Wishing class of 2026 off to new horizons with some movie recommendations to help get prepared for universities and colleges!
Published in 1997, Good Will Hunting was written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and directed by Gus Van Sant. It is a coming-of-age story, starring actors like Robin Williams, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck. The film was awarded two Oscars for best director and best writing, with 61 other nominations.
Good Will Hunting is the story of Will, a 20-year-old genius, who works as a janitor at MIT. Because of Will’s abusive childhood, he developed a deep-seated belief that all of the problems that had faced growing up were his own fault. Will suffers from fear of abandonment and the inability to communicate his feelings, often using humor to divert difficult feelings to prove to others that he does not need help emotionally.
After solving an extremely difficult math equation, Will gains recognition for his intellectual capabilities by Professor Gerald Lambeau. Lambeau asks Will to solve math equations, but with the conditions that Will gets therapy. And after many failed attempts to get Will to speak his feelings, Lambeau urges Sean Maguire, an old friend of his, to try and speak with Will.
My favorite part of this movie is the relationship between Will and Sean. Sean is basically just the grown up version of Will because they both faced the same abuse growing up and are both highly intellectual. Although Sean regrets not getting a higher education and doesn’t want Will going through the same thing. He urges Will to push himself academically and to cherish his relationships. Sean and Will have an almost father- son relationship which is even more impactful because Will grew up as an orphan.
I give this movie an overall rating of 4.3/5 stars!
Here are some other college-based movie recommendations!
“Good Will Hunting (1997) – Awards – IMDb.” IMDb, 2015, www.imdb.com/title/tt0119217/awards/?ref_=tt_awd.
