Will is a troubled individual. As a child, he was the frequent victim of abuse. An orphan, he was in and out of foster homes on a regular basis. Now, not yet 21 years old, he has accumulated an impressive rap sheet. He has a short temper and any little incident can set him off like a spark in a tinder box. But he's a mathematical genius with a photographic memory and the ability to conceive simple solutions to complex problems. While working as a janitor at MIT, he delights in anonymously proving theorems on the math building's hall blackboards. Then, one evening, his anonymity is shattered when Professor Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard) catches him at work. Will flees, but Lambeau tracks him down. Unfortunately, by the time the professor finds Will, he is in jail for assaulting a police offer.
The judge agrees to release Will under two conditions: that he spend one day a week meeting with Lambeau and that he spend one day a week meeting with a therapist. Eventually, once several psychologists have rejected the belligerent young man, Sean McGuire, a teacher at Bunker Hill Community College, agrees to take the case. After a rocky start, the two form a rapport and Will begins to explore issues and emotions he had walled up behind impregnable armor. And, as Will advances his self-awareness in sessions with Sean, he also learns about friendship from his buddy, Chuckie (Ben Affleck), and love from a Harvard co-ed named Skylar (Minnie Driver).
On the fifth meeting with his therapist, Will knowing a large amount of Sean’s life by reading his book intriguers him by asking if he ever regretted marrying his wife, and he says that even with the pain he feels now, he doesn’t regret a single moment. So he asks him, when he knew she was the one, when she walked in the bar, on the same day of the amazing baseball game which Sean had tickets for, and that is in my opinion, one of, if not the best part of the film. The scene then is completely taken by the excitement and the players’ movements detailed described by Williams, the scene is so incredibly directed that it emotionally takes you to the fictional life of Sean. After ‘explaining’ why he married Nancy, he says: “I don’t regret the 18 years I was married to Nancy, I don’t regret the six years I had to give up counseling when she got sick and I don’t regret the last years when she got really sick.”
The script, by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, is not a groundbreaking piece of literature, and occasionally resorts to shameless manipulation. The characters are well-developed, however, and there are times when the dialogue positively sparkles. At one point, Will comments that a session with Sean is turning into a "Taster's Choice Moment." Later, Will gives a brilliant, breathless diatribe against the NSA that has the rhythm of something written by Kevin Smith. (Note: Since Smith co-executive produced Good Will Hunting, it's not out of the question that he had some input into this scene.)
Director Gus Van Sant culls genuine emotion from his actors, and this results in several affecting and powerful scenes. There's an edginess to some of the Sean/Will therapy sessions, and the offscreen chemistry between Matt Damon and Minnie translates effectively to the movie -- the Will/Skylar relationship is electric. Likewise, the companionability of Damon and Affleck is apparent in the easygoing nature of Will and Chuckie's friendship. Many of the individual scenes were strong enough to have earned Matt Damon a nomination for Best actor and Minnie Driver for Best Supporting Actress.
Matt Damon, who recently starred as Linus Caldwell in Ocean's Twelve and is starring Bryan Woodman in Syriana, is very good (although not spectacular) as Will. Minnie Driver adds another strong performance to a growing resume (note: she was allowed to keep her British accent rather than having to attempt an American one). The outstanding performance of the film belongs to Robin Williams, whose Sean is sad and wise, funny and somber. Arguably the best dramatic work in the actor's career, Williams' portrayal has earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Adequate support is provided by Ben Affleck and Stellan Skarsgard.
Unlike most of what comes before it, the ending of Good Will Hunting is comprehensibly predictable. But meeting expectations and following a familiar path aren't always bad things in a movie, provided the film accomplishes those goals with a modicum of style and an attention to detail. Good Will Hunting does both, and, as a result, earns a rating slightly better than the "good" in the title.
