It's a movie that captures (in a way that perhaps an older screenwriter could not convey) the limitless possibilities of youth, a movie in which a character can tell another, without cynicism, "You could do anything you want. [19] The Au Bon Pain, where Will and Skylar discuss the former's photographic memory, was at the corner of Dunster Street and Mass Ave.[20], The Boston Public Garden bench on which Will and Sean sat for a scene in the film became a temporary shrine after Williams' death in 2014.[21]. The best thing about Good Will Hunting is not in its well-crafted, psychological symmetries but in the just-plain messiness of its humanity. [42] Emanuel Levy of Variety called the film a "beautifully realized tale ... engaging and often quite touching". The musical score for Good Will Hunting was composed by Danny Elfman, who had previously collaborated with Gus Van Sant on To Die For and would go on to score many of the director's other films. All the studios that were involved in the original bidding war for the screenplay now turned the pair down, taking meetings with Affleck and Damon only to tell them this to their face. A crowd-pleaser, with bags of charm to spare. Don’t worry, it won’t take long. What Matt Damon and Ben Affleck accomplish with such a profound, witty, inspirational and heartbreaking script is quite extraordinary. Directed by Gus Van Sant. Will Hunting (Matt Damon) has a genius-level IQ but chooses to work as a janitor at MIT. In the film's opening weekend in limited release, it earned $272,912. (Satenstein later married Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. "It'd be an insult to us if you're still here in 20 years. Miramax was persuaded and hired Van Sant to direct the film. Kyle returned to Matt, saying that MIT needed those blackboards "because these kids are so smart they just need to, you know, drop everything and solve problems! Will breaks up with Skylar and later storms out on Lambeau, dismissing the mathematical research he has been doing. The entertainment press loves unlikely princesses, but Good Will Hunting had so many Cinderella stories that one of them got lost in the shuffle: that of the soundtrack album. | Fresh (79) Will's friends present him with a Chevrolet Nova for his 21st birthday so he can commute to work. (5,710) IMDb 8.3 2h 6min 1997 X-Ray R. A math genius denies his gift to hang with his old friends and work as a janitor, finally coming to terms with his past when he meets a quirky psychologist. Sean does not regret his decision, even though his wife died of cancer. Will walks in on a heated argument between Sean and Lambeau over his potential. Will chalks up the adjacency matrix. scene was next door to the pub at the time of the film's release. [37] Owen Gleiberman, writing for Entertainment Weekly, gave the film a "B", stating "Good Will Hunting is stuffed — indeed, overstuffed — with heart, soul, audacity, and blarney. Day One 1. Indeed, such a traumatic abuse at any age, at a young age in particular, would be adequate to lead a child into developing posttraumatic stress disorder and an inferiority complex. 2. His song "Miss Misery" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, but lost to "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic. Everyone in this movie shows moments of honesty, failure and humanity. | Rating: A-, April 14, 2021 |, December 15, 2017 Good Will Hunting is such a brilliant movie and it's especially a masterpiece and a half. Finding our direction in life is a given. It doesn't bear thinking too much about its message ... Damon and Affleck's writing has real wit and vigour, and some depth". Through his therapy sessions, Will re-evaluates his relationships with his best friend, his girlfriend, and himself, facing the significant task of confronting his past and thinking about his future. A limited edition soundtrack album featuring Elfman's complete score from the film was released by Music Box Records on March 3, 2014. These character-driven movies such as ‘Good Will Hunting’ are usually the hardest to make but if done right, they really stay with the viewer long after the film is over. Some people can't believe in themselves, until someone believes in them. and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. Terrence Malick told Affleck and Damon over dinner that the film ought to end with Will's decision to follow his girlfriend Skylar to California, not them leaving together. [10] Castle Rock put the script in turnaround, and gave Damon and Affleck 30 days to find another buyer for the script who would reimburse Castle Rock the money paid, otherwise the script reverted to the studio, and Damon and Affleck would be out. Forgot your password? Goldman consistently denied the persistent rumor that he wrote Good Will Hunting or acted as a script doctor. Towering performance by Matt Damon as a troubled working class who needs to address his creative genius elevates this drama way above its therapeutic approach, resulting in a zeitgeist film that may touch chord with young viewers the way The Graduate did. He declined, saying they needed a "good director" and that he only directs things he writes and is not much of a visual director, but still served as one of the film's executive producers. It went on to gross $138,433,435 in North America and a total worldwide gross of $225,933,435. Good Will Hunting is an excellent movie that falls short of the upper crust because it was maybe not daring enough. 492 talking about this. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Some people can't believe in themselves, until someone believes in them. by Elfman, No Name #3 (3:04) – Performed by Elliott Smith, Say Yes (2:15) – Performed by Elliott Smith, Between the Bars (2:21) – Performed by Elliott Smith, Angeles (2:55) – Performed by Elliott Smith, Miss Misery (3:12) – Performed by Elliott Smith, This page was last edited on 16 April 2021, at 16:49. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! These signs exactly talk about what we have perceived in Will from “Good Will Hunting”. Image dimensions: 1947 x 2970. | Rating: 4/5 This is not all moments of feel good triumph or acceptance, but people growing struggling and advancing with the materials put in front of them. There is a scene in the movie which Will exposed a scar of stab wound inflicted by his foster parents. [35] Duane Byrge of The Hollywood Reporter praised the performances of the cast, writing "The acting is brilliant overall, with special praise to Matt Damon for his ragingly tender portrayal of the boy cursed with genius". Copyright © Fandango. Good Will Hunting - A Movie Review. All rights reserved. He felt that the film's visual style showcased Van Sant's talent, but the plot was "quite predictable". and the Terms and Policies, Will also challenges Sean to take an objective look at his own life, since Sean cannot move on from his wife's death. [7], At Reiner's request, screenwriter William Goldman read the script. A touching tale of a wayward young man who struggles to find his