Good Will Hunting (1997) Reaction & Review! FIRST TIME WATCHING!! 

Man the older I get the more hearing Robin Williams say "She's been gone two years and that's the stuff I remember.." hits harder and harder. I've been out of college for 10 years, out of highschool for 15. I've lived longer out of grade school than in it at this point. The older you get the less time a year seems to be. Two years? That JUST happened for his character.

You should have 10million subscribers, your reviews are intelligent, interesting, and educational.....great job, you are appreciated!

FUN TRIVIA In his first scene, Robin Williams is standing in front of a blackboard. Behind him, written on the blackboard in chalk, are the words "Susser 1969". In 1969, Williams graduated from Redwood High School, Larkspur, and then continued at College of Marin, Kentfield just a few blocks away from the high school. He became acquainted with the drama department there at the College of Marin, and performed in the production "Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare. Robin Williams' first stage director was the late Harvey Susser. Thus, the blackboard "code words" seem to say: "Hey, Harvey! See this! Now I'm the teacher!" After Mel Gibson dropped out of directing, Michael Mann expressed interest in directing. However, he wanted to make two major changes: he wanted Will and his friends to be car thieves, and he did not want Matt Damon for the lead role, since he was still relatively unknown then. The producers, who wanted Damon, suggested the Mann film some screentests with Damon and Ben Affleck. After Mann filmed the screentests, he went back to the producers and said he still did not want Damon in the lead, so the producers and Miramax parted ways with Mann, since the film was Damon and Affleck's project from the start. Ben Affleck was twenty-five when he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for this film, making him the youngest person ever to win the award. And Matt Damon was twenty-seven and is the second youngest person to win the Academy Award for Best Originals Screenplay Matt Damon, a former Harvard student, originally intended to make the title character a physics prodigy. He discussed his idea with Sheldon L. Glashow, a Nobel laureate in physics, and at the time a Harvard professor. Glashow told him that the premise did not ring true to him, and suggested that the main character be a math prodigy instead. He referred Damon to his brother-in-law, Daniel Kleitman, a professor of mathematics at M.I.T., who provided advice on the story. Glashow and Kleitman are thanked in the credits. When Robin Williams and Matt Damon were shooting the scene on the bench in the Public Garden, in the movie, it seems like they're the only people in the park. Robin Williams, being a massive star, there were, at one point, over 3,000 people out there watching that scene. The lines in the scene when Sean talks about his late wife's farting antics were ad-libbed by Robin Williams. That is why Matt Damon was laughing so hard. If you watch the scene carefully you can notice the camera shaking a bit, possibly due to the cameraman laughing as well. In 2014, after Robin Williams died, the bench in the Boston Public Garden where he and Matt Damon had their conversation scene became an impromptu memorial site; people left flowers, quotes and various items at the bench. A petition has been passed around to erect a statue in Williams' memory near the bench

This was their breakthrough in to the industry and its really no surprise theyve had the careers theyve had.

Damon and Affleck won the Oscar for best screenplay for this, well deserved!

Such a good movie! RIP, Robin Williams. He win Best Supporting Actor for his role and Ben Affleck and Matt Damon won Best Screenplay. The scene where Williams tells Damon that his late wife used to fart in her sleep was so so funny, both actors cracked up laughing and even the cameraman was cracking up, too.

Good Will Hunting, every time I watch it, it never fails to be bittersweet.

Both Damon and Affleck were not known actors when they made this. They credit Williams when he took the role as the psychiatrist. His big name gave it the push it needed for a wide release. Williams is obviously known for his comedy but his roles in serious dramas like Dead Poets Society, One Hour Photo and Insomnia are understated. He’s a brilliant actor.

Even during this edited version I’m still moved to tears. This film is in my top five of all time.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote the movie, but Robin Williams ad-libbed the "my wife farts in her sleep" monologue. you see Matt laughing for real on the camera.

This movie gets me every single time, a timeless classic.

