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Good Will Hunting - Collector's Edition Customer Reviews (10 - 12 of 65 Reviews)

My favorite movie of all time
I love this movie. I have it on VHS, and my desktop and laptop. I've seen it about seven times, and sadly, can basically quote the whole thing word for word.

I first saw it in 1998 or so, when I was 11, and loved it. Since then, I picked it up again and watched it- needless to say, there's a good bit more of it that I actually understand...

One thing I do not understand, however, is why people keep referring to Ben Affleck's character- Chuckie- as Will's "dumb sidekick." While next to him, sure, he would look like a "retarded gorilla" (wouldn't anyone?), he came off as quite intelligent to me- simply uneducated. I would have put him, at the very, VERY least, at a 115 IQ, more likely closer to 125. Now, to be sure, that's not a genius IQ (140+), but it's certainly plenty intelligent. Obviously, Will was over 200- making him one of the two or three in the world.

Ben's line near the end about Will getting the hell out of Southie (South Boston), and making something of himself are powerful. "You know, you're my best friend so don't take this the wrong way, but if you're still here in twenty years... I'll kill you."

Robin Williams, as always, a great actor.

"I was actually hoping for a goodnight lay"
A mathematics professor was forced to track down the mysterious man who solved a mathematics problem that took professionals years to solve. That man turned out to be Will Hunting (Matt Damon), who incidentally works as a janitor in that said university. After being incarcerated for a series of assault charges, professor Lambeau (Stellen Skarsgard) took Will under his wing provided that he would work on some mathematics related exercises and that he would undergo therapy every week.

Will, the genius that he is, knows how to push the buttons of the therapists assigned to him. He made them all quit until Sean (Robin Williams) came along who knows exactly what Will was doing. Their sessions together gave Will the ability to emotionally articulate the painful past he had that affected his relationship with people.

Chuckie (Ben Affleck) is Will's loyal friend, the only person whom he can share at least a little part of what he feels. Skylar (Minnie Driver) is the love interest significant to Will's "emotional" opening up. Will's relationship with the two characters was resonant and poignant. Will and Sean's relationship was the heart of the movie, but the soul lies in the relationship of Will to those two characters.

The movie's got an involving and affecting story that is beautifully put into screen by Damon and Affleck's screenplay. It is beautifully paced and shot and all the characters were able to assert their significance in the movie by allowing them to have character defining scenes. Performances were all great. Robin Williams in an understated performance was effective in capturing the "quiet spunk" of the character. Minnie Driver was heartbreaking and transcended the `love interest" label. Stellan Skarsgard also struck some chord as he trains a genius who was intellectually ahead of him. Ben Affleck also provides an effective support that is both showy and honest. Last but not the least, Matt Damon in a career making performance, solidified his way into major star status. He gave the right combination of charm, humor, restrained emoting, and ultimately allowing himself to be vulnerable. Good Will Hunting to Matt Damon is what The Fabulous Baker Boys is to Michelle Pfeiffer and Saturday Night Fever is to John Travolta

Two beautiful scenes were instrumental to the ending. One was when Chuckie told Will that every time he picks him up in his house he secretly wishes that he'd be gone without any goodbye whatsoever because he hates seeing him wasting his life. Another one was when Sean in one of their sessions told Will the day he realized that he wanted to spend the rest of his life to his now deceased wife. The sentiments of those two scenes were used beautifully in the ending. The movie wraps up as the end credits rolls with the shot of Will's car in the free way heading somewhere. The ending was understated, powerful, classy, and memorable. A perfect ending to one gem of a movie.

Grade: A

Good WIll Hunting
Excellent movie, service and a great story line. Gave it to my wife, a math instructor for annviersary. She loved it.

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