Good Will Hunting (1997)

"I look at you. I don't see an intelligent, confident man. I see a cocky, scared shitless kid. But you're a genius, Will. No one denies that. No one could possible understand the depths of you. But you presume to know everything about me because you saw a painting of mine. You ripped my fucking life apart. You're an orphan, right? Do you think I'd know the first thing about how hard your life has been, how you feel, who you are, 'cause I read Oliver Twist? Does that encapsulate you? Personally, I don't five a shit about all that, because you know what, I can't learn anything from you I can't read in some fucking book. Unless you want to talk about you, who you are. Then I'm fascinated. I'm in. But you don't wanna do that, do you, sport? You're terrified of what you might say. Your move, chief." Dr. Sean Maguire

I find it quite strange that it took me so long to see this film, but it definitely help up against all of the hype. From a human interest point of view, you're given a really interesting character arc, not just for our main character, but for those around him. This film shows how one person can have such an affect on those around them, and how in real life, not just one person changes. The story is so raw and so true. That might come from the fact that it was the first film project of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. They were new writers and filmmakers, so they wrote about what they knew. Real relationships with real people. As a native New Englander and a student of both Mathematics and Psychology, I thought that I would get more from those aspects of the film, but that's not what it's about. It's about the characters. It's about how their abilities and knowledge affect the way they live their lives. Professor Lambeau looks at the world with logic. He doesn't think about other people. He thinks about what is in front of him and acts accordingly. Dr. Maguire looks at people as changing beings and generally gives them the benefit of the doubt. He understands people and wants to understand them, likely more than himself. Will is the combination. He starts out being logic based and focusing on what he is presented with at any given time, and eventually learns the importance of looking at people not as obstacles or statues, but as important and changing beings. People who are in his life for a reason. People who want to help him to be the best Will Hunting that he can be. The acting is, of course, incredible. Unbeatable. The one thing that viewers may have issues with is the thickness of the Boston accents. If you've never heard a thick Boston accent before you may find yourself questioning what exactly is being said sometimes. For the most part, it's okay. It just adds to the realism of the characters. This film is a classic and for good reason. See it and learn from it.

Rank: 46