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Overall Rating
4.19

Awesome60.19%
Worth A Look: 17.96%
Average: 10.19%
Pretty Bad: 4.37%
Total Crap: 7.28%

5 reviews, 176 user ratings


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Good Will Hunting
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List Price:   $14.99
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by Filmink Magazine (owes us money)

"What makes it enthralling are the characters that populate it."
4 stars

A young man, seemingly no different to anyone else, works at one of America's most prestigious universities as a janitor. When the halls are empty he takes it upon himself to solve mind-blowing mathematical formulas left on the corridor blackboard by a lecturer for the cerebral torture of his students.

This young Einstein is Will Hunting, an Irish-American from Boston, bent on either self-destruction or celebrity status amongst elite intellectuals - whichever comes first. Will (Damon, last seen in The Rainmaker) has an 'attitood' problem, which eventually leads to his arrest and imminent incarceration.

Enter Professor Lambeau (Skarsgard, from Breaking the Waves) who
offers to become his guardian on the condition that Will meet with him to solve the mathematical puzzles of the universe, and see a therapist once a week. After a comic interlude that sees a parade of potential therapists exasperated by Will's impenetrable resistance, Lambeau has no recourse but to turn to an old college room-mate, Sean (Williams).

Sean seems Lambeau's opposite in every way - less brilliant, less ambitious and certainly less arrogant and, for a while at least, unable to reach far enough into Will's psyche to get anything but chilling retorts that often shake him to his very core. This is the catalyst for the unfolding of a heart-warming relationship that requires both men to acknowledge their pain to the other before any healing can take place.

On this film's surface, the story of an unlikely genius is something we have seen before, but what makes Good Will Hunting so enthralling are the characters that populate it. Written by Damon and his friend Affleck (who plays one of his pals), this film has all the marks of heavy workshopping in order to find the truth of the characters - they are very real and very flawed, which is something Hollywood has a lot of problems creating convincingly. True, the psychology is a little dodgy, but the strength of the drama more than makes up for it.

Damon plays Will with just the right mix of youthful pretension and genuine fear of what the big wide world might have in store. His ability to wring out emotion from his character without falling into sentimentality is also a tribute to Van Sant, who is in familiar territory when it comes to youthful disorientation. This is particularly evident when Damon shares the screen with Driver, who sparkles in her role as the English Harvard student.

And, while Williams seems to be re-prising a fusion between Dead Poets Society and Awakenings, he reminds us here that, given the chance, he can be a formidable presence in a dramatic role. ---Paul Garcia

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link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=94&reviewer=14
originally posted: 08/26/98 12:23:34
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User Comments

