“... You’re always afraid to take that first step, because all you see is every negative thing ten miles down the road.” Am skewered by that line. Wonder how many others are, too.
I just noticed how Sean claims Chucky is not someone who challenges Will, yet at the end of the movie it is Chucky's brutal honesty that convinces Will to pursue true happiness.
Ya that is a very good point that you bring up. But Sean didn't know Chucky so he didn't know who he was as a person deep down inside. And I have to say, it took a lot of guts for Chucky to tell Will that he himself would never really amount to anything but that if Will applied himself, he (Will) could do great things. And I like the ending in how Will not only is convinced to pursue true happiness, but also the fact that in pursuing true happiness by means of reuniting with Skylar, he also comes to terms with the fact that the only person who was really holding him back was himself.
Blake Bradford What he means by "challenge" is for someone to see past his bullshit and force him to open up. Not because he has to (ie. therapy), but because he genuinely wants to. Chucky has accepted Will for who he is his whole life. He's always had his back, no matter the situation. Will knows that he will still be his best friend, no matter what. Thus, Chucky is safe. Skylar, on the other hand, forces Will to confront his feelings and insecurities. He's scared to admit he loves her, because it would require him to be dependent on her returning his love. He's terrified of being rejected by someone he loves. But deep down inside, he knows he loves her. That's why he tries to walk away. To escape before he has the chance to be hurt. Yes, Chucky stood up to him, but he did so knowing Will wouldn't run away. Because Chucky is the one constant who has always been there. There's no risk like there is with Skylar.
2:34 The minute Sean gets tired of Will’s sarcasm and games and decides to throw him out, Will’s repressed fear of being abandoned kicks in and he starts to fight back. His defense mechanism of insulting people and trying to seem powerful and smart activates, but Sean already sees Will’s central problem of being afraid and in denial. Sean completely undermines that defense mechanism with just one simple question. This is what a good therapist or good friend is able to do. They don’t take anything that you’re saying in anger seriously or personally. They just call you out on your bullshit. They pay attention and read between the lines of what your saying to get to the deeper truth and push that up to the surface. They don’t get angry or offended, they just get very blunt to help you realize your real problem so you can grow.
Yes exactly, first time Will gets rude about Sean's wife, Sean gets mad. This time he brushes it off cause he knows that Will is just using it as a defense mechanism and focuses on the issue.
@saganist Hard work can only get people so far. In theory, yes, anyone can be anything they want... so long as they're not handicapped in some way. The REAL reality of life is that there's always someone better than you, either in one thing or many, and if you and this person get to chasing after the same thing, guess who wins? Sometimes it's not even about what you know, it's who you know. Personally, I've grown to hate that saying. "You can be anything you want". I used to believe that until my own experiences taught me that I'm naturally just a slow learner, and I have absolute shit memory retention which makes learning that much harder. You can push yourself as hard as you want in a direction but you always have to accept that no matter how hard you push, EVERYONE has their limits. I mean this movie paints that loud and clear. All these other guys around Will just don't have that "it" factor, which is why they've accepted where they are. Meanwhile, people who're like Will, who have that something, and just do absolutely nothing with that natural talent... it really is a waste. I know parents like to think "you can do better" to their kids all the time, but it's completely naive to state something like that as if it was a fact when they themselves don't know what their kids are fully capable of, and it can set them up for extreme depression when life gives them a reality check.
@The Fandom Menace Also the scariest idea for someone mentally challenged to confront; realize that, if only he'd been dealt a better hand in the genetic lottery, he too might be a genius, held back by nothing.
I always liked how this movie didn't end with him finding what he wants to do - it ends with him finally being able to set out to discover that, the first step being getting the partner back who can go on that journey with him.
Let me get this straight: You comment something that is unrelated to the fact that I have two HEAVENLY HANDSOME girlfriends? Considering that I am the unprettiest RU-vidr ever, having two handsome girlfriends is really incredible. Yet you did not mention that at all. I am quite disappointed, dear s
Great point. It would have been a much worse ending if it had ended with him as a renowned professor or something. The jolt of energy at the end of the movie is that Will has busted out of his comfort zone in Southie and is setting out to begin his journey. It's a really well constructed screenplay from two writers who were so young.
