Matt Damon. A staple of modern Hollywood action thrillers, and one of the most recognizable actors in the world. From Rounders (1998), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Ocean’s Eleven (2001) and almost every Bourne movie (ahem), to The Departed (2006), Interstellar (2014), The Martian (2015) and late-night show appearances with Jimmy Kimmel, anyone with access to the TV in the 21st century has seen him at least once or twice. Less well known, though, is the change that occurred overnight in 1997, a milestone in his career that would transform his life forever.
Good Will Hunting is a 1997 independent drama directed by Gus Van Sant, written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, and starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, and Stellan Skarsgård. Financed with a $10 million budget, the film was an overwhelming commercial success, grossing over $225 million, as well as winning two Academy Awards— Best Supporting Actor for Williams and Best Original Screenplay for Affleck and Damon.
The film refrains from crafting its narrative intelligently, and doesn’t try to come across smarter than it actually is. The writers know there is no need. The story is relatively straightforward, all its characters are necessary, there aren’t any extrapersonal conflicts, illogical desires or actions, twist of events, violence, or sensationalism of any sorts. At its core, the film tells a tale of a young man (Will) and his need to change, whether he knows it or not. The character is constructed to make his change especially difficult; while possessing genius level IQ and photographic memory, he’s lazy, traumatized by his past, and more importantly, extremely stubborn. For his walls to be broken down, the writers had a few weapons at their disposal.
It is said the first draft of the screenplay was a thriller, with the Will targeted by the government and heavy-handed recruitment. This would have been completely inappropriate, overshadowing the much more interesting personal conflict between the genius and his therapist. Rob Reiner (Stand by Me, When Harry Met Sally…, The Princess Bride) understood this, and urged Damon and Affleck to rewrite the script, which they fortunately did. Legendary director/screenwriter Terrence Malick (Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, The Tree of Life) also suggested the ending should have Will follow Skylar to California, instead of leaving them together. Of course, this would render Will’s character arc much more clear-cut and cathartic. These edits just go to show that it wasn’t only Damon and Affleck who produced such a great script, especially considering such critical changes.
Besides the skilled writing of the therapist, Robin Williams truly brought the character to life with such care and beauty we haven’t seen from him quite often. His sympathy is contagious, and it makes us want him to succeed at breaking Will’s walls down even more. Just through his calm demeanor, we recognize he’s been through a lot, and understands Will’s condition far better than Will himself does. It’s truly touching, especially his infamous monologue on the bench.
On the contrary, the rest of the cast would be relieved to be even considered average. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s charisma is admirable, but nowhere near the potential the characters held. Minnie Driver as Skylar is perhaps even worse, delivering her lines like a high-schooler reading aloud a passage in class. Matt Damon’s “how do you like them apples” scene is memorable and well rehearsed, but his portrayal of the defense mechanism worse than most we’ve seen on screen. Stellan Skarsgård’s breakdown admitting his mental decline and worthlessness is the most forgettable of all, and for a reason.
Technically, the film is not terrible. Gus Van Sant lets the script play out uninterrupted, refraining from any special camera movements or even a hint of style. This decision renders the visuals bland, but I would argue over-stylizing the cinematography would be unnecessary, and take away from the core of the story. He doesn’t put any attention on the images, but rather the words and actions inside those images.
Good Will Hunting is one of the first films I was introduced to that had great writing. I’m curious what Damon and Affleck would have produced if they had stuck to screenwriting. Each scene plays out, as some would say predictably, but appropriately so. Each line of dialogue feels right (besides a few bumps during the break-up scene), and each character is designed around Will wonderfully. But maybe it was actually Reiner, Malick, and as some suspect, William Goldman who constructed Damon and Affleck’s imaginations. Who knows? It doesn’t matter. We have this movie to thank for all the Bournes anyway.
B
Good Will Hunting is a 1997 independent drama directed by Gus Van Sant, written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, and starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, and Stellan Skarsgård. Financed with a $10 million budget, the film was an overwhelming commercial success, grossing over $225 million, as well as winning two Academy Awards— Best Supporting Actor for Williams and Best Original Screenplay for Affleck and Damon.
The film refrains from crafting its narrative intelligently, and doesn’t try to come across smarter than it actually is. The writers know there is no need. The story is relatively straightforward, all its characters are necessary, there aren’t any extrapersonal conflicts, illogical desires or actions, twist of events, violence, or sensationalism of any sorts. At its core, the film tells a tale of a young man (Will) and his need to change, whether he knows it or not. The character is constructed to make his change especially difficult; while possessing genius level IQ and photographic memory, he’s lazy, traumatized by his past, and more importantly, extremely stubborn. For his walls to be broken down, the writers had a few weapons at their disposal.
It is said the first draft of the screenplay was a thriller, with the Will targeted by the government and heavy-handed recruitment. This would have been completely inappropriate, overshadowing the much more interesting personal conflict between the genius and his therapist. Rob Reiner (Stand by Me, When Harry Met Sally…, The Princess Bride) understood this, and urged Damon and Affleck to rewrite the script, which they fortunately did. Legendary director/screenwriter Terrence Malick (Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, The Tree of Life) also suggested the ending should have Will follow Skylar to California, instead of leaving them together. Of course, this would render Will’s character arc much more clear-cut and cathartic. These edits just go to show that it wasn’t only Damon and Affleck who produced such a great script, especially considering such critical changes.
Besides the skilled writing of the therapist, Robin Williams truly brought the character to life with such care and beauty we haven’t seen from him quite often. His sympathy is contagious, and it makes us want him to succeed at breaking Will’s walls down even more. Just through his calm demeanor, we recognize he’s been through a lot, and understands Will’s condition far better than Will himself does. It’s truly touching, especially his infamous monologue on the bench.
On the contrary, the rest of the cast would be relieved to be even considered average. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s charisma is admirable, but nowhere near the potential the characters held. Minnie Driver as Skylar is perhaps even worse, delivering her lines like a high-schooler reading aloud a passage in class. Matt Damon’s “how do you like them apples” scene is memorable and well rehearsed, but his portrayal of the defense mechanism worse than most we’ve seen on screen. Stellan Skarsgård’s breakdown admitting his mental decline and worthlessness is the most forgettable of all, and for a reason.
Technically, the film is not terrible. Gus Van Sant lets the script play out uninterrupted, refraining from any special camera movements or even a hint of style. This decision renders the visuals bland, but I would argue over-stylizing the cinematography would be unnecessary, and take away from the core of the story. He doesn’t put any attention on the images, but rather the words and actions inside those images.
Good Will Hunting is one of the first films I was introduced to that had great writing. I’m curious what Damon and Affleck would have produced if they had stuck to screenwriting. Each scene plays out, as some would say predictably, but appropriately so. Each line of dialogue feels right (besides a few bumps during the break-up scene), and each character is designed around Will wonderfully. But maybe it was actually Reiner, Malick, and as some suspect, William Goldman who constructed Damon and Affleck’s imaginations. Who knows? It doesn’t matter. We have this movie to thank for all the Bournes anyway.
B