11/23/09 MichiganChet recently someone asked me about 'regret'. I merely referred them to this film 4 stars
8/10/09 Jeff Wilder Not as deep as it think it is. But still emotionally involving and inspiring. 4 stars
4/03/09 Dane Youssef The best of 1997. Beautifully acted, written and directed. Heartbreaking and true to life. 5 stars
1/10/09 Anonymous. how do you like them apples? 4 stars
4/02/08 R.W. Welch Adept writing compensates for unlikely plot line. 4 stars
1/19/08 Pamela White a feel good make you want to do good movie 5 stars
7/06/07 Quigley A truly moving and inspiring story, but the vulgarity lessed my opinion of it severely 4 stars
6/08/07 m very good 5 stars
4/21/06 Adam Brilliant film...... cannot be faulted 5 stars
4/19/06 Jung Texican Dialogue and direction close to perfect. Will’s pain is transcendent. Superb. 5 stars
12/12/05 daniel perfect 5 stars
11/12/05 ME well done. 5 stars
10/05/05 Jesse Taylor Robin Williams is excellent. Wonderful screenplay by Damon and Affleck. 5 stars
9/23/05 Simon The conflicts are so smoothly, so profoundly presented. The modern human condition. 5 stars
8/17/05 ES Excellent movie by the guys behind project green light= stupendous 5 stars
7/19/05 Brandy Harrington Fisk waves it fair! Going going gooonnne!!! ...and we lost that one too... 5 stars
5/06/05 Richard Great 5 stars
1/25/05 Abbath Great script made even better by Robin Williams' amazing performance. 5 stars
12/15/04 Tom Benton A very impressive, moving piece; Damon and Williams are excellent. 5 stars
9/27/04 NJ Cup Winner 95-00-03 Way over-rated & the Dynamic Duo didn't even write the screenplay, they stole it 2 stars
8/26/04 Conor Crockford great 5 stars
8/21/04 Peter James Excellent screenplay 5 stars
7/31/04 DM Possibly Gus van Sant's best film 5 stars
7/20/04 AlaskanReviewer Definately worth viewing 4 stars
6/14/04 MyGreenBed Very self-important with cliched/societal messages and outcome, great idea wasted. 3 stars
5/13/04 John just not nearly as insightful as it would like to be -forgettable 2 stars
4/01/04 Destery A dman fine film for those with unrealised potential 5 stars
1/24/04 Desperado Awesome, anyone reading this dont listen to the digenerate fucks who say itsucks,Incredible 5 stars
1/24/04 Boo Matt Damon sucks. He has no depth as an actor 1 stars
12/10/03 Samuel Very strong performance, great writing, spectacular film!! 5 stars
9/22/03 Darryl I hated it. But, then I hate Matt Damon. Can't act, and ugly as sin. 1 stars
6/22/03 Jack Sommersby Ho-hum. 2 stars
12/22/02 Greg Edmiston By any measure, an incredible and inspirational movie. 5 stars
11/09/02 Steve Asshole has assholeness justified by morons. This is feelgood? 1 stars
10/14/02 Charles Tatum Williams was more interesting than Damon and Affleck 4 stars
9/19/02 spankachu i swear if i have to hear ben affleck give another friggin speech.... 2 stars
7/28/02 karen goldstein Matt Damon's Tush Looks Adorable!! (Very Compelling Movie Too!!) 5 stars
7/27/02 I Can't Swim Ugh, please Lord, make it go away. Movie is intolerable 1 stars
4/10/02 Galina Fesyuk A terrific film! Worth seeing again and again! 5 stars
3/08/02 Mo Anand it was an ok movie with some great lines...but was an oscar worth it? 3 stars
2/08/02 Jennifleur Most overrated movie since the fisher king (not to say Robin Williams was never good). 2 stars
12/26/01 E unreal movie 5 stars
12/25/01 Andrew Carden Such A Big Disappointment. Damon Was Such A Prick. 1 stars
12/04/01 jason allen taylor truely a touching piece 5 stars
8/23/01 Bada Bing Crosby beyond TOTAL CRAP; an insult to celluloid..Mr Hat is very sad 1 stars
8/11/01 Renee1801 a beautiful movie 5 stars
7/28/01 Henry Ginsberg good performance from Robin Williams 4 stars
7/25/01 TLsmooth Titanic was overhyped, not this. It earned it's due. 5 stars
