Good Will Hunting . Tucson Weekly . 01-20-98

Good Will Hunting

DIRECTED BY: Gus Van Sant

REVIEWED: 01-20-98

Gus Van Sant directs this movie about a self-educated mathematical genius, Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a janitor who mops floors at MIT. Secretly, he's smarter than all the students and most of the professors, too. When the educated world discovers Will, he's torn between his beer-drinking, fiercely loyal buddies and the unfamiliar world of academics. Oh yeah, there's a sexy Harvard girl (Minnie Driver) in his life, too. Robin Williams plays the psychologist who tries to help Will figure out what to do with his amazing gift. There's a lot of good acting; and the screenplay, by Will Damon and Ben Affleck, can be pretty funny at points, though it tends to drift into sentimentality. Van Sant has a real talent for creating arresting visual images; he does it a little here, when he gets a chance, but a film about the inner life and psychological changes of a young boy doesn't really let him flex his muscles. Perhaps he should see a psychologist and get in touch with his gift.

--Richter

Interviews
Good Will Hunting

Full Length Reviews
Good Will Hunting
Good Will Hunting
Good Will Hunting
Good Will Hunting
Good Will Hunting
Good Will Hunting

Capsule Reviews
Good Will Hunting

Other Films by Gus Van Sant
Psycho
To Die For

Film Vault Suggested Links
Johns
The Celebration
Secrets & Lies

Rate this Film
If you don't want to vote on a film yet, and would like to know how others voted, leave the rating selection as "Vote Here" and then click the Cast Vote button.