Movie Review: Good Will Hunting

Article first published as Movie Review: Good Will Hunting on Blogcritics.

Good Will Hunting rotates around the life of an extra-ordinary talented guy Will Hunting. He belongs to a working class neighbourhood in Boston. He is an introvert and his life revolves around low skilled jobs, hanging out with friends, fighting, and getting in trouble.

Will spends a lot of time at home, alone, interpreting books and storing information in his pictorial memory. His intelligence is brilliant and he can easily solve difficult mathematical problems that elude eminent math professors.

An orphan, Will grew up in a series of foster homes in which he was repeatedly beaten. As a result, Will has a classic attachment disorder. He cannot form trusting relationships with other adults. He cannot control his fury. He cannot integrate his intelligence into his relationships with others, in either communal or work environments. Will's only demonstrative attachments are to a group of three young men from his neighborhood who cannot by any means match his intellect.

Will works as a janitor at MIT (Massachussets Institutute of Technology) but people there are oblivious to the fact that he is a mathematical genius. One day, a mathematics professor at MIT, Gerald Lamdeau, posts a mathematical problem on the board outside the class and asks his students to solve that problem. He also tells them that it took him and his colleagues about two years to solve that question. The reward that he puts up for the solution is the recognition of the student in the MIT Tech Magazine. The next day the professor finds the question, solved on the board. In this way he discovers Will’s great talent.

Good Will Hunting shows that you don’t need universities or colleges to be a genius. If you are a genius, the world will find you and surely, will take you to the place you deserve. It is not your background but the skill and talent that matters in the end.

Good Will Hunting also traces the successful treatment of Will's attachment disorder providing an excellent basis for studying the origin and treatment of this psychological condition. Filled with wisdom and compassion, the movie shows the power of verbal therapy and gives an example of the life-varying insight that can be afforded by psychology. The film is also a catalyst for discussions about the role of dependence, independence and interdependence in human life and the importance of love and consistency in parenting.

The movie also shows the young male culture of brutality and reveals that the need to be tough, to never show vulnerability, susceptibility, weakness, hurt, or sadness leads to a dead end. The movie shows devotion and sincerity towards friends as being the essence of a happy life. It is also a reassuring message to victims who have been physically abused or harmed.

The cast is amazing, with Matt Damon and Robin Williams doing what they do best i.e sweeping audiences off their feet. The transformation of Will from being a traumatized young man to becoming a recognized genius and the role of a mentor in his fight against his demons are both expertly portrayed by these extremely gifted practitioners of acting. At times one can just say a single word and nothing else for their effort; Bravo!

I rate it 4/5 for the content and beautiful portrayal.