The movie “Good Will Hunting,” released on December 5, 1997, is one of my favorites. For many, it even leaves a lasting impression.
Going in, I had low expectations since the movie was older, but it exceeded them. The film starts slowly: Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a genius, works as a janitor at MIT. As school begins, Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard) posts a difficult equation for students to solve throughout the year, but Will solves it instead.
Midway through, the plot develops. Will was troubled growing up. He and his friends, though underage, often hung out in bars talking to women. One week, at a Harvard bar, Will got Skylar’s number. He fell for her, but his abandonment issues from childhood led him to let her go. Will and his friends got into a fight with another group, resulting in his arrest. Professor Gerald secured Will’s release on the condition that Will help him and see a therapist.
The second half of the movie is definitely my personal favorite, giving many lessons and tying up loose ends. Throughout the movie, we see Will trying many different therapists, but none of them work as he is afraid to let himself change. Eventually, he is taken to one of Professor Gerald’s friends, Sean Maguire, played by Robin Williams. Sean is also a professor, but previously was a therapist. Sean learns and grows with Will through many tough times and lots of yelling at each other. Eventually, Sean teaches Will not to waste the gift of knowledge that he has. Will adapts and gets over his abandonment issues, leading to him chasing down Skylar, who had moved to California. Through their relationship, Will inspires Sean to also get back into his love life after his previous lover died.
Though I can’t explain it well with so few words, I can say that this movie definitely changed my perspective on at least some aspects of my life. It teaches you to take the opportunities you have, as they don’t come to everyone. Not wasting opportunity is important, though, in my opinion, the most important lesson the movie teaches is not to dwell on the past. As seen in the movie, Will dwells on his past, and he lets that define who he is, limiting him and wasting his potential. That is what makes the movie so special to me and many others as well.
