Good Will Hunting

Beautiful movie. Not sure how this one slipped by! Although its almost two decades ago when this movie came out I somehow thought I had seen it. It turns out I haven't seen it. Very good movie, great story-line and superb acting by Matt Damon and Robin Williams. Robin Williams nails every movie that he ever made with believable acting abilities. And of course I love the Affleck brothers...Ben and Casey. This movie really made me think about my own life and how a person can avoid relationships, love and opportunities because of painful memories from the past. It is only through reaching for help, compassionate people who care and taking a chance that one can truly step out of the past and into the future and its possibilities. This truly spoke to me on many levels. One of the best movies that I have seen in awhile.. Perfect timing and a true classic that pertains to present day life as well as the past.

I saw this movie during its original release in theaters, back when you had to "seek out" (and maybe drive an hour) to see it at a small, independent movie theater with minimal frills. (Gosh, I miss those days!) I loved it back then, and still do. I actually saw it twice in theaters, the second time counting how many times they said the F word. (I counted 144, but I'm curious of the actual number.) Oh, and Robin Williams was awesome. You know he's going to be serious and kick butt if he's got a beard.

If you've got a potential genius in your midst that you care about, they may enjoy this.A couple of caveats:1) There are a TON of F-bombs. I remember an interview with Matt Damon once were he talked about the studio asking them if they could make it PG-13 instead. He then asked, how many F&*ks can we have, and how many does the movie had. They said over 200. Ha. He shrugged and was like: we didn't even realize it, that's just the way we talked in Boston (so if you care about this sort of thing, maybe try something like vid angel).2) No genius in history has ever been this talented, let's not kid ourselves. But there are aspects of Will that resonate will many geniuses. Robin Williams puts in an incredible performance, and the screenplay is extremely well written. We've probably seen it a couple dozen times over the years, and shared it with even more people. It's great.

I think this is a great movie to watch if you're looking for something to lift your spirits. This is a great movie about friendship, overcoming hardship, living up to your potential, and knowing that love is more important than all of the above. Matt Damon plays a troubled but brilliant youth. He is noticed by a university professor who takes him under his wing to teach him everything he could be capable of. Unfortunately, Damon has a history of violence and in order for the university professor (played by Skarsgard) to get him out of the system, Damon must consent to receiving counselling. Most counselors are scared away by Damon, as he seems to have the ability to turn the tables on all of his psychiatrists. That is until he meets Dr. Maguire, who has been through hardships of his own. Maguire won't give up on the kid (Damon) and the two become friends. Dr. Maguire helps Damon see what is important in life and to move on from his troubled past. A great and inspirational movie.

