I watched a lot of movies over Christmas break this year, but Good Will Hunting  was by far my favorite. 

Good Will Hunting, released in 1997, is a drama starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck. Perhaps my favorite thing about this movie is that it was originally written by Matt Damon as part of a final assignment for his playwriting class at Harvard, where instead of the one act play he was supposed to submit, he submitted a 40 page script. Affleck and Damon worked together to continue developing the script, as it underwent many iterations before the final movie was released, changing from a CIA spy thriller to a contemplative, resonant movie. 

The story follows a young man with high intellect named Will Hunting, who works as a janitor at MIT. One of the professors puts an incredibly complex math theorem on the board for anyone to prove. Will solves the problem in one night while cleaning the floor in front of the blackboard. When Will ends up in court for fighting on the streets of South Boston, and he defends himself, Professor Lambeau sees just how smart Will is. Professor Lambeau gets him out of jail on the condition that he improves his math skills, and most importantly, goes to therapy. 

As the plot unfolds, Will sees Sean for therapy.  Will is resistant to therapy, his defenses up, he thinks it unnecessary, so instead of talking about himself, he asks questions about Sean. Will insults Sean’s dead wife in their very first session, but grows to respect him by the end of the movie. 

I think one of the reasons I love this movie so much is the writing. It somehow is a hangout movie about a group of friends just muckin’ about together, a romantic tale of true connection across worlds (Will falls in love with a Harvard girl), and the compelling story of broken people trying to be whole. It is very dialogue heavy, letting snippets of the characters’ lives move the plot along. And it all works together so perfectly. 

The part of the movie that resonates with me the most, and with those whose reviews I’ve read in the rabbit trails I’ve gone down on this movie, is near the end where Sean and Will finally hit a breakthrough in therapy. Sean realizes that Will thinks his circumstances in life are his fault, and just starts repeating “it’s not your fault” over and over while Will breaks down. In breaking down, Will becomes a stronger person. 
I would venture to guess that no matter what, there is some part, some scene of this movie that can resonate with anyone who watches it today. Whether it is the story of Will’s friends, of his romantic life, or of him growing to be a new person, there is some part of this movie that can connect with anyone who wants it to. Good Will Hunting, however you interpret the title, is a timeless film that transcends time and space, while still being incredibly present in the moment it is rooted in.