Film: Good Will Hunting

[Benefit]

I haven't cried while watching a movie since I was 10 and Little Foot's mom died in The Land Before Time. This movie had me in tears at more than one point. Discuss.

 

[L2R]

I loved it when it was first released. But it grew old really fast.

oh, and you're a sook, Benefit

 

[L O V E L I F E]

Love it.

Love it.

Love it.

Love it.

It's simple, it's to the point, but that doesn't make it a low-level film; in this case, TO ME, it helps make it an extremely HIGH level film.

It resonated to the n-th degree with ME.

3.9 stars out of 4.0 on the LL-O-Meter.

All-Time Top Fifteen, bordering on All-Time Top Ten.

If you don't agree with me, don't worry . . . it's not your fault.

 

[mariacallas]

Saw it in the theater when it came out (ages ago). Good stuff. I still can't shake the image of Ben/Matt hugging like fags when they got the oscar tho

 

[SA]

My take too, LL. My interpretation would be that this film resonated with a lot of people (young especially), because so many could and did identify with the main character, Will. Not the genius Will, but simply - Will. Many identified with having a rough childhood, many with growing up on the poor side, many with having the loyal "gorillas" for friends who would do anything for you, many with simply being an outsider. We have all been outsiders at some point. We have all wanted, at one time or another, for someone to reach out and tell us "It's not your fault", "No, listen to me, _____. It's not your fault". Goodwill Hunting, in a sense, did that. It is a very powerful film. In my collection, it sits on the same shelf as Shawshank Redemption.

 

[wanderlust]

film: good will hunting

the poll
i like it, not as much as some in this thread... but liked it. it's a cute story of getting out. both williams and damon put in sound preformances.

 

[xena]

i love this movie... i've seen it a handful of times. this movie makes me tear up at several parts. whenever the ''it's not your fault'' part comes i alway start completely sobbing.

robin williams is one of my favorite actors. i love him in commedy, but he's fantastic in drama as well. definitely a talented actor.

 

[Belisarius]

Four stars. I thought this movie was superb for Affleck's and Williams' performances--especially the latter. Matt Damon's character though, was just too much of a prick to feel much sympathy for, IMO. Yeah, he had a rough life and was real smart, but still...Williams was the real star.

 

[drEaMtiMe*@#]

I haven't cried while watching a movie since I was 10 and Little Foot's mom died in The Land Before Time.

i used to love that movie when i was little. i watched it so many times and i always cried when little foots mum died.

as for good will hunting i rate it because i like the story and how it delved into showing how people who have extra ordinary abilities often can feel isolated due to them, and sometimes all they want (will wants) is to be able to live a normal life and be the same as all of his friends, but of course he never will be same because he is a genius, and he just needs to learn how to accept that, value it, and be himself.

its a touching movie to watch.

 

[PinholeStar]

Robin Williams' finest hour:

"So if I asked you about art, you'd probably give me the skinny on every art book ever written. Michelangelo, you know a lot about him. Life's work, political aspirations, him and the pope, sexual orientations, the whole works, right? But I'll bet you can't tell me what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel. You've never actually stood there and looked up at that beautiful ceiling; seen that.
If I ask you about women, you'd probably give me a syllabus about your personal favorites. You may have even been laid a few times. But you can't tell me what it feels like to wake up next to a woman and feel truly happy.
You're a tough kid. And I'd ask you about war, you'd probably throw Shakespeare at me, right, "once more unto the breach dear friends." But you've never been near one. You've never held your best friend's head in your lap, watch him gasp his last breath looking to you for help.
I'd ask you about love, you'd probably quote me a sonnet. But you've never looked at a woman and been totally vulnerable. Known someone that could level you with her eyes, feeling like God put an angel on earth just for you. Who could rescue you from the depths of hell. And you wouldn't know what it's like to be her angel, to have that love for her, be there forever, through anything, through cancer. And you wouldn't know about sleeping sitting up in the hospital room for two months, holding her hand, because the doctors could see in your eyes, that the terms "visiting hours" don't apply to you. You don't know about real loss, 'cause it only occurs when you've loved something more than you love yourself. And I doubt you've ever dared to love anybody that much.
And look at you... I don't see an intelligent, confident man... I see a cocky, scared shitless kid. But you're a genius Will. No one denies that. No one could possibly understand the depths of you. But you presume to know everything about me because you saw a painting of mine, and you ripped my fucking life apart. You're an orphan right?
You think I know the first thing about how hard your life has been, how you feel, who you are, because I read Oliver Twist? Does that encapsulate you? Personally... I don't give a shit about all that, because you know what, I can't learn anything from you, I can't read in some fuckin' book. Unless you want to talk about you, who you are. Then I'm fascinated. I'm in. But you don't want to do that do you sport? You're terrified of what you might say.
Your move, chief."