A thoughtful film about empathy.Gus Van Zant’s indie coming of age drama Good Will Hunting (1997) is phenomenal. It’s still as affecting now that I’m grown up as when I was an impressionable kid watching this film. Gus van Zant’s direction is intimate and heartfelt as he casually captures genuine moments of friendship, romance, and therapy with a gentle eye for serene mid shots. His use of close-ups is particularly riveting and emotional in Good Will Hunting. Van Zant’s indie sensibilities ensure his artistic vision is realized in a sincere way full of fragile sentimental characters that reflect regular guys. You can tell Van Zant is an indie auteur as he even has underground director Harmony Korine cameo as a crazy criminal named Jerve.Matt Damon is astounding as the complex teenage savant Will Hunting. He explodes with visceral rage, defensive angst, endearing romance, cruel lies, endless deceit, broken tears, and peerless academic knowledge. Damon convinces you his character Will is both troubled and genius. He feels effortless in the role, but you can tell Damon poured his heart and soul into this magnificent character acting. I would even say Will Hunting is his best character up there with Jason Bourne. Damon is not always a subtle actor, but his expressive acting is full of energy and passion.Robin Williams is sublime as Sean Maguire. His bearded, patient, and sensitive therapist professor is such a wonderful display of Williams’ dramatic prowess as an actor. He demonstrates how deep he can make a man with his nuanced and devastating dramatic character acting. Williams uses his immense heart to make Maguire inspiring, relatable, and real. He delivers several incredible speeches and lines that stay with you forever after seeing Good Will Hunting.Stellan Skarsgård is excellent as the driven, genius mathematics professor Gerald Lambeau pushing Damon towards a theoretical mathematics profession. Ben Affleck makes a turn as a nice loyal friend to Damon named Chuckie Sullivan. His earnest admission about his desire for Will’s future at the construction site is so powerful and real, especially with the payoff at Will’s house at the end. Good Will Hunting is some of Ben Affleck’s finest dramatic acting. Casey Affleck is hilarious as the Boston lowlife Morgan O’Mally. His casual remarks come across as really sincere, so he’s an endearing idiot. I love his one liner after Damon stands up for Ben Affleck against a pseudo-intellectual college student. Minnie Driver is profoundly moving as Damon’s girlfriend Skylar. Her tears in her dorm room feel so authentic to her character’s heartbreak.Good Will Hunting is simply a life changing, life affirming, and inspiring film that holds up beautifully. Van Zant desperately searches for human decency and kindness in his seminal drama. You will find purpose in life after watching this moving drama that is so very down to Earth. Good Will Hunting is one of those rare films that everyone I know loves dearly.Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s script is raw, real, and thoughtful as these two teenage actors wrote an original screenplay with a Boston realism and a sympathetic viewpoint. They take on child abuse, career potential, lifelong friendship, new romance, spousal grief, patient therapy, and emotional honesty in this mature script full of heart. How can you not be impressed by the monologues and little details in Good Will Hunting?Pietro Scalia’s editing is very slick as he cuts from quiet scenes of reflection to noisy conversations that friends have to randomly goof around. Scalia’s editing choices make Good Will Hunting’s 127 minutes to fly by like a quick afternoon. Jean-Yves Escoffier’s cinematography delivers soft close-ups indoors during therapy sessions that hit hard, while outdoors there are such warm tones and cute framing. His shots are now classic and remain timeless by their own virtues. He captures real feeling with his emotionally gripping shot choices. I love the medium shots of Casey Affleck or Matt Damon looking out a window while Ben Affleck drives them around Boston.Danny Elfman’s sweet score is a symphony to sympathy. His caring melodies cradle the painful moments of touching drama within Good Will Hunting like a warm blanket. Beatrix Aruna Pasztor’s costumes look well worn and realistic to the era and location. I love her cardigan sweaters for Robin Williams or her scarf choice for Stellan Skarsgård. Missy Stewart and James McAteer’s production design displays impoverished Boston homes that look like lived in shacks, while coming up with sleek and authentic feeling offices for the two university professors’ offices.In all, Gus Van Zant directed an iconic film for all audiences that teenagers and adults alike can enjoy.

...before purchasing because they were correct. Do NOT buy this DVD unless you actually want to own a copy of "Kill Bill Vol. 2" instead of "Good Will Hunting." Seriously Amazon? How about some quality control? JFC.Silver lining: It ended up being on Netflix at the time of purchase (Jan 2019), so I was able to watch it when I wanted to after all. Doesn't excuse this careless oversight though. *eyeroll*

Good Will is Hunted by the Mathematics Lecturer. the therapist and America's criminal justice system.An entertaining humorous film with lots of modern language terms.I particularly liked the dialogue between Will and his 'best friend' where Will's friend tells him he's sitting on the winning lottery ticket but fears collecting the winnings because of the consequences and implications.Maybe that's why many winning lottery tickets go unclaimed - the Hunt is more interesting than the claim - (for some).My theory is: if you are 'Gifted' as Will Hunting clearly was - your destiny has already been predetermined and mapped out for you. You have no choice and no conscious say in the matter because no matter how you try to escape, there will always be somebody somewhere Hunting you down to do better for yourself, and claim your Gifts. 'The World' Is Your Oyster' is the saying - i.e you can pick 'and' choose your destiny but which ever way you turn its green lights all the way.If you are Talented, you have the choice to make conscious/subconscious decisions regarding your Talents and your future. Your destiny is determined by 'your' decisions. Your decision is 'your' world and 'your' oyster. You have amber lights and must proceed with caution - you can even afford to throw caution to the wind and see where the wind blows you.If you are Skilled, you are required to do the bare minimum for yourself, but it will always 'limit' how far-reaching your destiny 'could' be. It will have a knock on effect and limit your future plans. You have red lights and will periodically have to stop, analyse and re-evaluate your life's direction and decisions.The last 20 mins of the film seemed a little rushed or the production team ran out of time and money as much of those last 20 minutes is left to one's own imagination of 'the feel good factor' - that everything went well for Will and he made it up with his girlfriend.It would have been nice to see/meet Will's new boss and see the smile on the girlfriend's face when Will shows up.Thank You!

