Part 1-Reflections and Interpretations
-Summary - Good Will Hunting follows the story of Will, a young man working at MIT as a janitor. He was orphaned as a child and was in and out of foster homes, due to extreme physical abuse. He is a troubled kid with a long rap sheet, and is put in jail after committing one crime too many. A professor at MIT realizes Will's extreme intellectual abilities, after he quickly solves an advanced mathematic function that few have conquered (inciting incident). The professor manages to negotiate Will’s release from jail. But, there are two conditions: Will must take weekly math lessons with the professor, and Will must see a therapist twice a week. Along the way, Will takes a journey of self-discovery, which leads him to changing relationships, new friendships, and a bit of romance.
-Story Question – Can Will overcome his past, so that he can open himself up to the possibilities of his future?
-Genre - This movie is definitely a drama. There are many heavy thematic elements, such as abuse, poverty, loss, and depression. There are, however, some comedic relief scenes interspersed throughout.
-Deeper Meaning - This really isn’t a film that is meant for entertainment. Although there are some funny scenes, the film’s main purpose is to provoke thought in its viewers. It conveys the deeper meaning that is it is possible to overcome the demons of your past, but you must be willing to open up and be vulnerable. There is no way to reach your full potential without doing this. The story felt complete. Even though it did not show the full story of all of the characters, the loose ends were tied up.
-Award Caliber – This movie is definitely deserving of award recognition, due to the incredible writing and actor portrayals. The story flows well, and it is evident that the writers put a lot of thought into the writing. The actors are believable and play off of each other quite nicely. These things are quite evident in the scenes between Will and his therapist, Sean.
-Character Impact – As a viewer, watching some of the things that Will did, such as getting into fights, lying, and making threats, it’s easy to think that he is a bad person. But, if you put yourself into his shoes - his early childhood abandonment, the abuse that he has endured - it’s easier to see why he acts the way he acts. I found myself rooting for him, hoping that he could admit and overcome his past problems. I wanted him to realize the unique abilities and opportunities that he had, to be successful and happy in whatever he chose to do.
I also really enjoyed watching the evolution of Sean. He, like Will, had suffered tragedy. I saw his life change as he helped Will.
-Literary Hero – Will can definitely be categorized as a Hemingway Hero. He has his demons, doesn’t know how to accept himself, and because of this, is afraid of falling in love. He does his own thing, and refuses to listen to others’ advice or conform to societal standards.
Sean fits the description of both Hemingway Hero and Romantic Hero. He is extremely smart, and many believe that he has settled in life and isn’t reaching his full potential. He has lost his wife and has become a sort of recluse, refusing to love anyone else and turning to alcohol. Despite his imperfections, he is willing to help Will, when most others have given up on him. Check out some of his best quotes here (warning-contains strong language).
-Will and Sean are definitely round and dynamic. Will’s group of friends could be considered flat. They are formula characters – players with bad attitudes and foul language. However, Will’s best friend, Chuckie, although formulaic, does open up throughout the film. He contributes to Will’s change from beginning to end.
-Summary - Good Will Hunting follows the story of Will, a young man working at MIT as a janitor. He was orphaned as a child and was in and out of foster homes, due to extreme physical abuse. He is a troubled kid with a long rap sheet, and is put in jail after committing one crime too many. A professor at MIT realizes Will's extreme intellectual abilities, after he quickly solves an advanced mathematic function that few have conquered (inciting incident). The professor manages to negotiate Will’s release from jail. But, there are two conditions: Will must take weekly math lessons with the professor, and Will must see a therapist twice a week. Along the way, Will takes a journey of self-discovery, which leads him to changing relationships, new friendships, and a bit of romance.
-Story Question – Can Will overcome his past, so that he can open himself up to the possibilities of his future?
-Genre - This movie is definitely a drama. There are many heavy thematic elements, such as abuse, poverty, loss, and depression. There are, however, some comedic relief scenes interspersed throughout.
-Deeper Meaning - This really isn’t a film that is meant for entertainment. Although there are some funny scenes, the film’s main purpose is to provoke thought in its viewers. It conveys the deeper meaning that is it is possible to overcome the demons of your past, but you must be willing to open up and be vulnerable. There is no way to reach your full potential without doing this. The story felt complete. Even though it did not show the full story of all of the characters, the loose ends were tied up.
-Award Caliber – This movie is definitely deserving of award recognition, due to the incredible writing and actor portrayals. The story flows well, and it is evident that the writers put a lot of thought into the writing. The actors are believable and play off of each other quite nicely. These things are quite evident in the scenes between Will and his therapist, Sean.
-Character Impact – As a viewer, watching some of the things that Will did, such as getting into fights, lying, and making threats, it’s easy to think that he is a bad person. But, if you put yourself into his shoes - his early childhood abandonment, the abuse that he has endured - it’s easier to see why he acts the way he acts. I found myself rooting for him, hoping that he could admit and overcome his past problems. I wanted him to realize the unique abilities and opportunities that he had, to be successful and happy in whatever he chose to do.
I also really enjoyed watching the evolution of Sean. He, like Will, had suffered tragedy. I saw his life change as he helped Will.
