meet this wonder - boy. LAMBEAU We're still working together, the boy's a little rough. RECRUITER #2 We've got our share of eccentric geniuses at Tri - tech. We know how to deal with that. RECRUITER #3 I think we all do. Laughter. RECRUITER #1 If you're not exaggerating, Gerry - LAMBEAU Was I exaggerating in nineteen eighty - four when I told you I'd win the Field's medal within two years? More laughter. RECRUITER #1 In that case the boy could run shipping for us, routing - RECRUITER #2 You say he does n't have a diploma, but we'll -- RECRUITER #1 I do n't need to see a driver's license. I can think of three departments right now that he could head up for us. LAMBEAU At ease, gentlemen. We're looking carefully at all our options. RECRUITER #3 All right, Gerry. Close to the vest. -LRB- gives him his card. -RRB- Good luck with these vultures. He walks off.

INT. TIMMY'S TAP -- DAY Timmy's Tap is a local watering hole, not unlike the L Street Bar. Sean is at the bar, telling a joke to TIMMY -LRB- 45 -RRB- the owner of the place, and several other REGULARS. SEAN So she goes runnin' up the aisle and I figure `` fuck it'' and I yell out `` do n't forget the coffee! The men erupt in laughter. MARTY, one of the regulars pipe up. MARTY Bullshit! You did n't say that! Timmy and Sean exchange a look. TIMMY Jesus Christ, Marty. It's a joke. Lambeau enters, a bit overdressed in his sport coat and tie. SEAN Gerry! Any trouble finding the place? LAMBEAU Not at all. SEAN Timmy this is Gerry, an old friend of mine. We went to college together. TIMMY Good to meet you. LAMBEAU Pleasure to meet you. SEAN Could we get a couple of sandwiches? -LRB- beat, smiles. -RRB- Put it on my tab. Sean heads towards a table. TIMMY You ever plan on payin' your tab? SEAN -LRB- pulls out lottery ticket. -RRB- I got the winning numbers right here. TIMMY What's the jackpot? SEAN Twelve million. TIMMY I do n't think that'll cover it. Lambeau follows -LSB- Sean -RSB-. They sit. LAMBEAU You're here quite a bit, then. SEAN I live right around the corner. LAMBEAU You moved? SEAN I been here a couple years. There is an awkward moment. SEAN You wanted to talk about Will? LAMBEAU Seems like it's going well. SEAN I think so. LAMBEAU Well, have you talked to him at all about his future? SEAN We have n't really gotten into it. LAMBEAU Maybe you should. My phone's been ringing off the hook with job offers. SEAN Jobs doing what? LAMBEAU Cutting edge mathematics. Think tanks. The kind of place where a mind like Will's is given free reign. SEAN That's great, Gerry, that there's interest - But I'm not sure he's ready for that. LAMBEAU Sean, I really do n't think you understand - SEAN What do n't I understand? Timmy comes over with the sandwiches. SEAN Thanks, Timmy. LAMBEAU Excuse me, Timmy. Could you help us? We're trying to settle a bet. TIMMY Uh - oh. LAMBEAU Have you heard of Jonas Salk? TIMMY Yeah, cured polio. LAMBEAU You've heard of Albert Einstein? Timmy smiles. Gives him a look. LAMBEAU How about Gerald Lambeau? Ever heard of him? TIMMY No. LAMBEAU Okay thank you, Timmy. TIMMY So who won the bet? LAMBEAU I did. A beat. Timmy leaves. LAMBEAU This is n't about me. I'm nothing compared to this young man. -LRB- beat. -RRB- Sean, in 1905 there were hundreds of Professors who were renowned for their study of the universe. But it was a 26 - year - old Swiss Patent clerk, doing physics in his spare time, who changed the world, Sean. Can you imagine if Einstein had given that up? Or gotten drunk with his buddies in Vienna every night? All of us would have lost something. And I'm quite sure Timmy never would have heard of him. SEAN Is n't that a little dramatic, Gerry? LAMBEAU No, Sean. This boy has that gift. He just has n't got the direction. We can give that to him. A beat. SEAN He married his cousin. LAMBEAU Who? SEAN Einstein. Had two marriages, both trainwrecks. The guy never saw his kids, one of whom, I think, ended up in an asylum - possible Unabomber addition - LAMBEAU You see, Sean? That's exactly not the point. No one remembers that. They - SEAN I do. LAMBEAU Well, you're the only one. Beat. LAMBEAU This boy can make contributions to the world. We can help him do that. SEAN Just. take it easy, Gerry. LAMBEAU Look, I do n't know what else I can say. I'm not sitting at home every night, twisting my mustache and hatching a plan to ruin the boy's life. But it's important to start early. I was doing advanced mathematics at eighteen and it still took me twenty - three years to do something worthy of a Field's medal. SEAN Maybe he does n't care about that. A beat. LAMBEAU Sean, this is important. And it's above personal rivalry - SEAN Now wait a minute, Gerry - LAMBEAU No, no you hear me out, Sean. This young man is a true prodigy - SEAN Personal rivalry? I'm not getting back at you. LAMBEAU Look, you took one road and I took another. That's fine. SEAN Is it Gerry?'Cause I do n't think it's fine with you. Give him time to figure out what he wants. LAMBEAU That's a wonderful theory, Sean. It worked wonders for you. A beat. Lambeau gets up. LAMBEAU Sean, I came here today out of courtesy. I wanted to keep you in the loop. As we speak the boy is in a meeting I set up for him over at Tri - tech.

