Good (or Bad?) Will Hunting
Rating: 100%
Being a film student and someone who has always had a strong passion for films I am often asked what my personal favourite film was and what I thought was the best film ever made (as it is important to know that they are completely different questions). For example, films can be brilliantly made with great actors, incredible special effects and a great soundtrack, but just not hit home with the audience (X-Men: Apocalypse). However, for me personally my answer to both questions is the same. Good Will Hunting. Since the first time i ever watched this film i was completely overtaken by in, in a good way. This film combines practically every aspect that makes a great film. Humour, hope and attachment for the characters, an excellent cast and most importantly the constant glimmer of reliability to the roles portrayed by the actors. Its underlying humour runs throughout the film varying from little snares and insults between the characters that people in similar situations would have found stupendously clever and funny and also to the simple yet effective conversations between Will (Matt Damon) and Sean (Robin Williams) where constant self and peer pity for one another is protected and shielded by the never-ending witty debates they share. “ Well, I got her number. How do you like them apples?” and “Does this violate the doctor-patient relationship? — Not unless you grab my ass.” are two perfect examples of this humour being used, not even jokes yet sentences that if said between you and your friends you’d share a laugh and remember it for a few days or so. That is the humour used throughout this film. This is brilliant because it helps you to relate to the characters, it makes you see their humour as your own and so must have similarities.
The scenes in the two photographs capture and draw the audience in with so little effort its applaudable. Hardly even a change of picture in either and yet these are two of the most dramatic and breath-taking moments in the film. The first with Ben Affleck realising his best friend had finally realised he was better than the life he was stuck in. That’s all that this scene is, even fifteen minutes beforehand his character had told Will that he wanted this exact thing to happen and yet momentous it still is. It’s one of those moments in films that shock you yet without even trying you have a slight smile on your face. As not only has Will realised his self-worth and followed the girl of his dreams but Chuckie realises that he was the last helping hand to make him act. This grabs the audience from every point of view, you have those relating to Chuckie the underachieving friend who has that one friend destined for greatness. The naturally brilliant one Will, who as just mentioned is on a path to writing history and starts the walk on the path. But also, for the people that at this exact moment relate to neither yet realise that one of them could well be them. This is what films, great films do, not only make you connect to the main characters when you relate to them but even when you don’t in any way. The photograph below is from quite possibly one of the most influential scenes in cinematic history. So much that the bench in real life has become a full-time memorial for the late Robin Williams. The speech delivered by Sean in this section hits home for anybody that watches the film. As it reaches out to the two sides of it. Those who have lived like Will, and not experienced many of life’s loves and pains, or those who relate to Sean who have gone through nothing less that all of them. “You don’t know about real loss, because that only occurs when you love something more than you love yourself”. This is arguably the scene where Sean’s characters roots truly come out and explain how/why he is as he is, and how he has so much to offer young William.
If somebody tasked you with casting and making a film with a budget of only $10m you would most likely settle for the one or two half known actors and a slightly above average set. Somehow Gus Van Sant made a masterpiece. A masterpiece containing nothing less than seven globally known true artists. With the likes of Robin Williams, Minnie Driver, Stellan Skarsgård and Casey Affleck; not to name the two feature stars. Other than the odd couple minute feature in a different setting, the entire film is mainly shot in three locations. This would have helped to reduce the set costs, helping to bolster the attack of the staff and stars.
It’s almost impossible to find faults in a film like this because where do you find them? In the brilliant cast? The effortless chemistry between the characters? The hard-hitting script? you simply can’t without forcing something or being overly petty. These factors put together make not only one of but in my opinion the greatest film ever made and released.