 

[L O V E L I F E]

Robin Williams' finest hour:

"

So if I asked you about art, you'd probably give me the skinny on every art book ever written. Michelangelo, you know a lot about him.

Life's work, political aspirations, him and the pope, sexual orientations, the whole works, right?

But I'll bet you can't tell me what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel.

You've never actually stood there and looked up at that beautiful ceiling; seen that.

If I ask you about women, you'd probably give me a syllabus about your personal favorites.

You may have even been laid a few times.

But you can't tell me what it feels like to wake up next to a woman and feel truly happy.

You're a tough kid.

And I'd ask you about war, you'd probably throw Shakespeare at me, right, "once more unto the breach dear friends."

But you've never been near one.

You've never held your best friend's head in your lap, watch him gasp his last breath looking to you for help.

I'd ask you about love, you'd probably quote me a sonnet.

But you've never looked at a woman and been totally vulnerable.

Known someone that could level you with her eyes, feeling like God put an angel on earth just for you. Who could rescue you from the depths of hell.

And you wouldn't know what it's like to be her angel, to have that love for her, be there forever, through anything, through cancer.

And you wouldn't know about sleeping sitting up in the hospital room for two months, holding her hand, because the doctors could see in your eyes, that the terms "visiting hours" don't apply to you.

You don't know about real loss, 'cause it only occurs when you've loved something more than you love yourself.

And I doubt you've ever dared to love anybody that much.

And look at you... I don't see an intelligent, confident man . . .

. . . I see a cocky, scared shitless kid.

But you're a genius Will.

No one denies that.

No one could possibly understand the depths of you.

But you presume to know everything about me because you saw a painting of mine, and you ripped my fucking life apart.

You're an orphan right?

You think I know the first thing about how hard your life has been, how you feel, who you are, because I read Oliver Twist?

Does that encapsulate you?

Personally... I don't give a shit about all that, because you know what, I can't learn anything from you, I can't read in some fuckin' book.

Unless you want to talk about you, who you are.

Then I'm fascinated.

I'm in. But you don't want to do that do you sport?

You're terrified of what you might say.

Your move, chief."

Matt Fucking Damon wrote this when he was in his fucking TWENTIES.

I, personally, am in absolute AWE.

And this isn't even the best scene in the movie (imo, "It's not your fault" is among the most moving scenes of all time, and might be THE most moving scene of all time but for the existence of Le Shawshank Redemption.

If I was a moderator in this forum, I'd immediately transpose this post to the Best Monologues In The History Of Movies thread.

Thumbs Fucking Up.

I don't care how many bong hits Affleck had before he asked Damon if he'd add his name to the script as a co-writer.

 

[Finder]

Man, I loved this movie when it came out...I don't believe I've seen it since then. I'll have to give it another viewing.

 

[BigJ]

One of my faves of all time. What these guys did was incredible...wrote,starred in it and got some great actors like Williams. Not to mention they won a Oscar for the screenplay......of course I could be biased cuz I'm from Boston ...lol

J

 

[Mysterier]

i've never seen it. but i've been wanting to for a while now.

 

[bRoken&foRgoTTen]

its a four star movie.

good acting by Matt Damon and Robin Williams
but damn i hated ben affleck in it!!! maybe if he wasnt in it, or if he was a better actor i would give it 5 stars.

 

[psychetool]

Great film! Not much else to say, they nailed it.

P.S. I bet tamborine man gave it the one star. =p English prick. (joking!)

 

[L2R]

3/5
Good but far from great.
It's a story of a smart guy wasting his life as a tough guy but i don't quite buy either the smartness nor the toughness.

 

[tambourine-man]

Great film! Not much else to say, they nailed it.

P.S. I bet tamborine man gave it the one star. =p English prick. (joking!)

FU! :D

I'd echo SillyAlien's and LL's sentiments about it being in the same league as Shawshank (although slightly below Shawshank IMO). Shame about Affleck being in it, but Robin Williams was on Pead Poets Society form... and that just about makes any film worthy of almost top marks.

If I could somehow erase all knowledge of Affleck and Damon's existence outside of this film, I'd probably be able to give it full marks. As it stands, 4/5.

 

[animal_cookie]

i used to love this movie. then i watched over and over again for 40 hours while stuck on a bus. its going to be a long time before i want to see it again.

 

[drrty grrl]

Why is everyone shitting on Ben?? Ben did a fine job acting. I'm not saying he's the best actor ever but I think he deserves more credit than that.
And he & Matt wrote the script together- it wasn't just Matt [not sure where some of you are getting your info]
These guys are self-made stars so don't hate