INT. TRI-TECH LABORATORIES, OFFICE -- SAME Three well dressed TRI - TECH EXECUTIVES sit around a conference table, which is littered with promotional brochures. The executives exchange a confused look. One of them speaks. EXECUTIVE -LRB- tentative. -RRB- Well, Will, I'm not exactly sure what you mean, we've already offered you a position. Cut to reveal : Chuckie sitting across from the executives, hair combed down, wearing his Sunday best. CHUCKIE Since this is obviously not my first time in such altercations, let me say this : Chuckie rubs the tips of his fingers together, indicating `` cash.'' The executives are baffled. CHUCKIE Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The executives are completely blank. CHUCKIE At the current time I am looking at a number of different fields from which to disseminate which offer is most pursuant aid to my benefit. -LRB- a beat. -RRB- What do you want? What do I want? What does anybody want? Leniency. EXECUTIVE I'm not sure - CHUCKIE - These circumstances are mitigated. Right now. They're mitigated. Chuckie puts his hands up, as if getting a vibe from the room. EXECUTIVE Okay. Chuckie points to the third executive. CHUCKIE He knows what I'm talking about. The third executive is baffled. CHUCKIE A retainer. Nobody in this town works without a retainer. You think you can find someone who does, you have my blessin'. But I think we all know that person is n't going to represent you as well as I can. EXECUTIVE Will, our offer starts you at eighty - four thousand a year, plus benefits. CHUCKIE Retainer. EXECUTIVE You want us to give you cash right now? CHUCKIE Allegedly, what I am saying is your situation will be concurrently improved if I had two hundred sheets in my pocket right now. The executives exchange looks and go for their wallets. EXECUTIVE I do n't think I. Larry? EXECUTIVE I have about seventy - three. EXECUTIVE Will you take a check? CHUCKIE Come now. what do you think I am, a juvenile? You do n't got any money on you right now. You think I'm gon na take a check? EXECUTIVE It's fine, John, I can cover the rest. CHUCKIE That's right, you know. -LRB- turns to # 1. -RRB- He knows. Chuckie stands up and takes the money. CHUCKIE -LRB- to exec # 1. -RRB- You're suspect. I do n't know what your reputation is, but after the shit you tried to pull today, you can bet I'll be looking into it. Any conversations you want to have with me heretofore, you can have with my attorney. Gentlemen, keep your ears to the grindstone.

EXT. AU BON PAIN COURTYARD, HARVARD SQUARE -- DAY Will and Skylar sit in the open courtyard of this Harvard Square eatery. Skylar is working on another O - chem lab. Will sits across from her, slightly bored watching her work. WILL How's it goin'? SKYLAR Fine. WILL Want me to take a look? SKYLAR No. WILL C'mon, give me a peek and we'll go to the battin' cages. SKYLAR It's important that I learn this. WILL Why is it important to you? If I inherited all that money, the only thing important to me would be workin' on my swing. SKYLAR Clearly. WILL You're rich. What do you have to worry about? SKYLAR Rich? I have an inheritance. It's two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. That's exactly what it'll cost me, minus about five hundred bucks, to go all the way through med school. This is what I'm doing with that money. I could have done anything I wanted. I could have expanded my wardrobe, substantially. WILL Instead you're going to bust your ass for five years so you can be broke? SKYLAR No, so I can be a doctor. A beat. Will nods. She looks down, then up. SKYLAR All right, Mr. Nosey Parker. Let me ask you a question? Do you have a photographic memory? WILL I guess. I do n't know. How do you remember your phone number? SKYLAR Have you ever studied Organic Chemistry? WILL Some, a little. SKYLAR Just for fun? WILL I guess so. SKYLAR Nobody does organic chemistry for `` fun.'' It's unnecessary. Especially for someone like you. WILL Like me? SKYLAR Yeah. Someone like you who divides his time, fairly evenly, between the batting cages and bars. Will laughs. SKYLAR How did you do that? I ca n't. I mean even the smartest people I know, and we do have a few at Harvard, have to study - a lot. It's hard. -LRB- beat. -RRB- Listen, Will, if you do n't want to tell me - WILL Do you play the piano? SKYLAR Come one Will. I just want to know. WILL I'm trying to explain it to you. So you play the piano. When you look at the keys, you see music, you see Mozart. SKYLAR I see `` Hot Cross Buns,'' but okay. WILL Well all right, Beethoven. He looked at a piano and saw music. The fuckin' guy was deaf when he composed the Ode to Joy. They had to turn him around to take a bow because he could n't hear the crowd going crazy behind him. Stone deaf. He saw all of that music in his head. SKYLAR So, do you play the piano? WILL Not a lick. I look at a piano and I see black and white keys, three pedals and a box of wood. Beethoven, Mozart, they looked at it and it just made sense to them. They saw a piano and they could play. I could n't paint you a picture, I probably ca n't hit the ball out of Fenway Park and I ca n't play the piano - SKYLAR But you can do my O - chem lab in under an hour, you can - WILL When it came to stuff like that I could always just play. Skylar is awestruck with admiration for Will, the Robot - pimp. So much so that Skylar has to kiss him, then push him away. SKYLAR I ca n't believe it's taken me four years to meet you and I'm going to California in two months, Will. -LRB- beat. -RRB- Have you ever been to California? I bet you'd like it. Will freezes. A beat. SKYLAR Maybe not.

INT. CHUCKIE'S APARTMENT -- DAY Chuckie sits on his couch, watching cartoons in his boxers and a tee - shirt, eating cereal. The doorbell rings. He sits. CHUCKIE Get it, ma! She does n't. He gets up. Opens door. It's Skylar. CHUCKIE -LRB- surprised. -RRB- Hey. SKYLAR Hi. CHUCKIE How you doin'? SKYLAR Good. An awkward beat. CHUCKIE How'd you know where to find me? SKYLAR -LRB- smiles. -RRB- You were the only Sullivan in the phone book. Chuckie smiles. SKYLAR Will and I dropped you off here, remember? CHUCKIE Oh, right. SKYLAR This is your house, right? Chuckie nods and is about to respond when he is interrupted by a nagging shriek from his mom. CHUCKIE'S MOM -LRB- O.S. -RRB- Get in here, Chuckie! CHUCKIE -LRB- calling back. -RRB- Pipe down, Ma! SKYLAR I guess so. CHUCKIE What? No. This is my mother's house. I do n't live with my mother. I just stop by, help out. I'm good like that. SKYLAR Is this a bad time? CHUCKIE She'll live. -LRB- beat. -RRB- If she starts yelling again I might have to run in real quick and beat her with the stick again but. SKYLAR Okay. CHUCKIE Let's take a walk.

EXT. CHUCKIE'S STREET -- DAY Chuckie, still in his boxers walks with Skylar who is talking. SKYLAR See, now this does n't feel right. -LRB- beat. -RRB- When I made the decision to come over here it felt right. I had all these rationalizations. I just do n't understand why Will never tells me anything, he wo n't let me get close to him, he tells me these weird lies - CHUCKIE You caught that, huh? SKYLAR I just wanted to find out what was going on. But now that I'm here it seems strange, does n't it? CHUCKIE Well, I do n't have no trousers on. She laughs. A beat. CHUCKIE I know why you're here. Will do n't talk much. SKYLAR I do n't care what his family's like or if he does n't have any brothers, but he does n't have to lie to me. CHUCKIE I really do n't know what to say. Look, I lie to women all the time. That's just my way. -LRB- beat. -RRB- Last week Morgan brought these girls down from Roslindale. I told them I was a cosmonaut. They believed me. But Will's not usually like that - MAN ON PORCH Put some clothes on, Sullivan! CHUCKIE Take it easy father! She laughs. CHUCKIE All I can say is ; I known Will a long time - And I seen him with every girl he's ever been with. But I've never seen him like this before, ever with anyone, like how he is with you. SKYLAR Is that true? CHUCKIE Yeah, it is.