The Bible is truth. Jesus Christ is Lord. Please read at least three books, Genesis Mathew and one you chose yourself. As you do practice forgiveness. Doing that heals a part of your soul. It is important
The beautiful thing about this scene is that, at least in the short term, Shawn becomes his soul mate. He becomes the person who challenges him. Will surrounded himself with people who couldn't challenge him because he was too afraid to allow anyone to access that part of himself but Shawn did. He showed Will that even though you're nearly always the smartest person in the room there are things intelligence can't teach you and that sometimes intelligence becomes a substitute for fear. That's why Shawn was able to get inside eventually. Because even though Will had a hard life and he was afraid to really trust anyone his intelligence wouldn't let him be ignorant to the fact that Shawn was right. Will couldn't combat Shawn with raw intelligence or stuff he learned in books. And he wasn't used to that. IN the end he had no option but to let Shawn in because he couldn't get rid of him. Shawn never "abandoned" him no matter how much Will tried to make him.
You have to love how only a half hour prior in the film, Will would have jumped at the chance to bail. Here he initially refuses to leave. I love how much these characters grow
He went from his fear keeping him from pursuing something, to being afraid of losing the chance to actually achieve something. That look on his face? I know it because I've had it. I don't often push for something but when I do, I might screw something up and get that feeling I might lose it. It's a cold weight, and Will was feeling it right then.
His face after "look at me: what do you wanna do?" makes the entire scene. He's terrified. For all his talents, charisma, and bluster, he's still very much a scared, lost little kid on the inside.
Aren't we all.We have a ba answer for everything but a simple question like that just scares the shit out of us because we don't know what we want to do.
of course he is, he's intelligent but he does nothing with it and he's an utter coward.. he spends his pathetic little life belittling other people - he's not gonna get far. If I was the therapist I'd just let him go... your own life's too short to waste it on idiots like him
“What do you wanna do?” This can apply to everyone no matter how young or how old you are. There’s a lot of people working their 9-5 making an honest living and providing for their families yet still not sure what they want to do that brings them happiness, fulfillment, or a sense of accomplishment. Like Will implied, nothing wrong with working a 9-5 but many of us just do it because we need to and we end up doing something that is not quite what we’re passionate about. But then again, it’s just a job.
For most of us, our passion could be a hobby or playing a sport or doing something that we'll never be paid for. Something that we're willing to do without making money. Nowadays, people try to get multiple income sources rather than just one main source of income or job. RU-vid for example, has many people making videos and they're making money. Either cooking, teaching, singing, storytelling, entertaining etc. The internet has actually given people the chance to fulfill or discover what they want to do.
I agree but it’s never that easy. Many jobs aren’t what you know but who you know. Nepotism is in every sector out there too. There are huge learning curves that tend to hold people back. If you don’t understand something, where do you go for resources? The online industry has certainly thrived but there are many small jobs that have been eliminated due to conglomerate business.
I've never seen such a realistic portrayal of a psychologist in film. This is exactly what you have to do as a counselor. If they don't help you help them, then there's truly nothing you can do.
The best part about this is the look on Will's face when he realizes he's just been outsmarted. That's there's za whole other side of intelligence that involves empathy and self-awareness and subjective thought and that Shawn totally overmatches him.
@@dr.aisaitl7439 He wasn't right, he tried to change the subject from Sean's original question. Sean knew what he was doing and ignored the bait and just asked him again "what do you wanna do" he realised at this momentum he lost and was caught dodging the subject via personal insults that Sean didn't fall for.
@@markymark7803 Right but Sean's character arc was to also move on from his past and move forward with his life hence implying that he was going to ante up again, but Will still said that for the wrong reasons because he was angry and got outsmarted
@@dr.aisaitl7439 Will was in session that was about him not Sean. These sessions are about helping Will not Sean. I think Sean's character arc is about him saving a young man from going down the wrong path and life of petty crime and discovering himself, not about his wife that past away.
