journal features

movie review - Good Will Hunting

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Toronto, 1999.06.27

This was surprisingly good, given the intense hype surrounding the film. Excellent performances from the cast and a great story line make it very worth watching. Even Robbins can't deflate this with his usual dreadful shtick, which he supresses admirably.

The movie's about a mathematical genius & speed reader who was born to a broken working class home in Boston. All he has are his brothers, his fists, and the scar tissue (mental and otherwise) from a string of abusive foster homes. He has been 'discovered' by an MIT professor (played by Starsgard, whose character is an excellent counterpoint the treacherous 'Gregor' he played in Ronan), but is too violent, defensive, and undisciplined to apply his genius. He is brought before a succession of shrinks before meeting Williams, with whom he develops into something else.

Put aside the hype and drivel about this, and see this flick if you get a chance.

Recommended.

rand()m quote

If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it. A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.

—Roald Dahl