I'm stunned at how good this 1997 starter movie for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck looks on this 2012 American Miramax/Lionsgate BLU RAY (which is now less than six quid). It's beautifully clean and a revelation after all these years of so-so DVDs.There's barely a hair on any scene - no glitches - no wobbles - the colour is beautiful - and as it's defaulted to 'Widescreen' so it fills the entire screen naturally (without bars top or bottom). There's English and German 5.1 DTS-HD Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital with English, English SDH - and English, Spanish, French and German subtitles.It's also REGION A and 'B' - which means the States, the 'UK and Europe'. So British and European film fans can buy this great movie with confidence that it won't give them compatibility issues.You also forget how good a film "Good Will Hunting" is and was (9 nominations) - a really great script by the boys full of life observations from the real Boston (won for best original screenplay), Stellan Skarsgard as the snotty obsessed Maths teacher and Robin Williams as the hurt but earthy shrink (both shining like diamonds - especially Williams who is a wow and rightly won his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor) and the lovely Minnie Driver with such a lightness of touch. Younger brother Casey Affleck as one of the boys while Matt and Ben took the world by storm - so brilliant for such a young age.The EXTRAS are also shockingly substantial:A 4-Part Retrospective:Reflecting On A Journey: Good Will Hunting 15 Years LaterThe Era Of Good Will HuntingCast And Crew SpotlightAcademy Awards: A Winning SeasonLife Goes OnMatt Damon Remembers Good Will HuntingAudio Commentary by Director Gus Van Sant and Matt Damon and Ben Affleck11 Deleted Scenes with Audio CommentaryProduction FeaturetteAcademy Award: Best Picture MontageMiss Misery Music VideoBehind-The-Scenes FootageTheatrical TrailerIntimate, funny and wise (in a good way) - "Good Will Hunting" still stands up. A great 'US' BLU RAY we can enjoy - and now at a dirt-cheap price. Dig in.PS: 12 August 2014 Tuesday - cannot stand the news - Robin Williams lost to us - go the angels - you made me and my family laugh, cry and think...an appaling loss to humanity...

I love the film, and have watched it a number of times since it was first released. This copy was purchased as a gift for one of my sons. Each time I view Good Will Hunting I discover a different aspect of the relationship that builds between Robin Williams' character as therapist, Sean Maguire, and Matt Damon's character, the under privileged but mathematical genius, Will Hunting. Brilliantly acted, all the more poignant since Robin Williams recent death. As a therapist myself I feel that Williams portrayal as Will's therapist is credible and has integrity, as do the altercations between Williams and his emotional and intellectual sparring partner, Will's mathematics professor, Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård). There are many 'gems' and for me one of the most moving scenes is in the sequence where Sean tries to convince Will, 'It's not your fault, it's not your fault'. Wonderful stuff!

This DVD is a German - market item and suffers from it - picture quality is o.k-ish, sound is not very bright - not what I had hoped, so bought the Blu-Ray version to convince my Russian wife that this was actually a WONDERFUL film. You get what you pay for - not a lot!

This film is somewhat a masterpiece like Rocky. It's about an underdog, who has special abilities, amazing gifts. Yet he is an average, poor young man with a troubled past. He is a mathematical genius, and he works at constructions, drinks beer with his undereducated, dumb but infinitely loyal friends and he tries to find himself in present day Boston.This is one of the most perfectly written, acted and directed films I have ever come across in my life. It has stayed with me for years now and I can't seem to and don't want to let it go any time soon. I am Will, you know. And I'm quite sure that many people around the world feel the same way. I too try desperately to find my way in society, make real friends, a girl who really loves me and I can love her back, a decent enough job no matter how hard it is. And if we feel that we possess some special skills which nobody understands, we feel isolated, alone, lonely. And sometimes angry.I can't emphasize enough how brilliant Matt Damon is in the role his lifetime. He is even better than in Bourne, and I assume, he will never have an acting opportunity again that can live up to this role. He is mean, disturbed, feisty, yet vulnerable, loveable, sad. The dialogues are like polished diamond. The direction is quiet, suttle, beautifully balanced, simple and realistic. All the supporting cast deserves high praise, and certainly the best of them all is Robin Williams, who is simply amazing.This is a very moving film, so much so that there are plenty occasion when we feel the urge to cry. I encourage each and everyone to do so bravely, because in the world of Good Will Hunting there's no such thing as outer nobility and dignity. These qualities come from within. A true measure of a man is how he can live day by day doing what he truly believes in. And most of all, by believing in himself. And finding love is never too late or too much trouble. And remember, what Williams's character suggests: one can't get to know life by reading books about it. You have to get out and live life while you still can. It's never too late. That was one important lesson this great film tought me. I recommend it to everyone whole heartedly.