7/07/01 AK A landmark. An anthem for smart, tough American male adolescents. 5 stars
6/09/01 G-MAN Matt Damon's best performance 5 stars
5/02/01 BrainPan The ONLY movie Affleck is bearable in, and that's because he played himself. 5 stars
2/27/01 *~Danielle*Ophelia~* (formerly KyLe*BrOfLoVsKi) Overhyped to the max, but not entirely undeserving of it... 4 stars
2/21/01 the dodo Ain't it odd, that in every movie, there's always someone who doesn't like the movie? 5 stars
12/20/00 Jaymie I agree with Bubble boy. This was the most boring and slow over-hyped shit ever!!! 1 stars
12/14/00 Tom Hey BoyITDB, you're a dickhead! Try appretiating a great movie instead of showing off! 5 stars
12/10/00 T.Smith HEY AFFLECK , YOU S- U-C-K. What a bunch of overhyped shit 1 stars
12/08/00 Boy In The Designer Bubble The math theory in this movie was actually a first year problem. Easy to solve. 2 stars
12/02/00 Angela Murtagh extremely wonderful! 5 stars
11/29/00 SP a fine film by young authors, but it may not really be "Academy Award winning script great" 4 stars
11/24/00 Mic Illustrious screenplay. Admirable amount of knowledge in humanistic psychology. 5 stars
11/23/00 chiefaldog whassamatta, U, elvisfan? wow, when Williams calms down he becomes a good actor. 5 stars
11/18/00 Gary Fascinating film! Absolutely pristine acting! Mandatory viewing. 5 stars
10/24/00 Clarance ONE OF MY FAV"S! 5 stars
9/16/00 Jed No you go away skye chapman. I'm sick of this "anti-R.W" B.S! 4 stars
7/08/00 skye chapman go away Mr. Williams 3 stars
7/08/00 Terrie Smith Well done; nice performances. 4 stars
7/04/00 Tandi An amazingly well written and acted movie! 5 stars
6/19/00 Tim Yawn! Shameless & clumbsy manipulation. Be sad now...feel good! 3 stars
5/30/00 perverted pixie Van Zants directs & William is wonderful...but who can stomach Damons ego! 4 stars
5/12/00 Girl9 Amazing scenes with fantasitic dialogue and dynamic....which saved the film..... 3 stars
5/12/00 Richard Wright A film that takes all the cliches, jumbles them round and comes up with something profound. 5 stars
5/03/00 JonnyAngel Doesn't stand up to repeated viewings 3 stars
4/13/00 punkass Too much profanity my ass, it's called realism. Acting unsurpassed, just a beautiful story. 5 stars
3/26/00 Jed Bit too profane and a slow start but otherall it is good. 4 stars
3/25/00 Pizaster from start to finish it was great, type of movie i can see 20 times 5 stars
3/19/00 Skye Chapman "will hunting"?! pu-lease 3 stars
3/17/00 Cristy An awesome movie with a lot of profanity, but a very moving story. 5 stars
3/13/00 Trina Barnard One of the best movies ever 5 stars
3/01/00 Mic Too much profanity, but otherwise an illustrious screenplay. 5 stars
1/03/00 Lindsey This is one of my fav. movies! Matt Damon is awesome in it!!!!! 5 stars
11/28/99 Ryan Phillipe gets hit by a car and it Rules!!! I'm disgusted. I AM SENSITIVE 90S MOVIE NUMBER 1. OH, PLEASE INVITE ME TO YOUR HOUSE. 1 stars
11/22/99 Ralf Behet Not a masterpiece. But very well written and acted. A touching and funny film. 5 stars
11/10/99 Joe Shapira The best movie i've ever seen! 5 stars
11/09/99 yoda Insightful, mind bobbling 5 stars
11/07/99 Anthony Ellis Has its flaws, but still a truly great film! 5 stars
10/25/99 Bueller Do you like apples? I liked this movie, how do ya like them apples? 4 stars
10/20/99 Tony Daquano Great movie 5 stars
9/19/99 vickie Every time I see it, I love it more. 5 stars
9/18/99 Melissa Everyone I know hoped this would take the Oscar - great movie. 5 stars
8/16/99 Lucy B. Absolutely wonderful. Brilliant screenplay and performances. One of the best I've seen! 5 stars
8/16/99 Johhn Bombtrax Great movie. 5 stars
8/14/99 Deanna Overrated old fashioned corn by two hot young studs, hollywood fantasy. End was forced. 3 stars
