Good Will Hunting Review
by "Luke Buckmaster" (bucky AT alphalink DOT com DOT au)April 30th, 1998
REVIEW: Good Will Hunting
by Luke Buckmaster
3 and a half stars out of 5
There s something a little unsettling about Will Hunting. Sure he s a genius born on the wrong side of the tracks, with the IQ of Einstein and a PHD in being a smart-ass. But let s look at the situation seriously: Will is smart enough to solve an equation that few people in the world are able to, but dumb enough to continuously punch a guy s head in when he can hear the cops a coming. Not to mention being caught for theft, fights and other fairly pathetic crimes. He may be able to recite word for word a chapter from a book and solve complicated equations, but he doesn t seem to be quite so smart when it comes to simple everyday actions and thoughts. This is why he mucks up a good relationship with his girlfriend, lands himself in a low paying job and fails to grasp the idea of loving anybody but himself.
Will (Matt Damon) works as a cleaner at one of America s prestigious schools. When he secretly solves a complex maths problem written on a black board, maths Professor Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgerd) attempts to track down the mystery intellect. But when he eventually discover who it is, Will has been arrested and given a prison sentence.
Lambeau is able to convince the judge to free Will on two terms: that he spends one day a week meeting with Lambeau and one day a week meeting with a therapist. After quickly humiliating two shrinks (one in a hilarious afternoon delight scene), he meets his match when introduced to the wise Sean McGuire (Robin Williams). Will s best mate (Ben Affleck) and new girlfriend (Minnie Driver) also complicate his bewildered life.
The exquisite scenes of tense and ardent drama between Will and Sean are the core of the film. The rest of it, however, is a fairly ordinary story simply told well.
It s been quite some time since Robin Williams has performed in such a mature and robust way. Many of his recent films (Flubber, Jumanji, Mrs Doubtfire) have been laughable in more ways than one. At last we have something that can stand up against the microscope and exploit Williams skill; reassuring us that he is indeed an actor capable to appeal to people above the age of twelve.
Good Will Hunting is fundamentally a fairly ordinary show. Gus Van Sant (and the film s writers, Damon and Affleck) deserves credit, though, as what we have here is a solid and clever concoction of socially aware drama. But what could have been a physiological battle of emotions gets tangled up with silly little detours into childish relationships and situations.
It s good yes, but Good Will Hunting does not match up to the hype which so wholly surrounded it. It shouldn t be known as the savoir of teen dramas, the Oscar winner or the lavish masterpiece that perhaps something like Titanic is.
The thin line between good and great is often crossed in Good Will Hunting s duration but only to find that it stabs itself in the foot when trying to be a far too complete film.
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