What Is The Unique Will Hunting All About?

Filmmaker Gus Van Sant had the support of audiences and critics in both alternative and independent film circles in the 90s. He had a penchant for marginal characters and told the struggle about people who did not fit into the universal form. Thus, it was not surprising for him to direct The Unique Will Hunting (Good Will Hunting), a film that became a hit.

1997 was a simple year and clearly positivist cinema flooded the screens. The unique Will Hunting is one such 90s film in this regard. It has a simple plot, with little to no intrigue, and with a predictable outcome. However, the message gets the audience’s attention right from the start.

The unique Will Hunting

The film presents a restless, charismatic young man with a clear tendency to violence. Will is admittedly quite smart and reveals against all odds a special talent for mathematics, along with a photographic memory.

He ends up with legal problems as a result of a fight, which he will be able to get out of thanks to Professor Lambeau, a fellow in mathematics who sees something good in him.

The flip side of the coin is that the young man must also go to therapy. Unfortunately , he does not achieve good results with any psychologist until he comes in contact with Sean, Lambeau’s former colleague.

The film gradually reveals the reasons that led to Will’s violent behavior and why he no longer wants to have contact with anything or anyone. Of course, Robin Williams as Sean, his mentor, excels in a character that largely reminds the audience of his role in The Day Is Yours (Peter Weir, 1989).

The Unique Will Hunting: A Set That Works

Oddly enough, unlike other films of this type, The Unique Will Hunting  does not have a literary precedent; that is, the script is original.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were not so well known at the time. It is true that both had taken their first steps as actors with considerable success, but they were still unknown to most people.

The script for The Unique Will Hunting began to take shape as an effort to do something different; something together, like friends. To begin with, the film was supposed to be a thriller, but the end result was far from that idea.

In the same way, the producer was reluctant to include the two young actors in the cast, but he eventually gave in. In fact, one of the strongest points in the film lies precisely in these actors’ interpretations. Yes, Robin Williams was a pretty outstanding actor, but the message of the film would not have penetrated so deeply without the work of Affleck and Damon.

In fact, the scenes where Williams and Damon interact are already an important part of film history in the 90’s. Both embody their characters perfectly, so much so that their relationship seems authentic.

Soundtrack

Another success with this film is the soundtrack, composed by Danny Elfman, who was quite popular in the 90’s as lead singer for the new wave band Oingo Boingo . Although his name may not ring a bell, you probably already know many of his songs.

His collaborations with Tim Burton are well known, as he collaborated in, among others, Edward’s scissors hand , Mars Attacks ! and Sleepy Hollow . You may not know it, but he also composed the popular Simpsons tune. In The Unique Will Hunting , Elfman did a great job of emphasizing the emotions of any character through music.

In short, the film has some great ingredients; the same ones who made it so successful. It received nine Oscar nominations, of which Robin Williams won the Oscar for Best Actor, while the best original screenplay went to both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

The unique Will Hunting has a clear message

The action in The Unique Will Hunting is timeless because it conveys a positive, optimistic and overcoming message. And while this message may be boring because of its predictability, it’s actually effective because of the way the story unfolds.

Hollywood has and continues to offer countless movies of this type that do not age well and are either forgotten or lack credibility because their message is too superficial.

Why, then, has the unique Will Hunting survived the test of time? Well, that’s probably because the cast matches the strength of the dialogues. This is because it is far from containing a purely smart message, it focuses on the most human part of the main characters.

Who has not seen a story like this before? A young man in the suburbs plagued by emotional deficiencies and unable to control his acts of violence, which eventually overcomes the obstacles and becomes stronger as a consequence. This is nothing new. It is not groundbreaking, and yet, it still captures the audience.

It’s a rather memorable scene where Robin Williams’ character sits on a bench and leaves young Will speechless. The mentor proves that no one really knows how they feel or what they have experienced, and that they therefore do not really know the world.

The power of books

Books and philosophy help people to understand and know the world, but the experiences are after all personal and subjective. Little by little, the audience gets to witness Will’s progress, along with his learning process.

The young man does not appear superficial. In fact, the film shows him through the eyes of his psychologist. He is a character who ends up opening Will’s eyes and empathizing with him. Mainly because he, like all humans, also carries a heavy burden on his shoulders and also has to confront his own demons.

This message of overcoming is easily captured by the viewer. Despite the fact that it has little action, the whole film ends up being entertaining. It strengthens the viewer in a kind of reconciliation with the past, acceptance and forgiveness.

A stormy past

As usual, the protagonist’s past has direct consequences for his present. Although the audience at first does not understand exactly who Will is, they know that something traumatic happened to him during his childhood. Maybe being an orphan made a big impression on him and made him break down.

The viewer also gets to see how he relates to his friends. Apparently they are the only ones he trusts. This is quite evident in his attitude towards work and even in his relationship with Skylar, a young medical student.

Will does not seem to want to get involved, sentimentally or in any other way, with anything or anyone. He prefers not to be responsible. He does not want to be carried away by his emotions.

The abandonment he fell victim to during his childhood led to an irrational fear that prevented him from wanting stability. It is precisely for this reason that he does not want to listen to Professor Lambeau’s instructions. He also does not want to travel with Skylar. In fact, he would rather continue with life as it is.

Social pressure also has a role in the film. Sometimes you can take for granted that a person with great abilities needs to get the most out of them and follow a certain direction. In that case, perhaps you should ask yourself what the real desires of a given individual are, and not expect them to do what others think is best for them.

Concluding notes on The Unique Will Hunting

It is clear that Will is special, as he is an incredibly talented young man. Yet this does not mean that he must follow a certain direction. In contrast to the pressure exerted by Professor Lambeau, Sean responds with understanding. He tries to lead the young man to decide what is best for him, to resolve past conflicts. Also to create their own path completely on their own.

In short, The Unique Will Hunting is about positive thinking and is thus nothing new. It’s such a ’90s movie. However , its significance lies in the universality of the message and in the way it manages to convey emotions, and in the end gives the audience an optimistic message without it just being entertainment.