@@markharper4708 what? No. Matt Damon wrote this for his senior project at Harvard. Obviously it was much much different from the final product, but it was all him. This was actually supposed to be a thriller about a Boston boy with super intelligence in which the gov was trying to recruit him by any means possible and him running away from that. One of the producers who looked at it suggested it focus more on the relationship between will and his therapist. Ben aflack went through the play with him and basically rewrote most of it. The only thing that was verbatim was the intro scene with Sean
I am 25, first watched this movie in 2022 and it has ever since been a motivation to me, I still go back and watch scenes from this movie because it makes me feel like it will always be Okay whenever things are not going my way, I Love this movie .! ❤
My therapist who id been seeing for a while did something similar. I was WAY overdue to see one fyi. We had been going for a few months and he asked me something and I spitefully replied with “idk, you tell me. I’m paying you after all right.” My guy responded with “That’s not how this works. I give you tools for your belt that you can hone and utilize. If I told you the answer, what would happen the next time that problem or something you don’t know arises? You gonna run back to therapy?” My therapist was a real one for that.
this kinda reminds me of my step dad, how he probably was too at that age. how he's smart, stubborn, & argumentative with the people trying to help him because he's been let down a lot in life.
Every time I hear this at the beginning of Mac Miller's soulmate, I get so emotional. Robin Williams is no doubt one of the best and dynamic actors in history and will hold that place for years to come. Rest his soul, for real.
can't relate to being a polymath savant who looks like matt damon, but I can definitely relate to being stumped by that question. love the writing in this movie.
'Do you have a soulmate?...Somebody who challenges you..." Robin Williams was so utterly brilliant & nothing like Mrs. Doubtfire here. Oh, how I miss him & his unique, genuine humor. ❤😥
The ones who seem to secure the most happiness are just more stubborn than most. "You lost a bet - put your chips back on the table!" We all lose far more bets than we win, but picking yourself up and getting back in the game is maybe the most important trait of all.
"You got a bullshit answer for everybody, but I ask you a very simple question and you can't give me a straight answer." I love how Will starts insulting him the moment he opens the door because he is afraid to be abandoned again and pulls up the facade, but Sean doesn't feel offended nor angry because he knows he doesn't mean what he's saying and he simply brings down his whole fake persona with ONE question.
"No Chuckie's family, he'd lie down in fuckin traffic for you." This is such a powerful line, and delivered in such a understated way, which seems to give it even more power. Its such a given that Chuckie would literally do any for Will, without hesitation - its just a given fact, a statement that can't be questioned and doesn't need to be said forcefully. God i love this movie and Robin Williams delivered one of the best performances in the history of movies.
3:05 "Hey, at least I played a hand". When the late, great Robin Williams says that through his character of "Sean", what instantly comes to mind is anyone stepping out of his or her (or their) comfort zone to try something new and challenging, even as they consider the risks and rewards involved. Just never afraid to challenge themselves to be something different or do something different...and then look back with no regrets.
What I love about this dialogue is that both of them say the most effective thing they can at a particular moment and in the end reality is the winner.
His line about not taking the first step really hit me hard. I want to perform for people and entertain them with all of the raw emotion I have built up, but I'm terrified of success. What if, what if, what if. It's my fear of the what-ifs that prevents me from living my life.
@@akshaynatu1084 you probably kid, but it is a legitimate crutch. Ulysses S. Grant and Winston Churchill were notorious drunks but led their countries through great achievements and victories. Ernest Hemingway was one of the greatest American novelist in his time but was just as well known as being a lush. It's a dangerous and slippery slope to rely solely on it, to be addicted and consumed by the crutch, but there's a reason people refer to it as 'liquid courage.'
"I thought we were friends" - Will They have such strong bond relationship Will & Sean Sean is like a father to him when he is protecting Will and caring about his issues
The father also shows by giving Will the hard truth that if he doesn't step up and confront his fears, he will end up a worse person for it. It doesn't matter if he decides to become some great scientist or whatever. What is important is that Will is honest with himself and takes the chance to find something he enjoys. And there is no way Will would be content being a shepherd.