-Literary Hero – Will can definitely be categorized as a Hemingway Hero. He has his demons, doesn’t know how to accept himself, and because of this, is afraid of falling in love. He does his own thing, and refuses to listen to others’ advice or conform to societal standards.
Sean fits the description of both Hemingway Hero and Romantic Hero. He is extremely smart, and many believe that he has settled in life and isn’t reaching his full potential. He has lost his wife and has become a sort of recluse, refusing to love anyone else and turning to alcohol. Despite his imperfections, he is willing to help Will, when most others have given up on him. Check out some of his best quotes here (warning-contains strong language).
-Will and Sean are definitely round and dynamic. Will’s group of friends could be considered flat. They are formula characters – players with bad attitudes and foul language. However, Will’s best friend, Chuckie, although formulaic, does open up throughout the film. He contributes to Will’s change from beginning to end.
Part 2-Author’s intent and focus
For me, the most important aspect of this story is character. Everything revolves around Will and the changes he experiences. The big focus is on his life – where he works, his friends, his opportunities, his problems. Yes, there are other major characters, and the story is important. But, these support Will’s character as he matures throughout the film. You can think about it this way. Will’s character is the steak of the movie, while the other characters and the story are the potatoes.
For me, the most important aspect of this story is character. Everything revolves around Will and the changes he experiences. The big focus is on his life – where he works, his friends, his opportunities, his problems. Yes, there are other major characters, and the story is important. But, these support Will’s character as he matures throughout the film. You can think about it this way. Will’s character is the steak of the movie, while the other characters and the story are the potatoes.
Part 3-Character Conflicts
The main conflict within this movie is that of Man vs. Himself. The movie centers around the conflict. Every important scene is leading to its resolution. Will is a genius, and he uses this as a defense mechanism. He has answered this almost impossible math question, and refuses to take credit for it (inciting incident). He has read many books (and basically memorized them all), but he has never actually gotten out of his city of Boston and experienced the world. His past keeps him from his future. He has been burned with cigarette butts, stabbed by foster parents. In some ways, he feels that it’s his fault. He refuses to love and be loved. He covers up his past and the tragedies he’s been through. He doesn’t have any interest in improving his life, although those around him know that he can. Throughout the course of this movie, we see Will begin to face fears and come to realize that he can move past these obstacles if he really wants to.
The main conflict within this movie is that of Man vs. Himself. The movie centers around the conflict. Every important scene is leading to its resolution. Will is a genius, and he uses this as a defense mechanism. He has answered this almost impossible math question, and refuses to take credit for it (inciting incident). He has read many books (and basically memorized them all), but he has never actually gotten out of his city of Boston and experienced the world. His past keeps him from his future. He has been burned with cigarette butts, stabbed by foster parents. In some ways, he feels that it’s his fault. He refuses to love and be loved. He covers up his past and the tragedies he’s been through. He doesn’t have any interest in improving his life, although those around him know that he can. Throughout the course of this movie, we see Will begin to face fears and come to realize that he can move past these obstacles if he really wants to.
Part 4-Personal Response and Recommendations
-Strong and Weak Points – Matt Damon does an impeccable job portraying Will. To me, any scene that had him in it was wonderful. The only weak points I saw were between the professor and Sean. Their relationship was a bit tumultuous, and the conflict between them seemed unnecessary.
-Does it succeed? In my opinion, this story succeeds. It has everything that it needs to have in order to make it a great movie. It has a variety of characters, with several major character arcs. It is dynamic, changing from beginning to end. It has satisfactory resolutions. The writing is well-researched, with the right balance of difficult subject matter and comedic relief.
-Appropriate Audience - I think that the appropriate audience for this story would be late teens through adults. I think that college students could really benefit from watching this. Will is around college age, and he’s struggling with decisions that could affect his future, just as many college students are doing right now.
-Report Card Grade - A
-Strong and Weak Points – Matt Damon does an impeccable job portraying Will. To me, any scene that had him in it was wonderful. The only weak points I saw were between the professor and Sean. Their relationship was a bit tumultuous, and the conflict between them seemed unnecessary.
-Does it succeed? In my opinion, this story succeeds. It has everything that it needs to have in order to make it a great movie. It has a variety of characters, with several major character arcs. It is dynamic, changing from beginning to end. It has satisfactory resolutions. The writing is well-researched, with the right balance of difficult subject matter and comedic relief.
-Appropriate Audience - I think that the appropriate audience for this story would be late teens through adults. I think that college students could really benefit from watching this. Will is around college age, and he’s struggling with decisions that could affect his future, just as many college students are doing right now.
-Report Card Grade - A
Well, folks. That's all for this week.
Until Next Time,
Kathryn (The Redhead Behind the Reviews)
Works Cited
Everyone Needs a Hero (Ch. 1) – The GWU Film Critic [Blog post]. (2016, September 1). Retrieved from https://gwufilmcritic.wordpress.com/2016/09/01/everyone-needs-a-hero-chapt-1/
A Matter of Character (Ch.1) – The GWU Film Critic [Blog post]. (2016, September 1). Retrieved from https://gwufilmcritic.wordpress.com/2016/09/01/character-matters/