INT. LAMBEAU'S OFFICE -- DAY Tom and Will are sitting waiting for Lambeau. TOM! WILL! Lambeau enters going over a thick proof Will has completed. LAMBEAU This is correct. I see you used Mclullen here - WILL I do n't know what it's called. LAMBEAU - This ca n't be right. -LRB- examining proof. -RRB- This is going to be very embarrassing. Have you ever considered - WILL I'm pretty sure it's right. Will gets up to leave. WILL -LRB- turning back. -RRB- Can I ask you a favor, can we do this at Sean's from now on?'Cause I leave work to come here and the fuckin' commute is killin' me - LAMBEAU That's fine, but did you ever think - WILL It's right. -LRB- a beat, heading out. -RRB- Take it home with you. LAMBEAU Will, what happened at the Tri - tech meeting? WILL I could n't go'cause I had a date. So I sent my chief negotiator. LAMBEAU Will, on your own time, you can do what you like. When I set up a meeting, with my associates, and you do n't show up it reflects poorly on me. WILL Then do n't set up any more meetings. LAMBEAU I'll cancel every meeting right now. I'll give you a job myself. I just wanted you to see what was out there. WILL Maybe I do n't want to spend my life sittin' around and explaining shit to people. LAMBEAU The least you can do is show me a little appreciation. WILL -LRB- indicates proof. -RRB- You know how fuckin' easy this is to me? This is a joke! -LRB- crumples proof. -RRB- And I'm sorry you ca n't do this. I really am.'Cause if you could I would n't be forced to watch you fumble around and fuck it up. LAMBEAU Sure, then you'd have more time to sit around and get drunk. Think of how many fights you could have been in by now. Will turns around reveling that he's lit the PROOF ON FIRE. Will drops it on the floor. Lambeau drops to his knees and puts it out. He looks up at Will. LAMBEAU You're right, Will. I ca n't do that proof and you can. And when it comes to this there are only twenty people in the world that can tell the difference between you and me. But I'm one of them. WILL Well, I'm sorry. LAMBEAU So am I. -LRB- beat. -RRB- Yes. That's right, Will. Most days I wish I never met you. Because then I could sleep at night. I would n't have to walk around with the knowledge that someone like you was out there. And I would n't have to watch you throw it all away. Lambeau gathers his composure and calmly walks over to the wrinkled proof. He picks it up, smooths it out.

INT. SKYLAR'S ROOM -- NIGHT Will and Skylar lie in bed. Skylar watches Will sleep. She gets up and goes to the fridge. Returning to the bed : SKYLAR Will? Are you awake? WILL No. SKYLAR Come with me to California. WILL What? SKYLAR I want you to come with me. WILL How do you know that? SKYLAR I know. I just do. WILL Yeah, but how do you know? SKYLAR I do n't know. I just feel it. WILL And you're sure about that? SKYLAR Yeah, I'm sure. WILL'Cause that's a serious thing you're sayin'. I mean, we might be in California next week and you could find out somethin' about me that you do n't like. And you might feel like `` hey this is a big mistake.'' -LRB- getting upset. -RRB- But you ca n't take it back,'cause you know it's real serious and you ca n't take somethin' like that back. Now I'm in California,'cause you asked me to come. But you do n't really want me there. And I'm stuck in California with someone who really does n't want me there and just wishes they had a take - back. SKYLAR `` Take - back?'' What is that? I do n't want a take - back. I want you to come to California with me. WILL I ca n't go out to California. SKYLAR Why not? WILL One, because I have a job here and two because I live here - SKYLAR -LRB- beat. -RRB- Look, Will if you're not in love with me, you can say that. WILL I'm not sayin' I'm not in love with you. SKYLAR Then what are you afraid of? WILL What do you mean `` What am I afraid of?'' SKYLAR Why wo n't you come with me? What are you so scared of? WILL What am I scared of? SKYLAR Well, what are n't you scared of? You live in your safe little world where nobody challenges you and you're scared shitless to do anything else - WILL Do n't tell me about my world. You're the one that's afraid. You just want to have your little fling with the guy from the other side of town and marry - SKYLAR Is that what you think - WILL some prick from Stanford that your parents will approve of. Then you'll sit around with the rest of the upper crust kids and talk about how you went slummin' too. SKYLAR I inherited that money when I was thirteen, when my father died. WILL At least you have a mother. SKYLAR Fuck you! You think I want this? That money's a burden to me. Every day I wake up and I wish I could give that back. I'd give everything I have back to spend one more day with my father. But that's life. And I deal with it. So do n't put that shit on me. You're the one that's afraid. WILL What the fuck am I afraid of?! SKYLAR You're afraid of me. You're afraid that I wo n't love you back. And guess what? I'm afraid too. But at least I have the balls to it give it a shot. At least I'm honest with you. WILL I'm not honest? SKYLAR What about your twelve brothers? WILL Oh, is that what this is about? You want to hear that I do n't really have any brothers? That I'm a fuckin' orphan? Is that what you want to hear? SKYLAR Yes, Will. I did n't even know that? WILL No, you do n't want to hear that. SKYLAR Yes, I do, Will. WILL You do n't want to hear that I got cigarettes put out on me when I was a little kid. That this is n't surgery. Will lifts his shirt, revealing a six inch SCAR on his torso. WILL You do n't want to hear that. Do n't tell me you want to hear that shit! SKYLAR Yes I do. Did you ever think that maybe I could help you? That maybe that's the point, that we're a team? WILL What, you want to come in here and save me? Is that what you want to do? Do I have a sign that says `` save me'' on my back? SKYLAR I do n't want to `` save'' you. I just want to be with you. I love you. I love you! Will, full of self - loathing, raises his hand to strike her. WILL Do n't bullshit me! Do n't fuckin' bullshit me! SKYLAR -LRB- standing up to him. -RRB- You know what I want to hear? I want to hear that you do n't love me. If you tell me that, then I'll leave you alone. I wo n't ask any questions and I wo n't be in your life. A beat. Will looks Skylar dead in the eye. Lowers his hand. WILL I do n't love you. He walks out.

