As much as I appreciate a good story, I often struggle to maintain interest in films with many different storylines and large casts of characters. It is difficult to appreciate even the most epic visual spectacle if the events or people on screen seem shallow, as if the director put quantity above quality. Therefore, I found “Good Will Hunting” to be an amazing viewing experience, as it provided me with the opportunity to really delve into a select few characters and did not unnecessarily complicate the plot with too many overlapping narratives.
At its core, “Good Will Hunting” revolves around the titular Will Hunting, a 20-year-old janitor at M.I.T. played by Matt Damon. However, beneath this unremarkable exterior, Hunting hides many secrets, including that he is a self-taught mathematical genius. This is revealed when he is caught solving a complex problem intended for students in a mathematics course taught by Professor Gerald Lambeau, played by Stellan Skarsgard.
A series of events occur which land Hunting in jail, and he is bailed out by Lambeau—who is eager to tap into Will’s newly revealed potential—on the condition that he attend counseling sessions. This, in my view, is where the movie truly begins to shine.
After a montage which sees Hunting almost toying with a series of therapists, as Lambeau grows increasingly frustrated, we are introduced to one of the film’s best characters: Lambeau’s college roommate and psychologist Sean McGuire, played by the late Robin Williams.
At their first meeting, it is striking how even-keeled McGuire seems, not fazed by any of the troubled prodigy’s usual antics. However, the mention of his wife sends Williams’s character into a rage, as the sequence concludes with him slamming the younger man into a wall. This is the first glimpse we see of McGuire’s own trauma, an element central to the remainder of the film.
The back and forth between Williams and Damon, often contained entirely within McGuire’s office, is perhaps the part of “Good Will Hunting” which is most appealing to me. While the mathematical genius of the titular character serves as a useful framing device, Williams, Damon and a small office are the only elements necessary for some of the film’s best moments. Robin Williams is especially noteworthy, as a performer noted for his comedy, in delivering a dramatic performance unlike few I have seen. Despite the character possessing a generally calm demeanor throughout, Williams allows emotion to break through at the perfect moments, from bursts of anger to humorous anecdotes and emotional flashbacks, he manages to display a full range of nuanced feelings seemingly without deviating from the overall tone of the character.
Damon’s character, while perhaps remaining more consistent emotionally, grows significantly throughout the course of the film. Hunting adheres to many common tropes: the troubled young adult searching for his place in the world, the defensive and withdrawn character who eventually shows a more emotional side and so on. However, in finding the most memorable aspect of his character, I am again brought back to the interactions between him and McGuire, as it is the distinction between intelligence and wisdom which makes him remarkable as a character, and allows him to play so easily off his older associate: McGuire represents the latter of the two, while Hunting represents the former.
Ultimately, “Good Will Hunting” is a film about many things, but, at its best, it all comes down to two men, a tiny office and simple conversation.
