Good Will Hunting (1997)
96%RT Audience Score: 94%
Awards & Nominations: Won 2 Oscars
24 wins & 61 nominations total
It follows a predictable narrative arc, but Good Will Hunting adds enough quirks to the journey — and is loaded with enough powerful performances — that it remains an entertaining, emotionally rich drama.
Good Will Hunting may not be the most unpredictable movie out there, but it’s got enough quirks to keep you on your toes. Plus, the performances are so good, you’ll forget you’re watching a movie and start feeling like you’re part of the story. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that’s worth the ride.
Production Company(ies)
Miramax, Be Gentlemen Limited Partnership, Lawrence Bender Productions,
Distributor
Miramax Films
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Central Tech. High School, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong language, including some sex-related dialogue
Year of Release
1998
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 6m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 9, 1998 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 8, 1998
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring matt damon, robin williams, ben affleck, minnie driver, stellan skarsgard, casey affleck, directed by gus van sant, written by matt damon, ben affleck, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by bill boisvert, roxana hadadi, mike clark, jason bailey, duane byrge, quentin curtis, mark jackson, robin holabird, jim rohner, fico cangiano, mike massie, leigh paatsch, genius, psychology, therapy, professor, janitor, math, MIT, Boston, Southie, love, friendship, family, redemption, emotional, inspiring, heartwarming, poignant, powerful, authentic, human, humor, drama, R-rated, Miramax Films, Lawrence Bender, Surround, Dolby Digital, 35mm
Worldwide gross: $225,933,435
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $414,619,711
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 371
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 45,214,799
US/Canada gross: $138,433,435
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $254,044,873
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 245
US/Canada opening weekend: $272,912
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $500,832
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,405
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $10,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $18,351,410
Production budget ranking: 1,410
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $9,882,234
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $386,386,067
ROI to date (est.): 1,369%
ROI ranking: 81
Robin Williams – Sean Maguire
Ben Affleck – Chuckie Sullivan
Minnie Driver – Skylar
Stellan Skarsgård – Gerald Lambeau
Casey Affleck – Morgan O’Mally
Director(s)
Gus Van Sant
Writer(s)
Matt Damon, Ben Affleck
Producer(s)
Lawrence Bender
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 2 Oscars
24 wins & 61 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Writing Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (83) | Top Critics (26) | Fresh (80) | Rotten (3)
The problem becomes more glaring when movies portray geniuses, characters who not only think constantly but think thoughts that are incomprehensible to the rest of us.
June 16, 2022
Bill Boisvert
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Good Will Hunting is lyrically directed, efficiently written, side-splittingly funny, quietly devastating.
June 5, 2020
Roxana Hadadi
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
The headline story from this slice of honestly earned sentiment is Matt Damon, who delivers the year’s No. 1 breakthrough performance directly atop his agreeable high-profile turn in John Grisham’s The Rainmaker.
January 9, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mike Clark
USA Today
TOP CRITIC
It’s a movie that captures (in a way that perhaps an older screenwriter could not convey) the limitless possibilities of youth, a movie in which a character can tell another, without cynicism, “You could do anything you want. You are bound by nothing.”
December 15, 2017
Jason Bailey
Vice
TOP CRITIC
The best thing about Good Will Hunting is not in its well-crafted, psychological symmetries but in the just-plain messiness of its humanity. It’s rowdy, it’s funny, it’s heartbreaking — it rings of life.
December 5, 2016
Duane Byrge
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
A crowd-pleaser, with bags of charm to spare.
August 15, 2014
Quentin Curtis
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
It’s writer-stars Matt Damon & Ben Affleck’s childhood friendship-chemistry and the hilarious bickering between the real-life Affleck brothers that generates the magic in “Good Will Hunting.” Not to mention a magical performance by Robin Williams.
August 19, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
Mark Jackson
Epoch Times
While Damon and Affleck clearly feel at home with each other in familiar surroundings during Good Will Hunting, their story relies on heart more than location since caring and friendship taking precedence.
August 10, 2021
Robin Holabird
Robin Holabird
Good Will Hunting still holds up as a great film.
April 14, 2021
Jim Rohner
Battleship Pretension
What Matt Damon and Ben Affleck accomplish with such a profound, witty, inspirational and heartbreaking script is quite extraordinary. And then, Mr. Robin Williams takes it to another level. [Full review in Spanish]
November 17, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Fico Cangiano
CineXpress Podcast
The acting is outstanding; Williams and Damon perfectly embody their roles, creating a believable, poignant, powerful partnership full of uplifting, feel-good triumphs.
September 14, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
On the surface there doesn’t seem to be too much going on, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find remarkably telling insights into the mind games that go with being a genius.
September 11, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)…
Plot
A touching tale of a wayward young man who struggles to find his identity, living in a world where he can solve any problem, except the one brewing deep within himself, until one day he meets his soul mate who opens his mind and his heart.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Good Will Hunting on Fresh Kernels.
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