After watching so many of the scenes from this great movie many times I have come to realize this is the most significant scene of all. I love the bar scene. That is fantastic. The scene where will sets the paper on fire is awesome, The one where will first meets Sean is great, as are many others. But this one really defines both characters. The one thing Sean asks, I come to realize how important it is. You could be a janitor anywhere in the world. Why did you pick the most prestigious technical college in the world? Answer..because he wanted the challenge without the commitment. Bingo !
@@CC-mj3zqand @johncole8837 Yes, that is a great observation. For me, that was the kind of lifestyle I preferred. I preferred to study various subjects independent of institutions, and make little discoveries, which I did. But my interests were so diverse, including the exploration of Nature, that I did not wish to be a professor in one discipline, but would rather have been a Professor of the All. :) Like Will Hunting, I felt that most job offers were too limiting, and I was not interested in social status or prestige. My passion was to think for myself and not be affiliated with an institution. I remember when I was six years old and met a nice gas station attendant in cottage country. I later had a fantasy of being a pleasant worker like him by day, and a researcher by night. I took low-level jobs as necessary and had time for the research. I strongly identified with the janitor scene and thought it was great that Will enlightened that strait-laced professor. i loved the comparative freedom that Will had. Thanks.
I love how the entire story is building to Will committing to the relationship rather than committing to the job. The job gives him nothing. The relationship could give him absolutely everything he's ever wanted, if he's brave enough to open up to it.
This scene is so true,,; has so much substance: Like I always say: Unless you have been through it; You have no idea what it is like to go through it. You don't learn wisdom; from a textbook. I think Robin Williams was as great of as serious actor; as he was a comedic actor. I think I could have totally understood him. The funniest people; are usually the ones who have truly known pain.
That's true: I have always felt close to suffering people. My best friend suffers; I suffer. We share the best days and the worst memories, and that's beautiful. I made people laugh, but I rarely smile or laugh. It's the tragedy of helping other people: you can relieve their pain, because you felt that pain (or you still feel it). Pain is the true master of our lives.
Robin Williams IS so human in that you can only dream to have a friend like that. We miss him. I've been disapointed by Matt Damon after his death : he almost didn't say anything ! Whereas his career probably not have been the same without him in this (great) movie
RIP Robin Williams. He never seemed like the kind of actor who would drop the f bomb and Good Will Hunting is actually the only movie I heard him say it in. He definitely never said the f word in Mrs Doubtfire,Jumanji,Jack and definitely not Hook. Can't say whether or not he said it in the Birdcage because I only saw parts of that and never fully from beginning to end. I have a gut feeling Good Will Hunting was the only movie where the f word was used by Williams.
the smartest people often dont know early on what they are passionate about. these folks have so much information and knowledge in their head, and so much love for these information and knowledge that they cant just pick one over 100s of favorite topics/subjects they love. its sad how many smart people we lose because of our societal need for specialists ( pick one topic and stick to it ) if we emphasized on broad knowledge general education, we`d have a world full of geniuses
Achilles Zalman lmao. No... there'd be no time to 'specialise' in anything, and we'd never progress at any topic. We'd have a society full of mediocre, well rounded people without a single nuclear scientist, farmer, banker, doctor etc. Specialisation is essential haha. Economics 101
Twat that’s not true, such a belief is severely limiting a human beings potential by buying into what mainstream academia proclaims. Mainstream academia doesn’t want a polymath to disrupt their good ol boys network
mrbubbles69able oh yes because Stephen Hawking, Socrates, Frederick Von Hayek, Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Picasso, Di Vinci, Leibniz. Every SINGLE genius has specialised. All of them. Name a SINGLE genIus who DIDNT specialise.Dumbass, copping out because you didn't do well and you want to feel smart. Lmao Fucking unreal.
@@twat240 , Karl and Di Vinci are examples of people knowing many things in many fields, and integrating all that. Not specialized, but having broad knowledge and desire to connect it. That's what Renaissance was all about.
When I was a teen this was the movie I see over and over, Now teens see "Twilight" how things change. Robin Williams thank you, I will never forget you.