I saw this twice in the theater back when it originally came out. It was my favorite film that year and I wish it had won every award at the Oscars. At least Damon and Affleck won for Best Original Screenplay and Williams for Best Supporting Actor.

Fun fact: When Will and Skylar are outside the coffee shop and Will is offering Skylar academic help, the one of the two guys playing chess in the background is Matt Damon's dad.

Elliot Smith's songs are so perfect in the film. One of my favorite movies of all time.

Best reaction channel on youtube. Always does his research, always keeps up with the plot. Never misses a trick.

This movie is huge part of why the two of them can really do no wrong with regards to cinema for me. one of the best debut films of all time.

Matt Damon's character in "Saving Private Ryan" told a story about him and his brothers. It wasn't in the script, and was basically just Matt Damon doing improv. It shows his gift for solid dialogue.

Please watch "Good Morning Vietnam" (1987) with Robin Williams (Oscar-nomination 1988) and Forest Whitaker.

Those Oscars were well deserved, Robin Williams for Best Supporting and Damon and Affleck for Best Original Screenplay.

Another great Robin Williams performance is in "Dead Poet's Society".

Another great Robin Williams movie is What Dreams May Come. I do like to warn folks because of the subject matter though that it is about grief. But it is just cinematicaly beautiful.

Oh boy. Guaranteed tear-jerker for me. Several fantastic scenes throughout.

I also would like to add the Terry Gilliam film "The Fisher King", starring Robin Williams to your list. It would be impossible to describe this film without ruining it so all I can say is that Robin Williams is as incredible in that film as he is in Good Will Hunting. You can add "Awakenings" to this list of ..... films that Robin WIlliams wipes you out emotionally.

17:43 it's cute that matt and ben(or the director) decided to do the "in order of appearance" thing for the end credits.

This is a fantastic movie. I've been a Robin Williams fan since the 70's, and this film made me a lifelong Damon & Affleck fan.

they won the Oscar for best screenplay that year and Robin Williams won best supporting actor

tv series "Community" did a running parody of this movie, a character picked up chalk, looked at the blackboard and then turned around and solved a drinking fountain malfunction, was harassed by a janitor later on multiple times wanting him to be a plumber.

You mentioned Affleck's other writing works, I highly recommend both Gone Baby Gone and The Town if you haven't seen them. He wrote and directed both movies and both are excellently written, directed and acted.

I remember they referenced what Stallone did with his Rocky script - instead of just selling it to a studio they wanted to be cast in it. Stallone is probably the greatest example of gambling on yourself, but this is a close second imo. Nice reaction!

Two films later was one called 'Rounders' that is another terrific film that I have yet to see any of the youtube movie reactors, reacting to.

Amazing dialogue, woven together with a seamless script bringing together multiple character struggles and relationships. The storyline is very unique - a genius janitor/construction worker who has been traumatized and broken needs to find his deep needed healing, grief, and redemption. Skylar couldn't give that to him, Chuck couldn't. He had built up so many defense mechanisms that he couldn't be honest and transparent with anybody. The right amount of humor and gritty vulnerability and sorrow. Easy to identify with so many elements in the film. It is and will continue to be a timeless classic.

That scene in the park is so damn powerful, my favorite scene of the whole film.

Robin Williams's casting did for this film what Marlon Brando's casting did for Superman (1978). It made it a credible project and ultimately ensured it was made.

Minnie Driver is the only actress I’ve ever seen in person. At the Vegas airport, I was at the baggage claim with my wife when she went walking quickly by looking angry. She was thinner in person and gorgeous. I didn’t recognize her right away but knew I’d seen her somewhere. About 15 minutes after she had walked by, a harried looking limo driver comes running in carrying a sign that says Mini Driver. That tripped my recognition of her and I told him that she had already come by looking pissed and pointed him at the doors she had gone through. Man he took off like a rocket. I don’t know if he ever caught up to her but I distinctly remember how she looked set apart.

Shan! I liked your reaction! This film was very good! You are the best on youtube!

