# Good Will Hunting (1997)

### reviewed by
Chad Polenz

    Good Will Hunting

Chad'z rating: **** (out of 4 = excellent)

1997, R, 126 minutes [2 hours, 6 minutes]

    [drama]

starring: Matt Damon (Will Hunting), Robin Williams (Prof. Sean Maguire), Stellan Skasgård (Prof. Gerald Lambeau), Ben Affleck (Chuckie); written by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck; produced by Lawrence Bender; directed by Gus Van Sant.

Seen March 18, 1998 at 7 p.m. at Rotterdam Square Mall (Rotterdam, NY), theater #3, by myself using my Sony/Loews critic's pass. [Theater rating: ***: good sound, picture, and seats]

Most genres use story as a device, backdrop, or a conveince, but drama is a genre all about story and is just as likely to suffer from problems that hinder the storytelling process (i.e. predictability, question of plausibility, etc.) as anything else. Perhaps the reason drama gets a bad rap is due to our concentration on these elements where we might not notice them otherwise. In its most basic form, "Good Will Hunting" is as classic a drama as they come, but like its hero, it manages to exceed well beyond the standards to the point where it creates new ones. It isn't just a surprisingly enjoyable drama, it IS drama.

The film opens by introducing us to Will Hunting (Damon), a suave young man who holds a custodial position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Looking at him one could never tell (or even believe, for that matter) that he is actually an orphan, a criminal, and a born genus. Thankfully, these aspects are put on the back burner for the sake of character development, which makes them all the more relevant later.

Will likes to do things any another college-aged guy in a big city would do, such as hit the bars and clubs with his friends and mingle with the ladies. The initial atmosphere and dialogue is very realistic as the performances, combined with the terrific directing create for the kind of authentic camaraderie most films only try for. The delicate pacing allows us to learn things about Will by carefully dropping hints at the right moments without rushing anything. In fact, some elements are purposely left open-ended and contain little explanation, such as a scene in which Will and his best friend Chuckie (Affleck) attempt to beat up some guys over an elementary grudge. When Will is arrested he is freed with help from Gerald Lambeau (Skasgård) - an MIT professor who has realized Will's hidden talent and wants to help him.

Part of Lambeau's plea bargain with the judge is that Will must undergo therapy, but when a few confrontations with psychiatrists go bad, Lambeau finally finds the perfect shrink - his old college friend Sean Maguire (Williams). Here is where the film begins to prove its merit even as the story works as expected. Will is a good kid at heart, but he has a tremendous problem with authority, but only Maguire is able to get past his violent temper and feel the ability (and need) to help him. Within just a few minutes time both men are able to analyze each other: Will because he is a genus, and Maguire because he's a psychologist. The process by which this occurs is nothing short of amazing, especially considering how quickly it happens without becoming the least bit trite.

And if the film hadn't already established itself as a power character-driven drama, it manages to top itself as the story continues to expand. It's not surprising that Will meets a girl (Minnie Driver as Skyla), but what is surprising is the way in which the relationship works in conjunction with the various sub-plots. Damon and Driver have great chemistry together, and the screenplay allows them to be more than simply generic lovers, but as two intelligent people who genuinely care for each other. Will discusses the relationship with Maguire, whose analysis is fascinating as he draws parallels to his relationship with his now-deceased wife and thus provides for good character development and interaction.

Although the film is comprised of various highly intellectual elements, intelligence without application is a pretty boring thing. Affleck and Damon realize this and have managed to chisel their script with the tiniest details of insight. The characters are so likable because we're allowed to learn what makes them tick - they're not simply people involved in conflicts for the sake of a Hollywood drama. And when Will and Skyla's romance becomes troubled it seems realistic as it isn't used as a gimmick.

A countless number of minor topics come up and are dealt with accordingly, such as Will refusing to take a government job because of the harm it might do to people he doesn't know, or how his job as a construction worker is more honorable than a mathematician. Many idiosyncratic observations are also made, mostly through common dialogue, all of which continue to demonstrate the film's remarkable insight into everything it deals with.

What's great about a film like "Good Will Hunting" is that within the course of a couple of hours it manages to deal with some of the heaviest subjects of life and always in the greatest of ways. It's emotionally powerful and an example of great story-telling. If there's any justice it will become a modern classic.

Please visit Chad'z Movie Page @ http://members.aol.com/ChadPolenz - over 190 new and old films reviewed in depth, not just blind ratings and quick capsules. Also, check out The FIRST Shay Astar Web Page @ http://members.aol.com/ChadPolenz/ShayAstar.html

    e-mail: ChadPolenz@aol.com
    (C) 1998 Chad Polenz

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