7/19/99 blue b. One of my favourite movies...should have one best picture 5 stars
7/10/99 Melissa The screenplay is amazing, the acting is awesome, and the music is wonderful too. M&B rock! 5 stars
7/05/99 Pat Flanagan The Academy is on crack for giving Titanic the best movie award. 5 stars
7/05/99 Ben Leostein Rating: *** (out of ****) Category: "Good" 4 stars
7/04/99 J-Dogg Why did these two win Best Screenplay? Cause they're kids? 3 stars
7/04/99 randy grubbs how could anyone not like this movie 5 stars
6/17/99 matchbox20 Whormones aside...it dragged on and on. So you clean toilets and you know math who cares? 1 stars
5/13/99 Benny Gordon It isn't Affleck or Damon who make this, it's Robin Williams his best role in years. 5 stars
5/09/99 Beachlovr9 Geniuses wrote this script! They found the perfect balance of poignancy and humor.Excellent 5 stars
5/08/99 Tavia Casey Affleck, which really is not his first name, is beyond hot 5 stars
4/30/99 Angie Ben, Matt, and Casey are sooo sexy!! "I got her number, how do ya like them apples?" ****** 5 stars
4/28/99 LoveThatFlick Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Robin Williams --- awesome! 5 stars
4/19/99 jimmy jam If you only see one movie this year... DON'T let this one be it 1 stars
4/19/99 Em Film speaks for itself 5 stars
4/15/99 Jon Jackson Ben Affleck almost ruined this movie, his brother almost saved it, but it still kinda sucks 3 stars
4/11/99 Catherine Exellent!!! Ben Affleck is GORGEOUS! 5 stars
4/11/99 Tristynn Took a few times watching it to enjoy it..Very deep flick.. Ben deserved more of the hype.. 4 stars
4/10/99 Keith Calder Intimate gem that may have saved Hollywood from only making Titanic style movies. 5 stars
4/09/99 Randall Only simple minded people would hate it, this was one of the best of the 90's 5 stars
4/08/99 Fordy Dogma is gonna be bigger and better 4 stars
4/07/99 lianesse this movie makes me want to go out and do everything i'm capable of-and find better friends 5 stars
3/30/99 H33eather 4 words...Ben Affleck Matt Damon!!!! 5 stars
3/29/99 Mike Martinez What was all the excitement about???????????????????????????????? 1 stars
3/29/99 Carrie Apperently people with no pubilc hair loved it. Grown-up thought it blew! 1 stars
3/29/99 Ebert's twin Highly overrated. SNOOZE fest. Fuck I thought it would never end 1 stars
3/16/99 Stacie Ben Affleck is soo damn hot!! This was the best movie ever! 5 stars
3/08/99 CanadianChica BEN...wow, too bad he didn't get as much credit as he should have(Matt stole the limelight) 5 stars
3/03/99 Angelic CASEY AFFLECK:) he is hilarious in his tiny parts!!! 5 stars
3/02/99 Rachel OK, how do I get in on Ben and Matt's next screenplay? This is bound to be a classic! 5 stars
3/01/99 Blythe Brilliant. Chuckie shows Will how to be a man. 5 stars
2/26/99 Elizabeth This movie was awesome, A movie hasnt changed my life like that in a LONG time. 5 stars
2/01/99 Vick Di Brecci About as corny and sentimental as Rocky but with an added dose of pretension. Affleck ok 2 stars
1/15/99 Melissa BY FAR my favorite film of the year, deserving of all the praise you've heard. 5 stars
1/03/99 Dasha One of the most overrated movies I ever saw. 1 stars
12/24/98 Lou Pine, Jr. I've been in therapy most of my life and never had a breakthrough like that. 4 stars
12/11/98 raFFie77 Not only do I like apples, but I LOVE Casey Affleck!!!!!!! 5 stars
12/09/98 Andrea I'd pay to watch Matt Damon read a phone book. 5 stars
12/04/98 Matthew J. Soucy Well done. Williams wins the Oscar? This is a crime. 4 stars
11/27/98 G best of the year. fuck Titanic, this puts it to shame 5 stars
11/26/98 Mr.Pink loved it! 5 stars
11/25/98 katharina brilliant. i am speechless. actual dialogue driven plot!!! no way! 5 stars
