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John Barile
Maxine Patroni
English 111-5552
15/December/2014
Good Will Hunting
The main story being told in this film is the life of Will Hunting (Matt Damon). In Will's life he is
put in both good and bad situations but in the end has all the potential in the world to do or be
whatever he chooses. Will Hunting (Matt Damon) grows up in Boston Massachusetts a long side of
his life long friend Chuckie (Ben Affleck). The neighborhood that Will (Damon) lived in may have
been influenced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who co-wrote the movie and also grew up in
Boston where they were childhood friends.
This film is directed by Gus Van Sant who has directed films such as Milk (2008) and
Elephant (2003). This film is well directed and written but can be predictable. The story is not
much different from other films. You have a main role (in this movie played by Matt Damon) who
has reached a point in his life that a decision must be made that will change the outcome of his
future. Throughout this movie we see the struggle in Wills life until the end when he finds
clarity. Although the story line may at times be predictable the uplifting story makes for a great
film.
Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is a janitor at M.I.T. where a professor Gerald Lambeau played
by Stellan Skarsgrd who has been in films such as Steven Spielberg's Amistad (1997), and My Son
the Fanatic (1997), writes a math problem on a hallway blackboard and asks his students if they
could solve it. None of his students were able to solve the problem. After the problem had been
written on the blackboard for a few days a student informed Professor Gerald Lambeau that the
problem had been solved. When the professor asked his students how they were able to solve the
problem they were unable to answer. The reason for that being is that Will Hunting had solved it
wile at work the night before. Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard) then tries to get Will
to take a job in mathematics.

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The character of Will Hunting is a mathematical genius that is able to solve difficult
problems that would have some of the greatest mathematics professors amazed. Matt Damon's
character is a genius but fails to recognize it, as he struggles with his childhood due to having a
abusive father and growing up without parents. Throughout the film you are given little bits of
information about his youth that shows difficult transition into adulthood. Will Hunting has been
arrested several times without being convicted until getting in a fight and charged with assault, the
judge has Will (Matt Damon) go to mandatory therapy to avoid going to jail. This is were he meets
therapist, Sean Maguire (Robin Williams).
While in therapy, Will is able to work out many problems as well as decide if he will take a
job in mathematics. When Will is in therapy you are able to get a closer look at the life of Sean
Maguire (Robin Williams), and how he is still in mourning and is unable to move on from the death
of his wife. Although Will Hunting (Damon) is sent to Sean Maguire (Williams) for help, their time
together was able to help Sean work out some of the issues he has been holding on to since the
passing of his wife.
In this film, Will works as both a janitor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a
brick layer. He is feeling a lot of pressure from Professor Gerald Lambeau to persue a job in
mathematics, but Will feels that math is not work and that it is honorable to continue working as
brick layer. Wills friend Chuckie (Ben Affleck) convinces Will to use his gift in math by getting out
of the town that Chuckie is stuck in, and by telling him it would be unfair to Wills' friends if he
didn't one of the many job offers that he was reciving. Will enters a relationship with Skylar
(Minnie Driver), who in the end helps Will see what he would like his futiure to be, along with the
help of Sean Maguire (Williams).
I would most definitely recommend this movie, it is a feel-good film that you could watch
over and over without getting bored. All of the actors played their parts well and the story line is
easy for just about anyone to follow, althought the ending of this film may leave you feeling like the
story was cut short.

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