EXT. SKYLAR'S DORM -- NIGHT Will leaves pulling on his clothes.

INT. NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY, OFFICE -- DAY Will sits across from two N.S.A. AGENTS, OLIVER DYTRESS and ROBERT TAVANO. These guys are smug, clean cut, gung - ho and looking sharp in twin navy blue suits. WILL So why do you think I should work for the National Security Agency? DYTRESS Well, you'd be working on the cutting edge. You'd be exposed to the kind of technology you could n't see anywhere else because we've classified it. Super string theory, Chaos Math, Advanced algorithms - WILL Codebreaking. DYTRESS That's one aspect of what we do. WILL Come on, that's what you do. You handle more than eighty percent of the intelligence workload. You're seven times the size of the C.I.A. DYTRESS That's exactly right, Will. So the question as I see it is n't `` why should you work for N.S.A.'' it's `` why should n't you?'' WILL Why should n't I work for the National Security Agency? That's a tough one. Will bites his tongue, trying to make this work.

INT. CHUCKIE'S HOUSE -- DAY Chuckie, Billy, and Will sit in the Sullivan kitchen. Billy cracks open a beer and Chuckie reads the sports page. Both boys are smoking. Will drinks a beer, distractedly. We hear the faint music track and soft moans of a PORNO MOVIE emanating from a back room. After a beat, Chuckie looks up. CHUCKIE Morgan, if you're watchin' pornos in my mom's room again I'm gon na give you a fuckin' beatin'! After a beat, Morgan comes out of the back room, red - faced. MORGAN -LRB- innocently. -RRB- What's up guys? CHUCKIE Why do n't you beat off at your house? MORGAN I do n't have a VCR at my house. Will pays no attention to this exchange

EXT. SOUTH BOSTON PAY PHONE -- DAY Will is on pay phone talking to Skylar. WILL I just wanted to call before you left. -LRB- beat. -RRB- I'm takin' all these job interviews. So I wo n't just be a construction worker.

INT. SKYLAR'S DORM -- DAY SKYLAR I never cared about that. An awkward beat. WILL Yeah. SKYLAR I love you, Will. -LRB- pause. -RRB- No take - backs. Will says nothing. SKYLAR Will? A beat. WILL Take care. SKYLAR Goodbye. Will hangs up. Hold on him for an agonizing beat.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY Lambeau is scribbling away at work. Tom is taking notes. Will is tapping his fingers, waiting for him to finish. LAMBEAU I can. I'm almost there.

INT. LOGAN AIRPORT TERMINAL -- SAME Skylar stands at the gate, carry - ons in hand. Her flight is boarding. She looks for Will over the crowd.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- SAME Will picks up a FRAME from Sean's desk. It is CARLTON FISK'S BASEBALL CARD. Will has to smile. Lambeau looks up. LAMBEAU What are you smiling at? WILL It's a Carlton Fisk baseball card. Will can see that Lambeau wants more. WILL Pudge Fisk. You follow baseball? LAMBEAU No.

INT. LOGAN AIRPORT TERMINAL -- SAME The final boarding call is announced and the last passenger boards. After a beat, Skylar turns and gets on the plane.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- SAME Will, holding the card, reflects for a beat and puts it down. WILL Oh, well, it's just somethin' Sean told me. It's a long story. A beat. WILL You all set? LAMBEAU I've got the first part. The rest I can do at home. Will gets up. LAMBEAU Will, the N.S.A. has been calling me just about every hour. They're very excited about how the meeting went. Lambeau is excited. Will clearly is not. WILL Yeah.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- NIGHT Will sits across from Sean. SEAN So you might be working for Uncle Sam. WILL I do n't know. SEAN Gerry says the meeting went well. WILL I guess. SEAN What did you think? WILL What did I think? A beat. Will has obviously been stewing on this. WILL Say I'm working at N.S.A. Somebody puts a code on my desk, something nobody else can break. So I take a shot at it and maybe I break it. And I'm real happy with myself,'cause I did my job well. But maybe that code was the location of some rebel army in North Africa or the Middle East. Once they have that location, they bomb the village where the rebels were hiding and fifteen hundred people I never had a problem with get killed. -LRB- rapid fire. -RRB- Now the politicians are sayin' `` send in the Marines to secure the area'''cause they do n't give a shit. It wo n't be their kid over there, gettin' shot. Just like it was n't them when their number got called,'cause they were pullin' a tour in the National Guard. It'll be some guy from Southie takin' shrapnel in the ass. And he comes home to find that the plant he used to work at got exported to the country he just got back from. And the guy who put the shrapnel in his ass got his old job,'cause he'll work for fifteen cents a day and no bathroom breaks. Meanwhile my buddy from Southie realizes the only reason he was over there was so we could install a government that would sell us oil at a good price. And of course the oil companies used the skirmish to scare up oil prices so they could turn a quick buck. A cute, little ancillary benefit for them but it ai n't helping my buddy at two - fifty a gallon. And naturally they're takin' their sweet time bringin' the oil back and maybe even took the liberty of hiring an alcoholic skipper who likes to drink seven and sevens and play slalom with the icebergs and it ai n't too long'til he hits one, spills the oil, and kills all the sea - life in the North Atlantic. So my buddy's out of work and he ca n't afford to drive so he's got to walk to the job interviews which sucks'cause the shrapnel in his ass is givin' him chronic hemorrhoids. And meanwhile he's starvin''cause every time he tries to get a bite to eat the only blue - plate special they're servin' is North Atlantic scrod with Quaker State. A beat. WILL So what'd I think? I'm holdin' out for somethin' better. I figure I'll eliminate the middle man. Why not just shoot my buddy, take his job and give it to his sworn enemy, hike up gas prices, bomb a village, club a baby seal, hit the hash pipe and join the National Guard? Christ, I could be elected President. SEAN Do you think you're alone? WILL What? SEAN Do you have a soul - mate? WILL Define that. SEAN Someone who challenges you in every way. Who takes you places, opens things up for you. A soul - mate. WILL Yeah. Sean waits. WILL Shakespeare, Neitzche, Frost, O'Connor, Chaucer, Pope, Kant - SEAN They're all dead. WILL Not to me, they're not. SEAN But you ca n't give back to them, Will. WILL Not without a heater and some serious smelling salts, no. SEAN That's what I'm saying, Will. You'll never have that kind of relationship in a world where you're afraid to take the first step because all you're seeing are the negative things that might happen ten miles down the road. WILL Oh, what? You're going to take the professor's side on this? SEAN Do n't give me your line of shit. WILL I did n't want the job. SEAN It's not about that job. I'm not saying you should work for the government. But, you could do anything you want. And there are people who work their whole lives layin' brick so their kids have a chance at the kind of opportunity you have. What do you want to do? WILL I did n't ask for this. SEAN Nobody gets what they ask for, Will. That's a cop - out. WILL Why is it a cop - out? I do n't see anythin' wrong with layin' brick, that's somebody's home I'm buildin'. Or fixin' somebody's car, somebody's gon na get to work the next day'cause of me. There's honor in that. SEAN You're right, Will. Any man who takes a forty minute train ride so those college kids can come in in the morning and their floors will be clean and their trash cans will be empty is an honorable man. A beat. Will says nothing. SEAN And when they get drunk and puke in the sink, they do n't have to see it the next morning because of you. That's real work, Will. And there is honor in that. Which I'm sure is why you took the job. A beat. SEAN I just want to know why you decided to sneak around at night, writing on chalkboards and lying about it. -LRB- beat. -RRB-'Cause there's no honor in that. Will is silent. SEAN Something you want to say? Sean gets up, goes to the door and opens it. SEAN Why do n't you come back when you have an answer for me. WILL What? SEAN If you wo n't answer my questions, you're wasting my time. WILL What? Will loses it, slams the door shut. WILL Fuck you! Sean has finally gotten to Will. WILL Who the fuck are you to lecture me about life? You fuckin' burnout! Where's your `` soul - mate?!'' Sean lets this play out. Possible `` shepard'' change. WILL Dead! She dies and you just cash in your chips. That's a fuckin' cop - out! SEAN I been there. I played my hand. WILL That's right. And you fuckin' lost! And some people would have the sack to lose a big hand like that and still come back and ante up again! SEAN Look at me. What do you want to do? A beat. Will looks up. SEAN You and your bullshit. You got an answer for everybody. But I asked you a straight question and you ca n't give me a straight answer. Because you do n't know. Sean goes to the door and opens it. Will walks out.