11/24/98 Sarah way WAY overrated...the love story was completely unbelievable 3 stars
11/18/98 MinxxDaShorty This film moved me!! But will some1 please shoot Minnie Driver 5 stars
10/29/98 Silent Rob Maybe it was me..I mean the script WAS good, but the movie kinda left me...nowhere? 3 stars
10/19/98 Haskell Daniels It was too mushy for me. 2 stars
10/18/98 Kwyjibo A tear-jerker, and no qualms about it. Thought Affleck was a little weak. 4 stars
10/13/98 {{{OZ}}} Enjoy yourself, bellsouth guy. Your multiple ratings will be deleted on the next few days. 5 stars
10/13/98 philip i have to agree w/ my buds--phat 5 stars
10/13/98 joseph damon is amazing 5 stars
10/13/98 jym sweet 5 stars
10/13/98 Tom Wood best ever---damon and affleck created their own luck and destiny--could you ask for more? 5 stars
10/12/98 MR HOLLYWOOD !! OSCAR WINNIN' MATERIAL, BEN AFFLECK is better than matt damon (anyday) 5 stars
10/03/98 wind should've won best picture over the "tugboat movie"...classic 5 stars
9/29/98 katherine awesome film. and i could watch matt damon all day even if the film sucked. 5 stars
9/25/98 Pat Flanagan One of the movies that was better than Titanic, and deserved the Oscar more. 5 stars
9/24/98 Nate Dogg "It's not your fault...." I cried like a little bitch.... 5 stars
9/17/98 Ben Affleck Matt and I were great in this movie.. Robin Williams is super..Film has heart... 5 stars
9/16/98 Lonatic I didn't get why so many people like this flick so much. BORING!! 2 stars
9/15/98 cheryl_ann a movie i could watch hundreds of times and not get sick of. Ben is awesome as usual. 5 stars
9/14/98 Amber B. Ben Affleck is GORGEOUS, and Robin Williams kicks ass. 5 stars
9/09/98 ARMA-FUCK'N-GEDDON If Ben Affleck isn't the coolest shit out there..... This film was TOP, all about LIFE 5 stars
9/06/98 BBReBozo Robin Williams steals the show. Dude CAN act. 4 stars
9/06/98 Helle Marie How can I say how fantastic it is without swearing? I can`t. It`s fuckin`brilliant! 5 stars
9/05/98 Jon An amazingly emotional experience. 5 stars
9/04/98 Badass Fine screenplay and acting. Danny Elfman's score is great. 4 stars
8/31/98 Mario Van Peebles Totally dug this film. The script *WAS* great. It hit home. 5 stars
8/26/98 Chuck-D even with sappy direction and a good-not-great script, there's something more there. 5 stars
8/24/98 The Capital City Goofball It was fine I suppose, but I don't think Damon's all that. 3 stars
8/23/98 Vincent Good BUT NOT GREAT script brought down a few notches by overly sappy direction 3 stars
8/23/98 Mister Whoopee How can anybody not enjoy this flick. A classic. 5 stars
8/23/98 Superfly If I was gay man, I would have sex with Ben Affleck. 5 stars
8/20/98 Miss Stress ok, so i knew how the movie was gunna end 15 min into it, but hell i liked it 4 stars
8/18/98 clark damn ben is sexy 5 stars
8/18/98 Mike F Fucking Awesome 5 stars
8/18/98 spork-girl mmmm casey 5 stars
8/16/98 GypsyLee Just a great flick! Go see it ..its a must. 5 stars
8/16/98 J-Guy really good. saw it twice. 4 stars
8/16/98 rotten f. milk dem apples be gooooood. really gooooood. 5 stars
8/16/98 Johny Very good script and acting. Gus Van Sant sucks ass. 3 stars
8/15/98 Schmeekins Makes existing Hollywood screenwriters look like big poopyheads. 5 stars
8/15/98 Pete Really Enjoyed it! Amazing script. 5 stars
8/14/98 f*r*o*s*t*y Ben again. Woohoo! I LOVE it. 5 stars
8/14/98 Minipulator Fuck Leonardo DiCaprio. This is acting. 5 stars
8/14/98 {{{OZ}}} My psychotic friend had an epiphany watching it. Now he has sex often. 5 stars
IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS FILM, RATE IT!
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USA
  05-Dec-1997 (R)
  DVD: 04-Mar-2003

UK
  N/A

Australia
  02-Feb-1998 (MA)




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