A deep and impressive film directed by Hans Van Sent, Good Will Hunting, was made in 1997 in memory of a journalist Allen Ginsberg and a writer William Burroughs. The film is a sharp, psychological story with a philosophical subtext about a 20-year-old boy from Boston who works as a cleaner, constantly gets involved in unpleasant stories, and does not care about his life. When the police arrest him for the fight, the math professor takes him into his care, but on one condition: Will must undergo psychotherapy. The sessions of “re-education,” which began with distrust, gradually develop into a friendship between Will and his mentor. This essay will analyze the changes that occur with Will Hunting, while the symbols and ironic moments used by the director will reveal the changes of this young man.
The whole film is about a young man who does not get along with people. He is a simple American but has a phenomenal mind while not having a permanent job. Will Hunting went through a difficult childhood, but the rest of his life gave him a chance to find what he was missing. He fell in love with an educated girl, attended psychotherapy sessions of a man who became his friend.
From the very beginning of the film, the main character is presented to the audience as a simple janitor in a college. He had a group of friends with whom he spent time in bars, periodically fought, and did not seek to change his life. One evening, while cleaning up, Hunting proved a mathematical theorem that took a math professor about two years to establish. This professor noticed Will and decided to recruit him for a higher-paying job, but his main goal was to benefit financially from Hunting’s abilities. His life changed when, after another fight, he found himself in prison, and this math professor helped him get free on the condition that Will would cooperate with him and visit a psychologist. Now Hunting had the opportunity to get a good job, escape the constant fights, and make a new friend with the person of the psychologist Sean.
The environment of the main character did not change radically, but he met a girl whom he fell in love with and a friend in the person of a psychologist. If he used to have a best friend, Chucky, and two minor friends, however, now he had a girlfriend and a psychologist. There was no doubt that Chucky valued Will very much and cared for him. He once said, “I think, maybe I will knock on the door, and you will not be there” (Good Will Hunting 01:42:04). His quote means that Chucky has always been waiting for Hunting to finally decide to change his life, make it better and leave the state in which he is now. At the end of the film, Chucky’s wish was fulfilled; Will decided to change his life and went to California for his beloved girlfriend, Skylar.
There is a prominent symbol in the film, a picture drawn by the psychologist Sean, which Hunting saw in his office. The painting depicted a boat in a storm with a lone man on board. Will began to discuss this picture with Sean and said: “Maybe this means you?” (Good Will Hunting 00:40:33). He assumed that the storm around the boat, the heavy sky, the lonely man on the ship is the personification of Sean and his life.
The director expressed a subjective point of view throughout the film and did not change it. In the end, when Will left to join his girlfriend Skylar in California, he allowed the audience to come up with a complete set to the story. That is, the audience had the opportunity to guess whether Hunting found a high-paying job according to his abilities, whether he married Skylar, or if he continued to keep in touch with friends.
The film is filled with different emotions, difficult situations, and ironic moments. A person with such abilities as Will can get a good job and a large salary, but he chose to work as a cleaner. Another moment occurred later when Skylar suggested Will to go with her to California and said that she loved him (Good Will Hunting 01:25:59). He was afraid to get attached to her and that she might eventually leave him, but he gave up everything and went after her in the end. These points clearly show the irony concerning the main character since he could solve everything quickly, but he made other decisions that did not go to his advantage.
In conclusion, this film has several storylines, but all of them are somehow tied to the main character. The story of friendship, underestimating one’s own abilities, and fears of change are clearly traced in this film. The film is a must-see, as it can help to understand that everyone has the opportunity to change their lives and make it better if they only want. Will was able to release from his fears, gained a loved one, a wonderful friend in the person of a psychologist, and realized that he could be someone much better than he was before. It can be assumed that he stopped fighting, began to appreciate himself and his incredible abilities.
Reference
Good Will Hunting. Directed by Hans Van Sent, performance by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Miramax, 1997.