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Stephanie
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Fri, Nov 14 2003 ..... 1:50 PM
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I am in love with this movie, when it came out I could not get enough of this movie. I think by now I know every word. I could not have been more than in my early teens, still unaffected by the outside world. This movie showed me worlds I did not even know. Now that I am in college I see how the movie can relate so much more, I have a greater appreciation for it. It shows that the "college" time in your life is not just classes and GPAs it's so much more than that. College is a time when you grow and discover who and what you are and can be. Will Hunting, played by Matt Damon, portrays a man in his early twenties who is torn between worlds. He has his world with his three best friends who would do anything for him. He's safe there nothing can interrupt his bubble of partying and hanging out with his friends. He has a job he knows that he is safe in, it does not challenge him. His world is interrupted when he meets Sean, played by Robin Williams. Will is forced to look at his life, not only the future but his past as well. He has to conquer his past to start with the future. Sean breaks his barriers that keep him safe and makes him understand what he can really be. He tries to help Will see his potential as an individual in this big world. He helps him to discover that no one is perfect and that everyone has their own little quirks, but that's what makes them who they are. Good Will Hunting shows us that we have to step outside of our bubble if we want to grow in life and become a better person.
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Kelly
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Fri, Nov 14 2003 ..... 1:29 PM
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This week "Techies" reviewed Good Will Hunting, directed by Gus Van Sant. The film's screenplay was written by two of the film's stars, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (which they won an Oscar for). The film centers around Will Hunting, Matt Damon's character, and various issues affecting his life. Hunting is a genius who works as a janitor at MIT, and in his free time solves impossible proofs displayed by one of the school's professors. When it is discovered who is solving the math problems, Hunting is bailed out of jail, provided he assists the professor with difficult math problems and also visits a psychiatrist. Hunting has many problems with trusting and confiding in people, never really developing close relationships with anyone other than his friends, played by Ben and Casey Affleck. As a result, Hunting easily and quickly discourages four shrinks before finally feeling satisfied to trust Dr. Sean McGuire (played by Robin Williams).
The film, as stated by my colleagues, is not directly focused on college life, yet does relate to problems in one's life that almost everyone faces. One of his issues is with relationships, and more specifically women. Hunting finds solace in Skylar, played by Minnie Driver, yet is still unable to make a deep connection with her, out of his own fear. As Sean tells Will, "You're not perfect sport, and let me save you the suspense, this girl you've met she's not perfect either. But the question is whether or not you're perfect for each other." This in particular is one fact that many people in the world need to face. As much as people are looking for perfection, IT DOESN'T EXIST! And contrary to what one of my good friend believes, you are not settling when you fall in love with someone who is not perfect, yet they are perfect for you... you are settling if they are not perfect for you either. While college is not directly a major focus of the film, Will and Skylar deal with issues relating to college (in particular her leaving for med school across the county) and Sean even faces his own issues relating to his past with his old college roommate. Education is a large part of the movie, whether indirectly or directly, and raises many questions about college life. Will also deals with issues that many college students face, even though he himself is not in college.
In conclusion, I think Good Will Hunting is an excellent film that discusses both college and life issues. It is very realistic, yet possibly slightly romanticized. I was able to make parallels to real life and relate to many of the scenes in the film.
Entertainment Rating: 9
Reality Rating: 9.5
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Derek
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Fri, Nov 14 2003 ..... 1:45 PM
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Although the movie Good Will Hunting may not address college life in the way that one would expect college movies to do (especially considering the main character isn’t even in college and never will be), the movie does address that same coming of age struggle that many young adults go through as their college years come to a close. College to many represents the greatest of all worlds. Students have the freedom of living on their own and doing whatever they feel like and still being able to go to mom and dad to get money for groceries. They have all this freedom and do not have to hold a serious job. But as these days come to a close for many, it is difficult to take that initial first step into true adulthood. All of the sudden these individuals have to pay for everything themselves, start planning for their futures, and obtain a good job. They have to start settling down and it is quite the transition. It is too much of a transition for some including Will, the main character in Good Will Hunting.
Will never really had parents. He grew up in foster homes where he was abused. He never really felt like he belonged anywhere. So when he made a group of close friends, he was extremely devoted to them. But he has a gift with math that will allow him to obtain any number of extremely prestigious jobs. And he falls in love with a girl that is interested in a serious relationship. All of the sudden he went from always hanging out with the boys and working a dead-end janitor job to having the possibility of a serious job and a serious relationship. He went from being a kid to being an adult and he simply was not prepared. Right now most of the people that I know are just entering this time of their lives in which freedom is prevalent and responsibilities are few and far between. But within a few years we will all have to face the same decisions that Will had to face. We will have to grow up. Will has a hard time accepting that his life must change. He is afraid of losing the friends that have accepted and embraced him. He is afraid of being alone and separate again. But he does face this challenge. He goes for the girl and at the close of the film we can only assume that he will go for a serious job as well. He accepts that he must move on, that he must grow up. I hope that when my time comes I can do the same.
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Lynn
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Wed, Nov 12 2003 ..... 1:50 AM
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Good Will Hunting touches on some much deeper topics than our beloved Animal House did last week. This movie is not really about college, however, it is about the growing and making choices during the young, "college" years. Will Hunting, the main character, is a mathematical genius who is working as a janitor at MIT. While he is solving a problem intended for the graduate students, a professor catches him and questions why he is still a janitor. The rest of the movie envolves several people pushing Will to change and have a better life. No one can really understand why Will is not taking advantage of his genius. The reason that he does not take advantage of it is because he does is afraid of change. He also does not want his friends to think that he is better than them; he is afraid of changing social classes.
This movie relates to college, because college is all about change and learning to deal with what you were given mentally. However, one could also think that this movie sends the message that a college degree doesn't mean anything when you are dealing with real genius. Titles and positions no longer mean anything because it is what you can do that really counts. Will Hunting is an example of someone who is afraid to take advantage of their full potential. In his case, I think he was wasting a huge amount of knowledge just to avoid change. But, change may not have been the only reason that he did not want to put his knowledge to use.
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Ayyad
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Wed, Nov 12 2003 ..... 1:21 AM
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While Good Will Hunting is a great drama, it does in no way relate to my college life, I only wish I was as much of a genius as the main character. At first I thought it was totally ridiculous that a person like Will Hunting could ever exist, not just because of his background. Later on however, the notion of the existence of such brilliance started becoming somewhat believable. I reevaluated my thoughts while I was watching the scene where Hunting was telling his girlfriend about how Beethoven and Mozart were born to play the piano. So the possibility, a very slim one, of Hunting being one of those that were born to do and be great at a particular career did exist. Which led to a whole other process of trying to come up with something that I would really be good at, but that is beside the point. This movie most certainly teaches or shows a lot of life lessons and morals. Other than that, I think the movie had a good storyline and great acting performances, a definite must see. Although I was surprised that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon co-wrote this movie, I did not expect them to have such a solid storyline. I guess that is another thing a person can learn from the movie, not to underestimate anyone.
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