Day 48: Good Will Hunting

“If the professor calls about that job, just tell him, sorry, I had to go see about a girl.”

Directed by Gus Van Stant, Good Will Hunting stars Matt Damon is what is considered to be his break through to fame. Alongside Damon is Ben Affleck and Robin Williams, who both deliver stunning roles. The film was written by both Damon and Affleck and earned nine Academy Award nominations and won two. The film also rolled in four Golden Globe nominations and won for Best Screenplay.

Will Hunting (Damon) is a janitor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology but has mathematical skills that reach far beyond most people's capabilities. His days are spent with his three of his closest friends, Chuckie Sullivan (Affleck), Billy McBride and Morgan O'Mally. There nights together normally consist of the same routine, roaming the different bars in South Boston while picking fights or looking for woman. School is now back in session at MIT, so that means its back to work for Will. During the first week, he comes across a chalk board in the hallway that contains an extremely complicated equation that is presented by Professor Gerald Lambeau. The equation was put there in hopes that one of his students would eventually be able to solve it by the end of the semester, but Will takes it upon himself to figure out the solution.

The next day after a night of working out the equation, Will writes the answer out on the board but doesn't reveal that he is the one who solved it. Due to the mystery of who solved the equation, Professor Lambeau puts another equation out, but this time figures out that it was Will who was solving the problems. Unfortunately for Will, he gets himself into serious trouble by getting revenge on someone who used to pick on him back in his days in kindergarten. Will and his three friends decide to pick a fight with the crew which gets bloody fast, but the police arrive on the scene and arrest Will for the excessive violence.

After being sentenced to jail, or a $50,000 bond, Professor Lambeau comes to his rescue and gets him out of his sentence, but under two strict conditions. The first being that Will would study Lambeau's mathematical theories under his supervision, and the other being that Will would receive help from a psychiatrist. In agreeance with the conditions, will goes through five psychiatrists before meeting with Sean Maguire (Robin Williams), Lambeau's old roommate. As figured, the first meeting between Will and Maguire isn't completely pleasant, but he isn't ready to give up on the boy. He continues to meet with him, pushing past their differences.

While still serving his end of the deal to meet with a psychiatrist, will ends up meeting a woman that falls in love with him. Skylar, the name of the girl he meets, are opposites of each other, but sometimes they saying is true and opposites seem to attract. While things appear to be going smoothly between both Skylar and and his meetings with Maguire, two obstacles are put in front of him. Frist, he is pressured by Lambeau to pursue a career that really isn't what his heart desires. Secondly, Skylar tells him that she is leaving for California and wants him to go with her.

Will Hunting seems to be a somewhat normal person, but deep down inside he is hiding his fear of attachment. Growing up as a foster child, Will always felt that the people who were supposed to love him the most abandoned him and left him for nothing. Living most of his life alone, Will would always push people away before he became to close to them. The only people who ever found a place in his heart were his three lifelong buddies. Maguire noticed this issue right away with Will. Even though Will didn't realize it at the time of his meetings, Maguire wasn't just trying to help him move on with his life, but he was trying to get him to break his tension from the past and understand that attachment to a significant other is what fuels our hearts. Maguire goes on to tell Will a story about how he met his wife. The story begins with Maguire telling Will that he and his buddies had tickets to Game 6 of the 1975 World Series where Carlton Fisk won the game with a walk-off home run. Will can't believe that he was actually at that game, but Maguire goes on to tell him that he passed up the opportunity to witness history because he met the woman he knew he was going to fall in love with. He explains that right before the game, while in a bar, he slides his ticket across the table and says, “sorry guys, but I've got to see about a girl.” Obviously at the time, Will thinks Maguire is absolutely insane, and who wouldn't.
 
The story comes to a close and Will now understands fully the things that Maguire was trying to teach him. He no longer wants to fight away attachment and does “what he needs to do.” Without a proper goodbye to his friends, Will decides to go to California and be with the woman he knows he is ready to fall in love with. Before making his long journey, he stops by Maguire's house and leaves a note saying “If the professor calls about that job, just tell him, sorry, I had to go see about a girl.”


I can honestly say that even though this movie may not be considered as one of the all time greats, it is one of my personal favorites of all time. The way the story comes together is perfect. Its simple and touching at the same time. In the end, everyone in the movie is able to movie onto something better.