INT. MAGGIORE BUILDER'S CONSTRUCTION SITE -- DAY Will and Chuckie take crowbars to a wall. This is what they do for a living. As they routinely hammer away, Will becomes more involved in his battle with the wall. Plaster and lathing fly as Will vents his rage. Chuckie, noticing, stops working and takes a step back, watching Will. Will is oblivious.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY Lambeau and Tom are in his office. Will is nowhere to be seen. Lambeau is on the phone. LAMBEAU What I mean, Sean, is that I'm sitting in your office and the boy is n't here. -LRB- beat. -RRB- Well, it's ten past three. -LRB- beat. -RRB- An hour and ten minutes late. -LRB- beat. -RRB- Well, if he does n't show up and I have to file a report saying he was n't here and he goes back to jail, it wo n't be on my conscience, Sean. -LRB- beat. -RRB- Fine. He hangs up. Tom picks up a FORM up off the desk. TOM What should I do? LAMBEAU The boy was here. He came in, sat down and we worked together. A blank look. LAMBEAU He came in, sat down, and we worked together. TOM Okay. Tom understands, begins filling out the form.

EXT. HANRAHAN'S PACKAGE STORE -- LATER Will walks out carrying a brown bag. He is filthy, having just knocked off work.

EXT. MAGGIORE BUILDER'S CONSTRUCTION SITE -- PARKING LOT Chuckie is sitting on the hood of his Cadillac, watching Will across the street. Chuckie is covered in grime as well. Will starts walking towards Chuckie. As he draws closer, he heaves a can of Budweiser a good thirty yards, to Chuckie who handles it routinely. Will takes a seat next to Chuckie and they crack open their beers. Other workers file out of the site. They drink. CHUCKIE How's the woman? WILL Gone. CHUCKIE What? WILL She went to Medical school in California. CHUCKIE Sorry, brother. -LRB- beat. -RRB- I do n't know what to tell ya. You know all the girls I been with. You been with'em too, except for Cheryl McGovern which was a big mistake on your part brother. WILL Oh I'm sure, that's why only one of us has herpes. CHUCKIE Some shows are worth the price of admission, partner. This gets a small laugh from Will. CHUCKIE My fuckin' back is killin' me. A passing SHEET METAL WORKER overhears this. SHEET METAL WORKER That's why you should' a gone to college. WILL Fuck you. CHUCKIE Suck my crank. Fuckin' sheet metal pussy. -LRB- beat. -RRB- So, when are you done with those meetin's? WILL Week after I'm twenty - one. CHUCKIE Are they hookin' you up with a job? WILL Yeah, sit in a room and do long division for the next fifty years. CHUCKIE Yah, but it's better than this shit. At least you'd make some nice bank. WILL Yeah, be a fuckin' lab rat. CHUCKIE It's a way outta here. WILL What do I want a way outta here for? I want to live here the rest of my life. I want to be your next door neighbor. I want to take out kids to little league together up Foley Field. CHUCKIE Look, you're my best friend, so do n't take this the wrong way, but in 20 years, if you're livin' next door to me, comin' over watchin' the fuckin' Patriots' games and still workin' construction, I'll fuckin' kill you. And that's not a threat, that's a fact. I'll fuckin' kill you. WILL Chuckie, what are you talkin'. CHUCKIE Listen, you got somethin' that none of us have. WILL Why is it always this? I owe it to myself? What if I do n't want to? CHUCKIE Fuck you. You owe it to me. Tomorrow I'm gon na wake up and I'll be fifty and I'll still be doin' this. And that's all right'cause I'm gon na make a run at it. But you, you're sittin' on a winning lottery ticket and you're too much of a pussy to cash it in. And that's bullshit'cause I'd do anything to have what you got! And so would any of these guys. It'd be a fuckin' insult to us if you're still here in twenty years. WILL You do n't know that. CHUCKIE Let me tell you what I do know. Every day I come by to pick you up, and we go out drinkin' or whatever and we have a few laughs. But you know what the best part of my day is? The ten seconds before I knock on the door'cause I let myself think I might get there, and you'd be gone. I'd knock on the door and you would n't be there. You just left. A beat. CHUCKIE Now, I do n't know much. But I know that.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY Lambeau stands across from Sean, seething. LAMBEAU This is a disaster! I brought you in here to help me with this boy, not to run him out - SEAN Now wait a minute - LAMBEAU - And confuse him - SEAN - Gerry - LAMBEAU And here I am for the second week in a row with my professional reputation at stake - SEAN Hold on! LAMBEAU Ready to falsify documents because you've given him license to walk away from this. SEAN I know what I'm doing and I know why I'm here! LAMBEAU Look Sean, I do n't care if you have a rapport with the boy - I do n't care if you have a few laughs - even at my expense! But do n't you dare undermine what I'm trying to do here. SEAN `` Undermine?'' LAMBEAU He has a gift and with that gift comes responsibility. And you do n't understand that he's at a fragile point - SEAN He is at a fragile point. He's got problems - LAMBEAU What problems does he have, Sean, that he is better off as a janitor or in jail or hanging around with - SEAN Why do you think he does that, Gerry? LAMBEAU He can handle the work, he can handle the pressure and he's obviously handled you. SEAN Why is he hiding? Why is he a janitor? Why does n't he trust anybody? Because the first thing that happened to him was that he was abandoned by the people who were