Good Will Hunting [1998]

Product Details

Director : Gus Van Sant
Actor : Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård, Minnie Driver
Format : PAL, Widescreen
Aspect Ratio : 1.85:1
Binding : DVD
EAN : 5017188882033
Number of Discs : 1
Product Group : DVD
Region Code : 2
Release Date : 2001-01-22
Running Time : 121minutes
Studio : Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm

ASIN : B00004CZNL

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Robin Williams won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck nabbed one for Best Original Screenplay, but the feel-good hit Good Will Hunting triumphs because of its gifted director, Gus Van Sant. The unconventional director (My Own Private Idaho, Drugstore Cowboy) saves a script marred by vanity and clunky character development by yanking soulful, touching performances out of his entire cast (amazingly, even one by Williams that's relatively schtick-free). Van Sant pulls off the equivalent of what George Cukor accomplished for women's melodrama in the 1930s and 40s: He's crafted an intelligent, unabashedly emotional male weepie about men trying to find inner-wisdom.

Matt Damon stars as Will Hunting, a closet maths genius who ignores his gift in favour of nightly boozing and fighting with South Boston buddies (co-writer Ben Affleck among them). While working as a university janitor, he solves an impossible calculus problem scribbled on a hallway blackboard and reluctantly becomes the prodigy of an arrogant MIT professor (Stellan Skarsgård). Damon only avoids prison by agreeing to see psychiatrists, all of whom he mocks or psychologically destroys until he meets his match in the professor's former childhood friend, played by Williams. Both doctor and patient are haunted by the past and, as mutual respect develops, the healing process begins. The film's beauty lies not with grand climaxes, but with small, quiet moments. Scenes such as Affleck's clumsy pep talk to Damon while they drink beer after work, or any number of therapy session between Williams and Damon offer poignant looks at the awkward ways men show affection and feeling for one another. --Dave McCoy

Special Features

1.85 Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital 5.1
English

Synopsis

A South Boston whiz kid elects to clean the halls of learning rather than enter them, slumming his way through life as a janitor at MIT. But his natural ability to unravel complex equations attracts the attention of a professor who won't let him quit, a beautiful Harvard student who wants to save him, a sympathetic buddy who wants him to escape South Boston, and a counselor who encourages him. A soundly acclaimed, homegrown effort from lifelong Boston buddies Damon and Affleck, who pushed their script through development by disguising it as a suspense thriller.

From the Back Cover

In an Oscar-winning performance, Robin Williams (The Birdcage, Dead Poets Society) stars with hot young newcomer Matt Damon (The Rainmaker, Courage Under Fire) in the motion picture triumph that received and Oscar nomination for best picture of the year! The most brilliant mind at America's top university isn't a professorhe's the guy who cleans its floors, Will Hunting (Damon). But Will is also a headstrong, penniless guy failing the lessons of life and love with his wealthy girlfriend (Oscar nominee Minnie Driver). Facing a jail sentence after one too many run-ins with the law, Will's fate lies in the hands of his therapist (Williams), who might be the only man able to help him see his true potential. Also starring Bern Affleck (Chasing Amy, Armageddon), who co-wrote this Oscar-winning original screenplay with Damon, Good Will Hunting is the inspiring, emotionally charged film that has everyone talking!

Customer Reviews

An enlighting film (2008-03-26)

The film depicts an extraordinary clever boy's life. He works in manual jobs but has interest in science especially mathematics. He reads a lot in public libraries and reaches a level comparable to university graduates in every subject including history, economics etc. His genius is clearly revelaed when he proves various theorems that bewilders university professors. During the film he faces though challenges concerning his future social and personal life. Will he be the scientist that everybody wants him to be or will he seek happiness through ordinary life among his friends?

Good Will Hunting (2008-01-02)

Matt Damon and Robin Williams star in this remarkable (unique?) film about Will Hunting, a young man who is both vulnerable, unsuccessful, unrecognised and emotionally troubled, despite being intellectually brilliant; Williams plays the therapist who Will slowly opens up to as the story unfolds. Both Damon and Williams play their respective roles with a depth of emotion and absolutely convincing, touching brilliance that I don't believe would be inappropriate to call the best acting I've ever witnessed in a film.The film affected me rather deeply emotionally, perhaps to a further extent than it would affect most viewers; I found I could relate to Damon's character to such a degree that watching the film (in the presence of others) became an uncomfortable experience. But I can recall it fondly because at its heart the film doesn't forget to simply be entertaining, despite its depth and power, and the thoughts (and actions?) it will no doubt inspire in a sensitive viewer. With that said (and its emotional content and the effect it has had on me personally has certainly made this review a curiously personal one, which I hope Amazon customers will forgive), it may be that I'm by no means among a minority in being so affected by the film; perhaps that is its true magic, lying undiscovered, just like Will's brilliance, beneath the magnificent acting and writing of its surface.Good Will Hunting is quite possibly a perfect film of its type, but is more likely the perfect film of its type. I can't recommend it more highly.