A great film as we all know. This is basically a review for the blu-ray version. Anyone wondering if it is worth up-grading from an ordinary dvd to a blu-ray version, go ahead and do it. A much better viewing experience and worth purchasing again.

This is an older film by today's standards but, the quality of the Blu-Ray version is excellent and the actors give a first-class performance. There are quite a few special features as well. In my opinion, well worth the extra money for the Blu-Ray version.

It's refreshing to be able to watch a film that isn't jam packed full of special effects!!!! Robin Williams is such a natural boffin in this film it's startling but saying that, you don't expect him to start telling jokes or being funny...he was sadly taken too soon! I know there were other contributing factors such as Alzheimers? Some serious money is gonna have to be invested in research for this if it isn't going to bite the world on it's backside and frankly all over! Just raising awarewness would be a start!

Loved this film when it came out and hadn't seen it in maybe 15 years so bought it for myself as a Christmas present. Looking at it now with, perhaps, a more critical eye, the story borders on the unbelievable, but overall the film is so well made and acted that you don't really stop to think about it. And, of course, it's a little bit bittersweet seeing Robin Williams in one of his best roles. Still one of my top 10.

I do like those apples Mr hUNTING.1.Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.2.Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl.3.Rub in the margarine or butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.4.Add the cold water to the flour mixture. Using a knife, mix the water into the flour, using your hand to firm up the mixture. The pastry should be of an even colour and suitable consistency for rolling.5.Divide the pastry into two halves. Take one half and roll it out so that it is big enough to cover an 20cm/8in enamel or aluminium plate. Trim the edges with a knife using the edge of the plate as your guide.6.Cover the pastry with the stewed apples and sprinkle with sugar to taste.7.Roll out the other half of the pastry. Moisten the edge of the bottom layer of pastry and place the second piece on top.8.Press down on the pastry edges, making sure that they are properly sealed. Trim off any excess pastry with a knife in a downward motion, again using the plate as your guide.9.Flute the edges with a pinching action using your fingers and thumb.10.Prick the surface of the pastry lightly before placing the pie in the oven. Cook for 20-30 minutes.11.When the pie is cooked it should move slightly on the plate when gently shaken.12.Slide on to a serving plate, dust with caster sugar and serve.

It is indeed curious that arguably Robin Williams' best film was not a comedy. He never quite reached the superb level of acting again as in this masterpiece... but there again, this is one of the few films where he actually learnt a proper script... In Good Morning Vietnam, although very good, they invariably left Williams to his own devises and ramble in an ad lib fashion. It worked of course. A much missed genius of the big screen too!!!

What a terrific film. I can imagine Robin Williams ad-libbing most of this. It was very sad at the end but you could see it coming. I guess the moral of the tale is let your children follow their dreams? I had never seen this film before as thought it was going to be stuffy. But was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed it. School was never like that in my day. A pity there weren't more teachers about with such unique teaching methods. Robin W certainly at his zany best.

What an awful film, sentimental with foul language, unrealistic story, about a cleaner. Naturally there is lots of sentimental muzak, a sure sign of a rubbishy film

Appart from us imports having slim line cases that are a bit flimsy that is all I can say that is bad about it.Now onto the blu ray of this 15th Anniversary edition, a great transfer and clean up leaves the film like your visting it for the first time, I would of bought the uk version which is nearly just as good but, the extras are the reason why I bought this edition.Matt Damon and Ben Afleck revisit the film 15 yrs on and talk some bla bla,Anyway get this edition, it's region free so no need to worry.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this film, being a big fan of Matt damon and the late [great] Robin Williams. Makes a change from the usual blood, guts and sex films and was watched by the whole family. A definite favourite 'weepy' film :)