Another tear-jerker Gus Van Sant film (at least to me) is Finding Forrester. It has another really rich father-son type relationship in it between Sean Connery and Rob Brown, but different from Good Will Hunting. I think you'll really enjoy it.

You should check out the 80s classic Crocodile Dundee from 1986.

To Die For ('95) and Finding Forrester ('00) are two excellent Van Sant efforts of the less esoteric kind, but still with his special touch.

You've done it again, Shan. You have covered one of my all-time favorite movies (I rank this third after Shawshank/Princess Bride and I stop counting after that) and give what is now my favorite reaction to that movie. Thank you.

Top 3 favorite films of all time for me. I love it more and more with every watch.

2:00 - if I good remember Elfman has Academy Award nomination for this score. That was first collaboration between Van Sant and Elfman.

An absolute delight to watch, im glad this movie is finally gaining traction among reactors.

You renewed my interest in films with all your reactions. Thank you and keep up the fantastic work!

A nice parallel I don't see mentioned much is how Will stole Sean's line at the end was foreshadowed by Sean telling Will's joke to the bartender. Was a movie ahead of its time for sure, a movie I will remember forever. Great review and I also loved the soundtrack as it was so fitting and beautifully orchestrated. The dialogue was absolutely glorious and deep.

This is my all time favorite movie. It’s one serious film that I can watch all constantly and never get tired of.

This is a truly fantastic movie. The writing and acting is one of the best I have seen in any movie. :) 7:39 Minnie Driver laught is wonderful. :D That is her real laugh. 8:27 Robin Williams is mostly thought about funny things, but his best roles are the serious ones. 13:54 That's one of my favourite parts. Affleck didn't have serious scenes before in the film, so this surprised and hit harder because of that.

Thank you Shan for your great insight and reviews as they are top tier imo

Another wonderful review! I was never a fan of Robin Williams stand-up but I have never seen him in a bad role. He was a great actor and impressed me in every role even if the movie was less than stellar. I would also recommend "Awakenings" like others have. Just check out his whole catalog!

I'm just watching your reaction. Really surprised that no one had suggested Gus Van Sant's "My Own Private Idaho," starring the late River Phoenix and Matt Damon. It's a fantastic film.

The Borne Identity is another Matt Damon amazing film.

This is Robin Williams at his best, I always like the fact that Robin Williams is such a great comedian and can also do great dramatic rolls

Rip Elliot Smith and Rip Robin Williams

Ok, now you’ve gotta see Clerks and then Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back and then Dogma.

I love your list of action and fun movies from the 80s! Crocodile Dundee 1-2 would fit so well in following Eddie Murphy

I agree that this was just an awesome movie all around. I saw it in the theater back when it first came out. Loved it then and still love it now. I really enjoy how in-depth you get with your reactions. FYI - That scene with Matt and Robin where Robin is talking about his wife farting was improvised and the laughing reaction from Matt was real and priceless.

Robin Williams won an oscar for best supporting actor for this movie. Great film thanks bro👍

The "fart in the sleep" bit was all Robin & Matt they did it all on the fly.... listen to that laugh from Matt, that's real ! What a great movie Matt & Ben won the Academy award for writing this movie ! Robin & Matt also won some other acting awards for this film 😎🎥

This is probably one of the most underrated films ever, deserves way more credit than it receives. Matt Damon has often said of his best friend Big Ben Affleck that he is misunderstood and that he's a real good guy. I call him Big Ben Affleck, well because he's 6 foot 4 inches and is quite well built.

looking forward to your reaction. Amazing film. Every actor puts in a superb performance.

