Matt Damon and Ben Affleck co-scripted and star in this drama, set in Boston and Cambridge, about rebellious 20-year-old MIT janitor Will Hunting (Damon), gifted with a photographic memory, who hangs out with his South Boston bar buddies, his best friend Chuckie (Affleck), and his affluent British girlfriend Skylar (Minnie Driver). After MIT professor Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard) stumps students with a challenging math formula on a hallway blackboard, Will anonymously leaves the correct solution, prompting Lambeau to track the elusive young genius. As Will's problems with the police escalate, Lambeau offers an out, but with two conditions -- visits to a therapist and weekly math sessions. Will agrees to the latter but refuses to cooperate with a succession of therapists. Lambeau then contacts his former classmate, therapist Sean McGuire (Robin Williams), an instructor at Bunker Hill Community College. Both are equally stubborn, but Will is finally forced to deal with both his past and his future. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
Featuring a script by obscure actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and direction by Gus Van Sant, previously a director who avoided the mainstream, Good Will Hunting beat all odds to become a huge success. Powered by Miramax's marketing muscle, its real life rags-to-riches story mirrored the fortunes of titular, troubled math genius Will Hunting. The story is fairly conventional: equal parts love story, coming-of-age struggle, ode to friendship, and therapy session, the film didn't so much break new ground as till well-trod property. But its assured direction, strong production values, and heartfelt lead performances helped make it an out-of-nowhere success, propelled by the attractive synergy between its real story and its fictional story. In addition to raking in millions at the box office, it gave Robin Williams his first Oscar and won Best Original Screenplay for Damon and Affleck. The toast of Hollywood in the aftermath of their triumph, they had no trouble finding the sort of quality roles that had seemed so out of reach when they wrote their screenplay. Where many movies seem to speak from their wallets, here was one that spoke from the heart. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
Ben Affleck : Best Original Screenplay - Broadcast Film Critics Association, 1997
Matt Damon : Best Original Screenplay - Broadcast Film Critics Association, 1997
Matt Damon : Breakthrough Performer - Broadcast Film Critics Association, 1997
Gus Van Sant : Best Director - Directors Guild of America, 1997
Matt Damon : Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Hollywood Foreign Press Association, 1997
Ben Affleck : Best Screenplay - Hollywood Foreign Press Association, 1997
Ben Affleck : Special Achievement - National Board of Review, 1997
Matt Damon : Special Achievement - National Board of Review, 1997
Matt Damon : Best Actor - Screen Actors Guild, 1997
Matt Damon : Best Screenplay - Hollywood Foreign Press Association, 1997
Robin Williams : Best Supporting Actor - Screen Actors Guild, 1997
Robin Williams : Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Hollywood Foreign Press Association, 1997
Ben Affleck : Best Original Screenplay - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1997
Matt Damon : Best Original Screenplay - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1997
Matt Damon : Best Actor - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1997
Matt Damon : Silver Bear for Outstanding Individual Performance - Berlin International Film Festival, 1998
Elliott Smith : Best Song - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1997
Lawrence Bender : Best Picture - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1997
Danny Elfman : Best Dramatic Score - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1997
Pietro Scalia : Best Editing - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1997
Gus Van Sant : Best Director - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1997
Robin Williams : Best Supporting Actor - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1997
Minnie Driver : Best Supporting Actress - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1997