one of a kind emotional drama (2007-12-23)

Matt Damon (Oceans series) stars as Will Hunting, a mathematic genius who has emotional problems and is sent to see a therapist.Damon and Ben Affleck (Paycheck) won the Oscar for best writing for this wonderful drama and is no surprise when you consider all the effort that you take into account.it is a marvelous story about a young man with emotional difficulties but a talent for maths. Damon plays this part extremley well with a great passion and i have to say that it is his best performance to date.this perfroamce is matched by Robin Williams, who the Oscar for his portrayl of the therapsit Sean maguire. The determintion but loneliness of Williams' character made him unforgettable and stood out in this drama.the partnership and on screen chemistry is outstanding and is gripping and very powerful.the supporting cast is excellent and with many charatcer sub plots, gives the film an extra depth and relishes in realismthis is one of those one of a kind dramas and is a true pleasure to watch.8.5/10

A nice film and a good evenings entertainment (2007-11-29)

Will Hunting (Matt Damon) cleans' floors, has one hobby - going out for a drink with his friends (including Ben Affleck), and bizarrely appears to be a do-it-yourself maths genius. He solves an incredibly complex maths challenge put on the MIT notice board, and is more or less taken under the wing of the resident maths professor. Will accepts to see a psychiatrist in order to avoid jail, but he is very widely read and quite sharp so he spends his time provoking and mocking each one in turn. Finally the MIT prof. turns to his old friend and rather unconventional psychiatrist played by Robin Williams as his last chance to rescue Will. The core of the film lies in the mutual discovery and exchange between these two characters. Each has things to hide, and in the battle between them each is willing to tell-all and overcome their respective troubles. I understand that Robin Williams won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, but I was surprised to see that the screenplay was written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. It is a nice film even if a little overly emotional. Demon is a little too passive, as usual, but does a reasonable job portraying someone who has built a wall around himself. Williams does a good job as a rather unconventional psychiatrist, but I suppose this type of character comes naturally to him. Even if over sentimental at times, somehow the resulting film is enjoyable to watch and leaves a good feeling with the spectators. Actually much of Wills recovery is thanks to Skyla (Minnie Driver) who for me is the real star of this film. She plays the romantic component and is responsible for challenging Will to become more open and "normal". Both my wife and I enjoyed this film.

I'm pumped! Let the healing begin! (2007-11-03)

A math genius, Will, grows up in the back streets of Boston. Will has never sought any formal education and frequently gets in trouble with the law. He gets a job as a janitor at Harvard University. Between sweeping floors and cleaning toilets, he finds the time to solve extremely complicated math equations. A professor at Harvard attempts to take him under his wing and to save him from his latest prison sentence. The professor guarantees the court that Will will seek psychotherapy. After a number of therapists refuse to work with him, the professor asks an old friend to counsel Will. Enter Sean, Robin Williams, a man who also grew up in the back streets of Boston. Sean is able to relate to the troubled Will, and thus the healing begins...I adored this film when it first opened. It had a fresh, funny, emotionally-charged script. The script was written by two young writers, who had lots of potential to become the most celebrated writers in Hollywood. Instead of sticking to the writing, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon chose the easier path. They became "action" movie stars on the back of Good Will Hunting and left their writing behind. I always thought that this was a shame, that they didn't stick with writing screenplays. Because of this, I think the film lost some of its initial impact. Don't get me wrong. It is still a notable work. When most audiences watch it, they find themselves cheering Will on, as he "cuts" elitist college students down to size. The most hardened and cynical viewers will find it hard not to shed a tear, as Will confronts his past. But what really makes this film masterful is that we are not just told that Will is a Genius. He proves it in every scene. Whether you are listening to his piquant repartee with other characters or his philosophy on life, you are struck by the intelligence of his remarks. The dialogue throughout the film is exceptional. It is earthy and natural (to stay true to the background of Will's character), but it is also adept and sometimes quite, profound. In the ten years since Good Will hunting was released, Affleck and Damon have written only two other screenplays. In fact, they dropped off the writing "radar" to such a degree that rumours began to surface that William Goldman wrote the script. Goldman vehemently denies this. So it appears, for now, that Good Will Hunting may be a one-hit wonder. But I still have hope that when Affleck and Damon's action movie days are behind them, they will collaborate on one last script. And if it is half as good as Good Will Hunting, it will be a smart script with Oscar-winning potential.

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