Don’t know why I’m JUST finding you but I’m so relieved I did! THIS …… is reacting!!!!!!!!❤❤❤

This film was amazing in the 90s when I watched it in the theaters. It's amazing now. All of your reactions are spot on and I teared up watching these powerful performances in your video. It captures everything so well. I carry a little of Robin Williams' character in my self-conceptualization as a therapist. As we say in the profession: no relationship no therapy. Williams' character showed up for Will in the all the important ways. As you identify, this is a different movie for Damon than how he is now in superstar mode. If you want to see an early work of his, watch him in Courage Under Fire. I also absolutely love him in The Rainmaker. As for Williams, I miss him. Particularly his dramatic roles. His comedy was brilliant but his appearance in Good Will Hunting is special. As was his role in Dead Poets Society. Minnie Driver plays her role so well that - not only did I fall in love with her character - but her argument and breakup scene is almost too difficult to view on re-watch. I thoroughly enjoy her in Return to Me. This is THE role for Ben Affleck as far as I'm concerned until much later in his career. Otherwise, he is just not an actor that I connect with. As for Van Sant, the only other film that I enjoy of his if Finding Forrester. It's not perfect but it has some very enjoyable pieces to that film.

Yes 4 good movies in a row. I'm hoping you'll be the first movie reviewer to review DANCES WITH WOLVES. Underrated American Movie Classic. I don't have patreon but I support this channel. Please review this movie.

My favorite movie!! Thank you for reacting to this!!

You talked about missing symbolism. It's interesting when you mentioned it, and did so right after mentioning Will needing something deeper in his life. In many ways, the guy rowing the boat alone in the storm IS Will!! I'd never really considered that before. Great reaction, analysis, etc... you earned a new sub!

What an articulate thought-provoking reaction to this movie.

Whenever I see a marvellous new movie, I play a little game. I think to myself, 'Is this better than _Good Will Hunting_ ? Will I enjoy it this much even after the tenth viewing?' I have yet to find a movie where I can answer yes to both these questions. To date, I have seen this film more than twenty times, and I still laugh and cry when I watch it. It doesn't get old, ever.

2:10, yes they are! It's crazy! They grew up in Boston.

You can never use the word "amazing" too much when describing this film. :) My second favorite Gus Van Sant film is TO DIE FOR starring Nicole Kidman and a very young Joaquin Phoenix (and Casey Affleck). Fantastic screenplay, fantastic film. It might be a little racy for a reaction but definitely worth a watch. It was loosely inspired by the Pamela Smart case.

There was a really funny parody in Jay and Silent Bob, called Goodwill hunting 2, Hunting season. Hilarious if you search for it. All the actors replay their roles.

1997 was the year I graduated high school and went to the movies all the time. Thankfully it was also an amazing year for film. Good Will Hunting, Titanic, Boogie Nights, The Ice Storm, The Full Monty, L.A. Confidential, Lost Highway, Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, Austin Powers, The Fifth Element, Con Air, Mrs. Brown, Fast Cheap & Out of Control, Eve's Bayou, Starship Troopers, The Wings of the Dove, The Apostle, As Good As It Gets, and my personal favorite, Jackie Brown. Honestly you could do a whole channel just covering this year...

It's a really subtle but really nice detail that they included him holding onto a grudge since kindergarten. People who have eidetic or near eidetic memories actually experience this as a real social issue. A vastly underappreciated aspect to moving on from an issue is forgetting about it, so the fact that these people literally can't forget about it, and are reminded of it consistently, causes real issues, including aggressive behaviour on occasion

Shan your reviews are definitely my favorite on RU-vid - you always bring a lot of knowledge and thoughtfulness to your commentary and you also have great taste! For movies like this one that I can’t find for free online I like to come back and watch along multiple times with you hahaha

Great, now I have to go watch this for the 30th time and let my emotions soar. I'm so glad you loved the film as well and your reactions after only 1 watch of the movie were absolutely on point. I really look forward to all your reactions in the future because I think we share very similar appreciations of good film making. Thank you for a great reaction and really well considered responses.

Years ago, I had a friend that ran a video rental store. I used to go to his store to have long film discussions with him. When this film came out, he asked me what I thought of it. I told him I'd describe it as a chick flick for guys. He got very huffy about that, but the next week he told me he'd thought about it and agreed with me. :D

Yeah, youre gonna really like this one. Great everything.

