Review 212: Good Will Hunting

God Will Hunting is an uplifting, inspiring and emotionally rewarding drama film and a showcase for some truly creative writing from Ben Affleck & Matt Damon as well as some exceptional acting from the later and Robin Williams.

Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is a 20-year-old South Boston laborer and an unrecognised genius who, as part of a deferred prosecution agreement after asulting a police officer, is forced to become a client to therapist Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) and study advanced mathematics with renowned professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård) in order to avoid jail time.
Through his therapy sessions, Will re-evaluates his relationships with his best friend, Chuckie Sullivan (Ben Affleck) and his girlfriend, Skylar (Minnie Driver) while confronting his emotional issues and making decisions about his future.

The plot is simple, but is extremely heartwarming, inspiring & uplifting. The way it’s told is remarkable. This can attributed to

Director Gus Van Sant’s direction is sensitive and assured, making effective and deeply affecting use of lengthy close ups to show the characters emtions and show Hunting’s Mathematics work in considerable detail and moving the 126 min narrative at a the South Boston setting is and
the score by Danny Elfman is appropriately & touchingly mellow, the

The acting is splendid all round, Matt Damon (in a breakout performance) delivers a mesmerisingly heartfelt and ernest performance as Will Hunting. Will Hunting is an underappreciated Math prodigy who is wasting his life away as a janitor. He’s had it rough growing up, not had many opportunities to

Robin Williams is positively brilliant as Sean Maguire. A brilliant, but troubled therapist who is reeling from the loss of his wife

Ben Affleck (also in a breakout performance) He & Will grew up together, looked after each other They’re almost like brothers and Damon & Affleck’s chemistry helps to sell the brotherly bond and relationship between them.

Another actor who is also very good in this film is Stellan Skarsgård as Prof. Lambeau, the very first person to recognise Will Hunting’s gift and recommends him to Sean Maguire.
Without him, Maguire and Hunting would’ve never found each other. So he’s a catalyst in that regard.
He’s one of the first people to regcognise Will Hunting’s potential and wants to help him succeed.

Minnie Driver also provides a great deal of heart to the film as Skylar, Will’s love interest.