Good Will Hunting

After seeing this movie for the first time this past week, it has easily become an instant classic in my mind, and even ranks in my top five all time favorites.  If you’re looking for an action flick, this is defiantly not for you.  This film excels in the mentally complex (pg.50 of text) and is far from any simple violence, explosion filled movie. 

When looking at the films conflict aspects (pg. 57 of text) almost all of it is internally based on Will Hunting.  You catch a glimpse of some between Professor Lambeau and Sean McGuire over what is the best thing for Will at this point in his life.  Will is a genius but never applies himself or his impressive gift of photographic memory.  Constantly getting in trouble with the law, Will is running out of options to keep him out of jail. 

I think the reason why this movie is so well esteemed is because its story is extremely relatable.  Almost every person growing up feels the pressure to do well in school and get good grades in this country.  As (Too smart for their own good? By: McCormick, Patrick, U.S. Catholic, 00417548, Feb2003, Vol. 68, Issue 2) states “In America every minivan bears a bumper sticker boasting about honor roll children, and every parent wants to believe their kids are above average.” This constant pressure may impede upon natural growth of youth growing up in America.  Will Hunting is a smart person but lacks the normal upbringing of a stable home to aid his personal growth.  Another thing that defines who Will has become is his tough emotional upbringing.  He has a “Hardened view of the world,” (Holden Caulfield, Alex Portnoy, and Good Will Hunting: Coming of Age in American Films and Novels By: Ziewacz, Lawrence E.. Journal of Popular Culture, Summer2001, Vol. 35 Issue 1, p211-218, 8p; (AN 6058975)) due to a burden he carries around form his “foster home mistreatment.” Because of this burden Will “Strikes out with his fists, carrying out the pattern of violence with which he grew up.” (Holden Caulfield, Alex Portnoy, and Good Will Hunting: Coming of Age in American Films and Novels By: Ziewacz, Lawrence E.. Journal of Popular Culture, Summer2001, Vol. 35 Issue 1, p211-218, 8p; (AN 6058975))  Now some of us may not have had the hard upbringing that Will had but we all hold onto things from our past that impedes on our growth in some way, shape of form. 

Because Will hasn’t been able to grow up naturally, he still “Can humiliate MIT professors, but he's about as grown up as the average schoolyard bully.”( Too smart for their own good? By: McCormick, Patrick, U.S. Catholic, 00417548, Feb2003, Vol. 68, Issue 2)  Not growing up naturally cripples him from being an adult with a sense of duty, a desire for personal advancement, and giving of himself for the betterment of other.  One thing that Will has, and gets in this movie, is a good friend to tell him how he sees it, and a mentor who cares about the personal growth of Will.  These two people are absolutely crucial for any person to have in their life.  A mentor will forget about his person comforts like, Sean McGuire did for Will, and work hard to break through to the confused youth they are mentoring.  Equally important is a good friend who will tell you when you are wrong.  In the movie Chuckie, Wills best friend, tells him that the happiest day in his life will be when he goes to pick Will up and he’s not there.  Chuckie knows that Will isn’t using his gift to his full potential and would hate to see him waste his gift staying in Boston working as a simple laborer.