Great to see an intellectual dissection of a film, hitting performance/score/cinematography and story aspects. Well done!

Many people have suggested other great Robin Williams films. I’d add “Dead Poets Society” and “August Rush”.

Now you have to watch jay and silent bob strike back! It’s the sequel to good will hunting!

Please do Rain Man asap, never seen anyone react to it yet

Elfman did a great job with the score, but the late Elliot Smith wrote the songs, and they are beautiful! Great Channel!

I LOVE your channel!! great, honest, and pure reactions!! Keep it up!

It's hard to know if Robin is better suited to comedy or drama. He could do either or both in one. You should react to some more of his.

7:28. I’m still not convinced that Robin Williams was acting, I think that was real, personal, pain on his face.

Thanks for reviewing - I forgot how much I loved this film.

This film, and Dead Poets Society, are probably the top two Robin Williams performances, ever.

I would highly recommend watching the channel Lessons From the Screenplay’s video on good will hunting. Does a great breakdown of the lethargic nature of the “it’s not your fault” scene. Also glad to see someone love this film as much as I do! Forrest Gump is another film that gives me the same feels if you haven’t already reacted to it about to search now! Keep it up man

They were writing about things they were familiar with, and the process included advice from Rob Reiner and Kevin Smith. Even all that doesn't explain how good this film is though. It's a goddamn masterpiece.

1:53 - yes, it is. In last years show his skilles in brilliant Chernobyl. Propably one of his best performences ever.

12:59, a monolog is as memorable as in the movie Network and an almost lost film, Weeds starring Nick Nolte, Ernie Hudson, (Ghostbusters 1, 2), William Forsythe, Mark Rolston (Shawshank Redemption). It's on RU-vid, Weeds 1987. Only thing but no biggee, the beginning credits are missing. Nick Nolte's monolog is near the end.

I choose to believe the title is also referencing Hunting for Good Will. Good will towards Will, which no one was willing to give to Will due to his defense mechanism of pushing people away, not until Robin Williams’ character game along.

the moment robin showed up in the video i started crying.. i miss him so damn much!! haven't seen this fantastic movie in a long time. i remember the hype around it back then, esp. after the oscars (i really wonder how you could not know that matt and ben wrote the movie, that was all they were known for back in the day! 😅 jaja i know, i'm old, i see myself out -lol-) i actually hate it when movies get hyped so much , but after a while when it then came on german tv, i watched it and loved it! (and i remember having the same realization as you about the movie title 😁)

Have you ever considered doing any Wes Anderson movies? I love the way he does his movies, including how he integrates the music. The 3 of his works I would like to see you react to are Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums and Grand Budapest Hotel. Also, the Coen Brothers file Hudsucker Proxy has a cadence similar to Grand Budapest.

there is a cool story about Kevin Smith's involvement in the film, you should check it out.

Awesome reaction Shan!

Wicked pissah movie (former bostonian here😊)

You should react to a movie called 48 Hours 1982 starring Eddie Murphy & Nick Nolte. It was Eddie Murphy’s first movie and it made him into a Instant movie star though he was already a big star on SNL but this movie made him bigger

I am sure that someone has already told you but the scene at 9:33 was all improvised by Robin Williams. Made that funny fart story up on the spot and tied it in to his character

Great Review...You really are great to watch. Thank you!!

Thanks for this vid. One of my fave movies ever because... Yeah, identification with the main character is easy, sadly for me. Helped me a lot dealing with stuff and I'll always be grateful to those 2 guys for creating this gem. Cathartic.

I've read a lot of the comments and I haven't seen anyone mention a very significant bit of detail of the evolution of this movie. What Matt Damon and Ben Affleck originally wrote and presented was a slasher horror type film like Friday the 13th. Somewhere somehow it came to the attention of Rob Reiner, who after reading it saw its potential as a psychological drama playing up up the relationship between will and the psychiatrist Sean. I can't imagine any horror flick having a fraction of the impact of this movie in its final form.