supposed to love him the most! LAMBEAU Oh, come on, Sean - SEAN And why does he hang out with his friends? Because any one of those kids would come in here and take a bat to your head if he asked them to. It's called loyalty! LAMBEAU Oh, that's nice - SEAN And who do you think he's handling? He pushes people away before they have a chance to leave him. And for 20 years he's been alone because of that. And if you try to push him into this, it's going to be the same thing all over again. And I'm not going to let that happen to him! LAMBEAU Now do n't do that. Do n't you do that! Do n't infect him with the idea that it's okay to quit. That it's okay to be a failure, because it's not okay! If you're angry at me for being successful, for being what you could have been - SEAN - I'm not angry at you - LAMBEAU Yes you are, Sean. You resent me. And I'm not going to apologize for any success that I've had. SEAN - I do n't have any anger at you - LAMBEAU Yes you do. You're angry at me for doing what you could have done. Ask yourself if you want Will to feel that way for the rest of his life, to feel like a failure. SEAN That's it. That's why I do n't come to the goddamn reunions! Because I ca n't stand the look in your eye when you see me! You think I'm a failure! I know who I am. I'm proud of who I am. And all of you, you think I'm some kind of pity case! You with your sycophant students following you around. And your Goddamn Medal! LAMBEAU Is that what this is about, Sean? The Field's Medal? Do you want me to go home and get it for you? Then will you let the boy - SEAN I do n't want your trophy and I do n't give a shit about it!'Cause I knew you when! You and Jack and Tom Sanders. I knew you when you were homesick and pimply - faced and did n't know what side of the bed to piss on! LAMBEAU That's right! You were smarter than us then and you're smarter than us now! So do n't blame me for how your life turned out. It's not my fault. SEAN I do n't blame you! It's not about that! It's about the boy!'Cause he's a good kid! And I wo n't see this happen to him - wo n't see you make him feel like a failure too! LAMBEAU He wo n't be a failure! SEAN If you push him into something, if you ride him - LAMBEAU You're wrong, Sean. I'm where I am today because I was pushed. And because I learned to push myself! SEAN He's not you! A beat. Lambeau turns, something catches his eye. Sean turns to look, IT'S WILL. He is standing in the doorway. WILL I can come back. LAMBEAU No, that's fine, Will. I was just leaving. There is an awkward moment as Lambeau gets his coat and leaves. WILL Well, I'm here. -LRB- beat. -RRB- So, is that my problem? I'm afraid of being abandoned? That was easy. SEAN Look, a lot of that stuff goes back a long way. And it's between me and him and it has nothing to do with you. WILL Do you want to talk about it? Sean smiles. A beat. Will sees a FILE on Sean's desk. WILL What's that? SEAN Oh, this is your file. I have to send it back to the Judge with my evaluation. WILL You're not going to fail me are you? Sean smiles. WILL So what's it say? SEAN You want to read it? WILL No. -LRB- beat. -RRB- Have you had any experience with that? SEAN Twenty years of counseling you see a lot of - WILL No, have you had any experience with that? SEAN Yes. WILL -LRB- smiles. -RRB- It sure ai n't good.

INT. WILL'S CHILDHOOD APARTMENT -- FLASHBACK From a child's P.O.V. we see a man, partially obscured by a doorframe. The man turns toward the P.O.V.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY SEAN -LRB- after a pause. -RRB- My dad used to make us walk down to the park and collect the sticks he was going to beat us with. Actually the worst of the beatings were between me and my brother. We would practice on each other trying to find sticks that would break. WILL He used to just put a belt, a stick and a wrench on the kitchen table and say `` choose.''

INT. WILL'S CHILDHOOD APARTMENT -- FLASHBACK A large, callused hand sets down a wrench next to a stick.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY SEAN Got ta go with the belt there. WILL I used to go with the wrench. SEAN The wrench, why? WILL Cause fuck him, that's why. A long quiet moment. WILL Is that why me and Skylar broke up? SEAN I did n't know you had. Do you want to talk about that? -LRB- beat. -RRB- I do n't know a lot, Will. But let me tell you one thing. All this history, this shit. -LRB- indicates file. -RRB- Look here, son. Will, who had been looking away, loos at Sean. SEAN This is not your fault. WILL -LRB- nonchalant. -RRB- Oh, I know. SEAN It's not your fault. WILL -LRB- smiles. -RRB- I know. SEAN It's not your fault. WILL I know. SEAN It's not your fault. WILL -LRB- dead serious. -RRB- I know. SEAN It's not your fault. WILL Do n't fuck with me. SEAN -LRB- comes around desk, sits in front of Will. -RRB- It's not your fault. WILL -LRB- tears start. -RRB- I know. SEAN It's not. WILL -LRB- crying hard. -RRB- I know, I know. Sean takes Will in his arms and holds him like a child. Will sobs like a baby. After a moment, he wraps his arms around Sean and holds him, even tighter. We pull back from this image. Two lonely souls being father and son together.

INT. RED LINE CAR -- DUSK Will rides the Red Line, above ground. He looks out over the landscape. Small back yards, laundry hangs from wire lines. Chainlink fences, overgrown with weeds.

EXT. SOUTH BOSTON PARK -- DAY Will walking through South Boston. He cuts through a park. A senior citizen is spearing trach for the city.

