What Is The Movie Will Hunting Really About?

Filmmaker Gus Van Sant received support from the audience and critics of both alternative and regular film circles as early as the 90s. He has a penchant for marginal characters and for telling about the people who do not really fit into the form of society. Thus, it was not surprising that he is the director of the film Will Hunting , a film that has become a real audience favorite.

1997 was a simple year and clearly optimistic cinema flooded cinemas. The film Will Hunting is one such 90s film. It has a simple plot, with few if any intrigues and with a predictable ending. But the message gets the audience’s attention from the beginning.

The movie Will Hunting

The film presents a worried, charismatic young man with a clear tendency to violent behavior. Will, however, is quite clever and reveals, against all odds, a special talent for mathematics, along with a photographic memory.

He eventually gets into legal trouble as a result of a fight, from which he escapes thanks to Professor Lambeau, an academic in the field of mathematics who sees something special in him.

On the other side of the coin is that the young man must also go to therapy. Unfortunately, he does not get good results with any psychologist until he comes in contact with Sean, Lambeau’s former colleague.

The film gradually reveals the reasons that led to Will’s violent behavior and why he no longer wants to be connected to anything or anyone. Of course, Robin Williams shines in the role of Sean, his mentor; a character that largely reminds the audience of the role he played in the company of Dead Poets (Peter Weir, 1989).

A set that works

Unlike other films of its kind, Will Hunting strangely enough has no literary precedent, that is, the script is an original.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were not so well known at this time. It is true that both had taken their first steps as actors with great success, but they were still strangers to most.

The script for the movie Will Hunting began to take shape as an attempt to do something else, something together, as friends. Initially, the film was intended to be a thriller, but the end result was far from this idea.

In addition, the producer was initially reluctant to include the two young actors in the cast, but he eventually agreed. In fact, one of the strongest points in the film lies precisely in these actors’ interpretations. Yes, Robin Williams is of course a very outstanding actor in the film, but the film’s message would not have penetrated so deeply without Affleck’s and Damon’s efforts.

In fact, the scenes where Williams and Damon interact are already an important part of 90’s film history. Both perfectly embody their characters, so much so that their relationship seems genuine.

Soundtrack

Another success of this film is its soundtrack, composed by Danny Elfman, who was quite popular in the 90’s as a singer in the New wave band Oingo Boingo. Although his name may not sound completely familiar to you, you are almost guaranteed to know and like many of his songs.

His work with Tim Burton is well known for collaborations such as Edward Scissorhands , Mars Attacks! and Sleepy Hollow . Less well known, but all the more remarkable, is that he also composed the popular introductory melody to the animated series The Simpsons . In Will Hunting , Elfman has done a good job of emphasizing the emotions of each character through his music.

In short, the film comes with a lot of high quality ingredients, which made it extremely successful. It was nominated for nine Oscars, of which Robin Williams won the Oscar for Best Actor, while the Best Original Screenplay went to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

The film Will Hunting has a clear message

The plot of Will Hunting is timeless because it conveys a positive, optimistic and always up-to-date message. And while this message may be sad because of its predictability, in reality it is effective because of how the story unfolds.

American film has and continues to provide countless films of this type that do not age well and that have either been forgotten or lack credibility because their message is too superficial.

Why then has Will Hunting survived the test of time? Well, that’s probably because the role performance matches the strength of its dialogues. This is because it, far from containing only a clever message, focuses on the most human part of the main characters.

Who has not seen a story like this before? A young man in the suburbs is plagued by emotional deficiencies and can not control his violent behavior; eventually he overcomes his obstacles and becomes stronger as a result. It’s nothing new, nothing groundbreaking, and yet it enchants the audience in this case.

There is a rather memorable scene where Robin Williams’ character, sitting on a bench, makes young Will speechless. The mentor proves that no one really knows how they feel or what they have experienced and that they therefore do not know the world.

The power of books

Books and philosophy help people to understand and feel the world, but the experiences are nevertheless personal and subjective. Step by step and a little at a time, the audience gets to witness Will’s progress, while we follow his learning process.

The young man is not portrayed superficially. In fact, the film shows him through the eyes of his psychologist. He is the character who eventually opens Will’s eyes and empathizes with him. Mainly because he, like all people, also carries a heavy burden on his shoulders and also has to confront his own demons.

This message of overcoming adversity and obstacles easily resonates with the spectator. The whole movie, even though there is no action to speak of, feels very entertaining. It throws the viewer into a kind of reconciliation with the past, with acceptance and forgiveness.

A stormy past

As usual, the protagonist’s past has direct consequences for his contemporary situation. Even if the audience at first does not understand who Will really is, they know that something traumatic happened to him during his childhood. Maybe it was the fact that he was an orphan that made a big impression on him and broke down his self-esteem.

The viewer also gets to see how he relates to his friends. They seem to be the only people he trusts. This is quite clear in his attitude to work and also in his relationship with Skylar, a young medical student.

Will does not seem to want to get involved, either sentimentally or in any other way, with anything or anyone else. He prefers not to be responsible. He does not want to be carried away by his emotions.

The abandonment he fell victim to during his childhood has led to an irrational fear that has prevented him from seeking stability in life. It is precisely for this reason that he does not want to listen to Professor Lambeau’s instructions. He also does not want to travel with Skylar. In fact, he would rather go on with his life just as it is.

Social pressure also has a role in the film. Sometimes it can be taken for granted that a person with high abilities must take advantage of these and follow a certain path. If so, perhaps we should ask ourselves what the real desires of a particular individual are instead of expecting them to do what others think is best for them.

Final remarks on the film Will Hunting

It’s clear that Will is special, as he is a remarkably talented young man. Even so, owning one is still beyond the reach of the average person. In contrast to the pressure that Professor Lambeau exerts, Sean reacts with understanding. He tries to lead the young man to decide for himself what is best for him, to resolve his previous conflicts. To build your own path all by yourself.

In short, Will Hunting is about positive thinking and thus is nothing new. It’s just such a typical 90’s movie. However, its significance lies in the universality of its message and in how it manages to convey emotions that ultimately provide the audience with an optimistic message without it being just a matter of entertainment.