Teen girls like Twilight a lot. I don't know any guy who'd want to watch it. The Batman movies are a perfect example of what both girl and guys are into today
...not all teens watch twilight, or enjoy it. There are plenty of shitty, b-grade or crude or worthless movies I could site from the same decade Good Will Hunting was made so don't bullshit about your generation having all the good influences or movies or whatever. To every Twilight there's a Blue Jasmine, a Dallas Buyers Club or a 12 Years a Slave. To every Good Will Hunting there's a Titanic, an Austin Powers, a Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, an I Know What You Did Last Summer.
@@tangiers59Robin was absolutely brilliant. His comedy and improv work while iconic is probably what made him a superb dramatic actor, possibly the best actor who could do both comedy and drama.
Most people don't know what they want to do in their 20's or maybe in their 30's. Will could have answered, "I don't know." The great thing about this scene is that Sean is one of few people to challenge Will. Truly, he cared about him. Great movie. Awesome writing. RIP Robin Williams.
Saying "I don't know" is actually the most humbling and daresay, the smartest thing, a person can say. Wisdom comes with knowing how much you really don't know about a lot of things which is why you continue to search instead of just settling in with the idea that you already know everything. I think there's a quote that goes: "The more you know, the more you know you don't know." I could be misquoting that lol
Maybe the way he grew up, "I don't know" was not an option, got him a beating. I was actually flabbergasted when I first heard a classmate answer that in school because I believed I always HAD to attempt to answer the question even if I had no clue. So, it might be that the idea of answering "I don't know" really did not cross his mind...
@@Fidi987 He just sees it as weakness but that's because he's scared of losing face - but who is he trying to impress? His fucking therapist?! No, it's something you refuse to do when you're too busy trying to impress other people.. a sad existence and it shows you're quite pathetic.
"Na, Chucky's family. He'd like down in fkin traffic for you." Such a strong line that allows him to be completely dismissive of the response while treating the relationship with the sacredness it deserves.
Go out into the middle of the forest, & create your own personal village utopia. Have a garden for harvesting during the fall ^ use solar power for energy. That is meaning in life to me. Being self sustainable.
The part at the end where Sean genuinely gets upset from Will still playing the defensive. He has gotten close to him at this point and it hurts him to say “get out” similar to when dad and son argue. Also I think he feels genuinely hurt that Will still has barriers and easy answers at this point too, but an important point that we can’t always piss about and sometimes the serious needs to be addressed.
It become time to take off the kid gloves and show Will exactly what he was facing by not taking chances and striving for something. Every day he didn't strive, he was being dishonest with himself and destroying his soul.
RIP Robin Williams He really is spot on in this scene when describing Will...it's like he is describing me...I'm a lot like Will...not a genius but everything else is the same.
The funny thing is that therapist is a genius to Will in the matters of the heart.. and in the modern world especially, it counts for a lot more even though it seems it doesn't.
I always thought Williams was Mis-casted. ..In EVERY film he played a goofy character. Because every word that he speaks in this serious film speaks to me as though it were real. That's the tragedy. A man acting funny when in fact he was sad. Fuck the industry.
Building Homes, Fixing Cars, Buses and Trucks, Fixing Roads, Building Roads, Putting Up and Fixing Street Lights, Collecting Trash, Custodial Work-Cleaning Buildings, Trimming Trees, Plumbing Work, Electrician Work, Driving Buses and Subway Trains and Dockwork are all Honorable Jobs and Jobs that aren’t given the respect they deserve.
Someone has to do God’s handiwork, it’s quite rewarding when you see it in that sort of light. It may not seem glamorous but that’s up to the viewer to perceive.❤
Laying brick, too. Recently, it occurred to me that EVERY SINGLE F'ING BRICK BUILDING that I see was laid by the hands of a working man or woman, in REAL TIME. I don't know how I lived this long before I had this realization!
+michaelbdbb No, the scene is not about not knowing what you want to do in life(after college). It is about the fact that this boy is so intelligent he can do ANYTHING. It is extraordinarily easy for him to be the best at WHATEVER HE CHOOSES TO DO. It would make you sick to find out how little he has to try to be better than you. All he has to do is choose. Hard for almost anyone to relate to that. Got to be frustrating for Sean. College, or formal education in general for that matter, have nothing to do with this scene.