INT. WILL'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT Will at home. Not reading. Looks up at the ceiling.

EXT. TRI-TECH LABORATORIES -- DAY Will walks up to a nondescript building, he walks through the glass doors, into the lobby.

INT. TRI-TECH LABORATORIES, RECEPTION -- CONTINUOUS Will walks into the lobby. A SECURITY GUARD looks up. SECURITY GUARD Can I help you? WILL Yeah, my name is Will Hunting. I'm here about a position. SECURITY GUARD One moment. The guard reaches for the phone. DISSOLVE TO BLACK. FADE UP to the sound of laughter.

INT. L STREET BAR & GRILLE -- DAY Chuckie is again regaling Will and the guys at their table. CHUCKIE Oh my God, I got the most fucked up thing I been meanin' to tell you. MORGAN Save it for your mother, funny guy. We heard it before. CHUCKIE Oh, Morgan. They both get up, in one another's face. This is a play fight. `` You gon na start?'' `` You gon na pay my hospital bills?'' WILL Sorry to miss this.

INT. L STREET -- SAME Will comes back from the bathroom. WILL -LRB- to Chuckie. -RRB- You and Morgan throw? CHUCKIE No, I had to talk him down. WILL Why did n't you yoke him? CHUCKIE Little Morgan's got a lot a scrap, dude. I'd rather fight a big kid, they never fight, everyone's scared of'em. You know how many people try to whip Morgan's ass every week? Fuckin' kid wo n't back down. MORGAN -LRB- from across the table. -RRB- What'd you say about me? CHUCKIE Shut the fuck up. Billy walks in the door and give Chuckie a look. Chuckie turns to Will. CHUCKIE -LRB- To Will. -RRB- Hey, asshole. Happy Birthday. MORGAN You thought we forgot, did n't you? I know I'm gettin' my licks in. Laughter as the boys converge on Will. He goes willingly out the door.

EXT. L STREET -- CONTINUOUS As they come out the door, rather than beating Will mercilessly, they stop. Morgan goes into his own, personal rendition of `` Danny Boy.'' No one joins in. CHUCKIE Shut up, Morgan. -LRB- to Will. -RRB- Here's your present. Chuckie indicates an old CHEVY NOVA, parked illegally in front of the bar. WILL You're kiddin' me. CHUCKIE Yeah, I figured now that you got your big job over in Cambridge, you needed some way to get over there and I knew I was n't gon na drive you every day. Laughter. CHUCKIE Morgan wanted to get you a `` T'' pass. MORGAN No I did n't. Will approaches the car to take a closer look. CHUCKIE But you're twenty - one now, so - BILLY Yeah, now that you can drink legally, we thought the best thing to get you was a car. More laughter. Will inspects the Nova. WILL You're kiddin' me. -LRB- a beat. -RRB- This is the ugliest fuckin' car I ever seen in my life. Laughter, a beat. WILL -LRB- serious. -RRB- How the fuck did you guys do this? CHUCKIE Me and Bill scraped together the parts, worked on it. Morgan was out panhandlin' every day. MORGAN Fuck you, I did the body work. Whose fuckin' router you think sanded out all that bondo? CHUCKIE Guy's been up my ass for two years about a fuckin' job. I had to let him help with the car. WILL So, you finally got a job Morgan? MORGAN Had one, now I'm fucked again. WILL -LRB- to Chuckie. -RRB- So what do you got, a fuckin' Hyundai engine under there? Can I make it back to my house? CHUCKIE Fuck you. I re - built the engine myself. That thing could make it to Hawaii if you wanted it to. Chuckie gives Will a look. CHUCKIE Happy 21, Will.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY Will sits across from Sean. SEAN Which one did you take, Will? WILL Over at Tri - tech. One of the jobs Professor Lambeau set me up with. I have n't told him yet, but I talked to my new boss over there and he seemed like a nice guy. SEAN That's what you want? WILL Yeah, I think so. SEAN Good for you. Congratulations. WILL Thanks you. -LRB- a beat. -RRB- So, that's it? We're done? SEAN We're done. You did your time. You're a free man. A beat. WILL I just want you to know, Sean. SEAN You're Welcome, Will. WILL I'll keep in touch. SEAN I'm gon na travel a little bit, so I do n't know where I'll be. Will smiles. SEAN I just. figured it's time I put my money back on the table, see what kind of cards I get. Will smiles. Sean hands him a piece of paper. SEAN I'll be checking in with my machine at the college. If you ever need anything, just call. Sean smiles. SEAN Do what's in your heart, son. You'll be fine. WILL Thanks you, Sean. They embrace. SEAN No. Thank you. WILL -LRB- re : embrace. -RRB- Does this violate the patient/doctor relationship? SEAN Only if you grab my ass. They laugh. WILL See ya. SEAN Good luck. Both men smile.

INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE SEAN'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER Will comes out of Sean's office and sees Lambeau walking up. LAMBEAU -LRB- surprised. -RRB- Will. WILL Hey, how you doin'? LAMBEAU You know, you're no longer required to come here. WILL I was just sayin' goodbye to Sean. LAMBEAU -LRB- a beat. -RRB- Sam called me. From Tri - tech. He says you start working for them next week. Will nods. LAMBEAU Well, that's, I think that's terrific. Congratulations. WILL Thank you. LAMBEAU I just want you to know. It's been a pleasure. WILL Bullshit. They laugh. LAMBEAU This job. Do it if it's what you really want. WILL I appreciate that. A moment. Will starts to go, Lambeau watches him for a beat, Will turns back around. WILL Hey, Gerry. LAMBEAU Yes. WILL Listen, I'll be nearby so, if you need some help, or you get stuck again, do n't be afraid to give me a call. LAMBEAU -LRB- has to smile. -RRB- Thank you, Will. I'll do that. Will smiles, turns and walks away.

INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY Sean is packing his office. Lambeau opens the door. LAMBEAU Hello, Sean. SEAN Come in. LAMBEAU Sean. SEAN -LRB- a beat. -RRB- Me too. A moment. LAMBEAU So I hear you're taking some time. SEAN Yeah. Summer vacation. Thought I'd travel some. Maybe write a little bit. LAMBEAU Where're you going? SEAN I do n't know. India maybe. LAMBEAU Why there? SEAN Never been. Lambeau nods. LAMBEAU Do you know when you'll be back? SEAN -LRB- picks up a flyer from his desk. -RRB- I got this mailer the other day. Class of Sixty - five is having this event in six months. LAMBEAU I got one of those too. SEAN You should come. I'll buy you a drink. Lambeau smiles. LAMBEAU Sean. A beat. LAMBEAU The drinks at those things are free. Sean smiles. SEAN Hell, I know that. Both men laugh. LAMBEAU How about one now? SEAN Sounds good. They start to walk out. SEAN It's on you though, until eight o'clock tonight when I win my money. Sean pulls out his lottery ticket. They start out down the hall.