identity, living in a world where he can solve any problem, except the one brewing deep within himself, until one day he meets his soul mate who opens his mind and his heart. [5], Castle Rock Entertainment bought the script for $675,000 against $775,000, meaning that Damon and Affleck would stand to earn an additional $100,000 if the film was produced and they retained sole writing credit. |, February 5, 2008 Lambeau sits in on his court appearance and watches Will defend himself. Having helped Will overcome his problems, Sean reconciles with Lambeau, deciding to take a sabbatical. [36] Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle was equally positive, writing "The glow goes well beyond a radiant performance by Matt Damon ... Intimate, heartfelt and wickedly funny, it's a movie whose impact lingers". The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed over $225 million during its theatrical run, from a $10 million budget. The movie... [is] surprisingly moving, though resolutely unsentimental, rites-of-passage yarn. Don't have an account? Later, Chuckie goes to Will's house to pick him up, only to find that he is not there, much to his happiness. Good Will Hunting was released to theaters in 1997. A soundtrack album for the film was released by Capitol Records on November 18, 1997, though only two of Elfman's cues appear on the release.[24][25]. Will tentatively agrees, but treats his therapists with mockery. Although the story is set in Boston, and many of the scenes were shot on location in the Greater Boston area, many of the interior shots were filmed at locations in Toronto, with the University of Toronto standing in for MIT and Harvard University. [26], In an early version of the script, Will Hunting was going to be a physics prodigy, but Nobel Laureate in Physics Sheldon Glashow at Harvard told Damon that the subject should be math instead of physics. It went on to gross $138,433,435 in North America and a total worldwide gross of $225,933,435. Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Golden Tomato Awards: Best Movies & TV of 2020. [16][17], The Bow and Arrow Pub, which was located at the corner of Bow Street and Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, doubled as the Harvard bar in which Will met Skylar for the first time. That said there are few too many pointed speeches and the whole thing gets a bit maudlin at times. Good Will Hunting is a 1997 American drama film directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, and Stellan Skarsgård. "[30], The first turning point in the plot occurs when Will sets aside his mop in a hallway and studies a difficult blackboard graph theory problem posed by Professor Lambeau. [17], The Tasty, at the corner of JFK and Brattle Streets, was the scene of Will and Skylar's first kiss. The movie's got such an amazing story and it's about this lad who's called Will Hunting (Matt Damon), who's this very intelligent genius at mathematics and he's really good at solving all the difficult Good Will Hunting is such a brilliant movie and it's especially a masterpiece and a half. Good Will Hunting's characters, realism, heart and humour all fuse together perfectly, resulting in an outstandingly human film. 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. Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. At first I was not a big fan of this movie because it moved kind of slow, but it in turn moved me. [41] Writing for the BBC, Nev Pierce gave the film four out of five stars, describing the film as "touching, without being sentimental", although he felt some scenes were "odd lapses into self-help speak". As a last resort, Affleck passed the script to his Chasing Amy director Kevin Smith, who read it and promised to walk the script directly into Harvey Weinstein's office at Miramax. [23] Elfman's score was also nominated for an Oscar, but lost to Titanic as well. Written by Affleck and Damon, the film follows 20-year-old South Boston janitor Will Hunting, an unrecognized genius who, as part of a deferred prosecution agreement after assaulting a police officer, becomes a client of a therapist and studies advanced mathematics with a renowned professor. [5] Instead of writing a one-act play, Damon submitted a 40-page script. On Dec. 5, 1997, Miramax unveiled Good Will Hunting, a heartfelt drama starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Robin Williams that went on to win … Tavern. The name of the movie refers to the fact that the main character is hunting for the good Will, for the behaviors that will allow him to be good. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy "[27][28], Patrick O'Donnell, professor of physics at University of Toronto, served as the mathematical consultant for the film. The overall story line is one of a man facing the consequences of his abusive past and seeking meaning in … "Afternoon Delight" by the Starland Vocal Band was featured in the film, but did not appear on the soundtrack album. Oscars for Robin Williams and Best Original Screenplay. A young intelligent man refuses to change his direction in life and his rebellious attitude. 419 talking about this. 393 talking about this. [43], Several scholars have examined the film as a portrayal of residual Catholic–Protestant tensions in Boston, as Irish Catholics from Southie are aligned against ostensibly Protestant characters who are affiliated with Harvard and MIT. [33] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A" on scale of A to F.[34], Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars, writing that while the story is "predictable", it is "the individual moments, not the payoff, that make it so effective". Coming Soon. Will Hunting, a janitor at MIT, has a gift for mathematics but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.http://www.movie-list.com For the 1998 Oscars, it was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture, and won two: Best Supporting Actor for Williams and Best Original Screenplay for Affleck and Damon. By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. You're almost there! They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. Directed by Gus Van Sant. The class struggle at the film's core, while a bit obvious, is undeniably compelling. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. "[32] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Will is arrested after he attacks a responding police officer. Sean McGuire: Well, I gotta go with the belt there. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. They completed the script in 1994. |, August 15, 2014 Will Hunting: I used to go with the wrench. Catches him writing the film as a script doctor a profound, witty, inspirational and script. Castle Rock, Miramax put the film 's release psychological development play:! Donuts featured in the just-plain messiness of its humanity songs written and recorded by Elliott... To your inbox and Michael Mann filming by the Starland Vocal Band featured. 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