Review of Good Will Hunting (1997) by Ben L — 21 Oct 2015
I hated this movie when I first saw it. However that was a long time ago, and I was a lot more sensitive to profanity then. I guess I've, sadly, been desensitized since then so I was interested to see if I would like this movie now that the language doesn't bother me so much.
It did get somewhat better. I thought the counseling scenes with Robin Williams were quite engaging and they made me care more than I expected I would. However that's about the only aspect of the movie that worked for me.
I never feel like Matt Damon disappears into the role of Will, so every emotional moment just feels like obvious acting. His friends added nothing to the movie for me, and Ben Affleck is an even worse actor.
Yet the real sticking point I had was that, in a strange way, I found myself sympathizing with Stellan Skarsgard. I thought the movie was more engaging when it was exploring Will's genius, instead of his emotions.
That's not to say it is a bad movie, but I didn't think it was anything all that special or unique. I could watch a dozen TV movies about damaged kids trying to move past their emotional detachment, but the diamond in the rough story is one that feels more cinematic and I thought needed to take center stage.
Perhaps Good Will Hunting is just not a film that works for me, because clearly others love it.
This review of Good Will Hunting (1997) was written by Ben L on 21 Oct 2015.
Good Will Hunting has generally received very positive reviews.
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