INT. HALLWAY -- CONTINUOUS On their backs as they walk down the hall. LAMBEAU Sean, do you have any idea what the odds are against winning the lottery? SEAN I do n't know. Got ta be at least four to one. LAMBEAU About thirty million to one. SEAN You're pretty quick with those numbers. How about the odds of me buying the first round? LAMBEAU About thirty million to one.

EXT. BANK OF THE CHARLES RIVER -- AFTERNOON Will sits alone, thinking. We hold on him for an extended beat until he gets up and walks away.

EXT. SEAN'S APARTMENT -- EARLY EVENING Begin final sequence. A wide, establishing shot of Sean's apartment complex as the sun is setting. The lights are on in one unit. A tighter shot reveals Sean, in his apartment, packing his belongings in cardboard boxes.

EXT. SEAN'S APARTMENT, STREET -- SAME The camera cranes down from Sean's window and onto the street, where we pan to reveal Will, sitting in his car and looking up at Sean as he packs his things. Will's car is packed full of clothes and books.

EXT. SOUTH BOSTON STREET -- SAME Chuckie and the boys drive down the street in the Cadillac. Morgan and Billy ride in the back, leaving the shotgun seat open for Will.

EXT. SEAN'S APARTMENT -- SAME Will holds an envelope which he slips in Sean's mailbox. He puts the flag up and smiles as he looks up at Sean in his apartment who is still unaware that Will is there.

EXT. WILL'S APARTMENT -- SAME Chuckie pulls up in front of Will's house. He honks the horn, waits a beat, then gets out and heads toward the house.

EXT. SEAN'S APARTMENT -- SAME Will drives away from Sean's house. Sean hears the car pull out and looks out the window. Sean sees Will's car pulling away. Curious, he investigates.

EXT. WILL'S APARTMENT -- SAME Chuckie walks up Will's front steps.

EXT. SEAN'S APARTMENT -- SAME Sean walks out to the sidewalk and looks around. Seeing the mailbox flag has been raised, he walks over to it.

EXT. WILL'S APARTMENT -- SAME Chuckie knocks on Will's front door. There is no answer. He waits a beat, looks in the window. An incredulous smile slowly starts to form.

EXT. SEAN'S APARTMENT -- SAME Sean opens the card Will left for him. It reads : WILL -LRB- in writing. -RRB- Sean - If the Professor calls about that job, just tell him, `` Sorry, I had to go see about a girl.''

EXT. WILL'S APARTMENT -- SAME Chuckie walks back towards his car unable to contain the broad smile. He knows Will is gone. He shrugs in explanation to the guys. Morgan takes Will's seat as they pull away from the curb.

EXT. SEAN'S APARTMENT -- SAME We pan up from the letter to Sean. A broad smile comes over him. This is a look we have n't seen. Sean is truly happy.

EXT. MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE -- SUNSET Will is on the road, driving away. As we pull back and credits roll, the car disappears into the horizon. THE END

Summary: Twenty-year-old Will Hunting of South Boston is a self-taught genius, though he works as a janitor at MIT and spends his free time drinking with his friends, Chuckie, Billy, and Morgan. When Professor Gerald Lambeau posts a difficult mathematics problem as a challenge for his graduate students, Will solves the problem anonymously, stunning both the students and Lambeau. As a challenge to the unknown genius, Lambeau posts an even more difficult problem. Will flees when Lambeau catches him writing the solution on the blackboard late at night. At a bar, Will meets Skylar, a British woman about to graduate from Harvard College, who plans on attending medical school at Stanford. The next day, Will and his friends fight a gang who used to bully Will as a child. Will is arrested after he attacks a responding police officer. Lambeau sits in on his court appearance and watches Will defend himself. He arranges for him to forgo jail time if he agrees to study mathematics under Lambeau's supervision and participate in therapy sessions. Will tentatively agrees, but treats his therapists with mockery. In desperation, Lambeau calls on Dr. Sean Maguire, his college roommate, who now teaches psychology at Bunker Hill Community College. Unlike other therapists, Sean actually challenges Will's defense mechanisms, and after the first session where Sean threatens Will after he insults his deceased wife and a few unproductive sessions, Will begins to open up. Will is particularly struck by Sean's story of how he met his wife by giving up his ticket to the historic game six of the 1975 World Series, after falling in love at first sight. Sean does not regret his decision, even though his wife died of cancer. This encourages Will to build a relationship with Skylar, though he lies to her about his past and is reluctant to introduce her to his friends or show her his rundown neighborhood. Will also challenges Sean to take an objective look at his own life, since Sean cannot move on from his wife's death. Lambeau sets up a number of job interviews for Will, but Will scorns them by sending Chuckie as his "chief negotiator", and by turning down a position at the NSA with a scathing critique of the agency's moral position. Skylar asks Will to move to California with her, but he refuses and tells her he is an orphan, and that his foster father physically abused him. Will breaks up with Skylar and later storms out on Lambeau, dismissing the mathematical research he has been doing. Sean points out that Will is so adept at anticipating future failure in his interpersonal relationships that he deliberately sabotages them in order to avoid emotional pain. Chuckie likewise challenges Will over his resistance to taking any of the positions he interviews for, telling Will he owes it to his friends to make the most of opportunities they will never have, even if it means leaving one day without looking back. He then tells Will that the best part of his day is a brief moment when he waits on his doorstep thinking Will has moved on to something greater. Will walks in on a heated argument between Sean and Lambeau over his potential. Sean and Will share and find out that they were both victims of child abuse. Sean helps Will to see that he is a victim of his own inner demons and to accept that it is not his fault, causing him to break down in tears. Will accepts one of the job offers arranged by Lambeau. Having helped Will overcome his problems, Sean reconciles with Lambeau and decides to take a sabbatical. When Will's friends present him with a rebuilt Chevrolet Nova for his 21st birthday, he decides to pass on the job offer and drive to California to reunite with Skylar. Some time later, Chuckie goes to Will's house to pick him up, only to find that he is not there, much to his happiness.