Good Will Hunting (1997) * * * *

Directed by:  Gus Van Sant

Starring:  Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Robin Williams, Minnie Driver, Stellan Skarsgard, Casey Affleck

"You're sitting on a winning lottery ticket and you're too much of a pussy to cash it in," says Chuckie to his best friend Will, a working-class mathematical genius on probation for punching a police officer during a scuffle with local tough guys.   You would wonder why a genius like Will would find himself in such trouble, but his issues are rooted in his upbringing.  He was bounced from one abusive foster home to another in South Boston.   He has love and trust issues, except with his very close friends, and defense mechanisms are his way of coping with the world.   Will is rough around the edges, but during Good Will Hunting those edges will be smoothed out by those who grow to care for him.  It's a film made up of many powerful moments.  Sure, the outcome is predictable, but getting to the outcome is an absorbing experience.

Will (Damon) is a genius with limitless potential who chooses to work menial jobs in construction or as a janitor at MIT.    He is smarter than the students that go there and he is able to solve a math formula posted by Professor Lambeau (Skarsgard) which stumps everyone else.  Lambeau posts another impossible formula and catches Will working on it.   Will scurries away, but Lambeau eventually tracks him down in jail after his involvement in the aforementioned fight.  The professor takes custody of him as part of a probation deal, contingent upon therapy sessions with former college roommate Sean McGuire (Williams).   Sean is sad and keenly feeling the recent loss of his wife to cancer, but he is able to reach Will in ways others couldn't before.   He believes Will needs to overcome his defenses in order to discover what he wants out of life.  Lambeau thinks Will should focus on mathematics.   Both recognize Will's genius, but argue over how he should focus his energies.    

Will also begins dating a Harvard pre-med student named Skylar (Driver), who loves Will despite his attempts to push her away.  He loves her, but can't bring himself to let her in because it would mean he would have to let down his guard.   The two have a heartbreaking breakup scene. When he's not with Sean, Skylar, or Lambeau, Will hangs out with neighborhood buddies at the local bar, where he feels most comfortable.   He has no problem wasting his potential away drinking beers and hanging out.    

I enjoyed the authentic, strong performances in Good Will Hunting.  Damon exudes intelligence mixed with a giant chip on his shoulder.   The chip is gradually eroded by Sean, Skyla, and Chuckie (Affleck) via a dose of tough love.  Damon's transformation is never less than convincing.  Robin Williams won the 1997 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this film and it is his best work.   He is shtick-free here, never once lapsing into an unnecessary impression or aside.   His two best scenes are his description of the night Carlton Fisk hit the 12th inning home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series (which has an extra special meaning) and the scene where he tells Will "it's not your fault."   Watch his body language as he confronts Will with this truth.  Affleck seems to be just a hard-nosed Boston construction worker, but his scene in which he tells Will he'd kill him if he doesn't do anything meaningful with himself is the key to the film.   I think this scene above all others forces Will to rethink his life. 

Good Will Hunting also won Damon and Affleck the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.    The original script was more of a thriller involving its working-class hero, but thankfully it was transformed into this stirring film.    It's much more interesting to see Will discover himself than it would be to see him outrun bad guys.     I cringe at the thought of the latter.