Good Will Hunting ***** (1997, Matt Damon, Robin Williams) – Classic Movie Review 156

Gus Van Sant’s 1997 double Oscar-winning film is a highly intelligent, engrossing heart-warmer. Matt Damon gives a polished, magnetic, star-making performance as Will Hunting, a rebel university caretaker, a janitor at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), who turns out to be a wayward maths genius. Only thing is, he’s a crazy, mixed-up kid and he needs the help of a psychologist to sort him out.

In an expertly handled, appealing, serious portrayal, Robin Williams won a best supporting actor Oscar as the lad’s caring shrink, who digs out his demons and sets him on the right path, at the request of a university professor (Stellan Skarsgaard) who believes in Will’s genius.

Damon shared a second Oscar with Ben Affleck for the polished, richly enjoyable script. There were seven other Oscar nominations.

Earning one of the nominations, Minnie Driver does her best with a rather thin, weakly written role as Damon’s girlfriend Skylar, a role they enjoyed in real life at the time. Skylar Satenstein had been Damon’s girlfriend till before filming began.

Affleck’s brother Casey has a small role ad-libbing frequently as Morgan O’Mally, apparently confusing the other actors.

The screenplay was originally written as a thriller, with the FBI trying to use Will’s maths genius for spy work till producer Rob Reiner suggested this idea was scrapped. Ben Affleck and Damon have not written together since.

Damon collaborated with his co-star Casey Affleck in Van Sant’s 2002 film Gerry and with his co-star John Krasinski in Van Sant’s 2002 film Promised Land. Is there a pattern here?

Tragically dear Robin Williams was found dead in his home in Tiburon, California, on Monday August 11 2014, aged 63. The cause of death is believed to be suicide via asphyxiation. He had been battling depression and recently entered 12-step rehab for drug abuse.  He won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1997 for Good Will Hunting, and won two Emmys, four Golden Globes, five Grammys and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Mrs Doubtfire (1994)was perhaps his most enduring character. He was gearing up to reprise his role in a sequel.

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 156

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