Good Will Hunting (1997)

Will Hunting, a janitor at M.I.T., has a gift for mathematics, but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.

Director:

Gus Van Sant

Writers:

Matt Damon, Ben Affleck

Stars:

Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck

Top Rated Movies #86 | Won 2 Oscars. Another 22 wins & 61 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matt Damon	...	Will
Ben Affleck	...	Chuckie
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Lambeau
John Mighton	...	Tom
Rachel Majorowski	...	Krystyn
Colleen McCauley	...	Cathy
Casey Affleck	...	Morgan
Cole Hauser	...	Billy
Matt Mercier	...	Barbershop Quartet #1
Ralph St. George	...	Barbershop Quartet #2
Rob Lynds	...	Barbershop Quartet #3
Dan Washington	...	Barbershop Quartet #4
Alison Folland	...	M.I.T. Student
Derrick Bridgeman	...	M.I.T. Student
Vik Sahay	...	M.I.T. Student (as Vic Sahay)

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

professor | genius | mathematical genius | loss of wife | friend | 

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Taglines:

Wildly charismatic. Impossibly brilliant. Totally rebellious. For the first 20 years of his life, Will Hunting has called the shots. Now he's about to meet his match.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, including some sex-related dialogue

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is in the Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films on Letterboxd.

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Goofs

In the novelty shop, as Skylar delivers the line "in the end, my brain is going to be worth $250,000", she picks up the "magic wand" with her right hand. Immediately after, when the camera shows her from the front, it is in her left hand.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Lambeau: Mod fx... squared... dx. So please finish Parceval, by next time. I know many of you had this as undergraduates, but it won't hurt to brush up.

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Crazy Credits

Throughout the end credits, Will's car is driving down the highway until the very end, when the car drives around a bend and disappears.

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Alternate Versions

In the theatrical release, Chuckie gets angry with Morgan for using his little league baseball glove as "clean up." However in the TV version, Chuckie ends the scene with a curt "Why don't you do what you're doin' at your house." Also, when Will is with the first psychiatrist, the mention of "putting from the rough" is deleted.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Ben Affleck/Kristen Bell/Rodriguez (2013)

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Soundtracks

How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
Written by Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb
Performed by Al Green
Courtesy of Hi Records
Under license from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets

User Reviews

Incredible, moving movie.

A lot of things have been said about this fantastic movie, and I only hope to add a few more praises.

The fact that it was written by Ben and Matt was a shock to me, I did not expect any strong writing and a solid script, but boy was I wrong. The movie lasts for 2 hours, and every minute of it I couldn't even focus on anything beside the incredible world of Will Hunting.

Matt plays Will Hunting, who is a brilliant young man who denies his unreal intellect. Will has had a very abusive childhood which hurt him mentally to a point where he can no longer let anyone close to him aside from his best friend who is played by Ben. That is until a professor at one of the top colleges finds Will's talent and helps him out of trouble with the law. Robin Williams later comes in as a therapist to Will, he is the only one who can really stand up to Will's intellect and manages to break the layer of distrust that Will has developed over years of solitude, and the two develop a bond beyond friendship.

Yes there is a girl, but this is not a romantic movie. There is more to life then what we are taught and what we have to show for it.

The writing is witty, brilliant and hilarious at times, both Matt and Robin Williams preform wonderfully from both a comedic and theatrical prospective. Matt's best work since Dogma and Williams best along side Dead Poet's Society.

If your looking for a typical Hollywood movie with a Hollywood ending, then do not bother spending two hours on this movie. This movie is ahead of it's time, and lands an easy 10 out of 10.

This one is a keeper in my movie library.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 January 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Good Will Hunting

Filming Locations:

Massachusetts Turnpike, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$272,912, 7 December 1997

Gross USA:

$138,433,435

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$225,933,435

Company Credits

Production Co:

Be Gentlemen Limited Partnership, Lawrence Bender Productions, Miramax

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1