The movie Good Will Hunting an American Drama Film was directed by Gus Van Sant, and starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver and Stellan Skarsgard in 1997. This movie is about a man named Good Will Hunting who was a genius but chose not to live as a genius because of fear of past experiences and the ill treatment he received when he was in foster home. Some of the other characters in the movie were supportive and some were not supportive of him. This essay discusses Good Will’s personality traits and his interaction with the other characters in the movie. Good Will Hunting possessed the following personality traits, namely: independence, intense interest in a problem, and the need for stimulation. Good Will Hunting was independent because he chose to live his own way and not conforming himself to society’s pressure. Good Will Hunting proved his independence by self-imposed limitation, meaning limiting his ability to enjoy complete freedom. Throughout the movie, he rejected his natural talents or gifts and initially chose to stay in South Boston with his friends. Like in the case with his girlfriend, Good Will Hunting refused to get close to people with the fear of being rejected at the end. Moreover, he refused to get higher paying jobs as was in the case of Sean Maguire, the psychology professor, who later became his counselor. It was during these counselling sessions with Good Will Hunting that we learned, Sean Maguire, was also talented in advanced mathematics, but rejected the opportunity to teach at Harvard and chose to teach at a local community college instead. Similarly, Good Will Hunting chose to remain a janitor or a construction worker where he was more comfortable. Not just did he poses the trait of independency, he also had the character of intensity of interest in a problem. As per his intensity of interest in a problem, Good Will Hunting would obsess about a problem that was presented to him until he had discovered a solution. Some examples of this in the movie were the initial math problems on the chalkboard where he could not stop working on them until he had a solution. Another is when he completed the complex homework problem for his girlfriend Skylar
Good Will Hunting is a story about Will Hunting who works as a janitor at MIT cleaning classrooms. Will is an orphan who grew up in various foster homes and was physically abused as a child. Will is also an extraordinary mathematical genius with a photographic memory, who enjoys solving math problems. Will blames himself for his unhappy upbringing and turns this self-loathing into a form of self-sabotage in both his professional and emotional lives. Because Will blames himself he is unable to maintain a steady job or a steady relationship. Will must learn to overcome his fear of abandonment in order to learn how to trust and love people who
While working a part time job at a janitor at MIT, Will solves an advanced math algorithm on a chalk board and is confronted by the professor in which Will smarts off and walks away. Here is a prime example of how he is almost ashamed of his talent, and wishes to cover that up by putting on this tuff guy persona. What you might not think, is that Will only has a high school diploma, never attempted college, going directly into the workforce as soon as he graduated. Even though he had the intelligence to go to any place, he has low self of steam, and doesn't think highly of himself (Sant, G. V.).
Will Hunting is very smart. He was described as genius as evidenced by his ability to solve very difficult mathematical problem that even the students and professor Lambeau at MIT could not solve. As a result, the professor recommended him for a job that would provide him challenge. The professor described Will as having a gift of good memory. Professor Lambeau even asked Will whether he had photographic memory. Will could solve difficult math and science problems in under an hour. Will was able to analyze a painting that his therapist had done and he concluded that it meant that his therapist was suppressing his feelings about the death of his wife. He is very loyal to his friends. Will also has good survival instinct.
For this assignment I have chosen to focus on the film Good Will Hunting primarily because I have seen the movie prior to this course and I feel it is one of the best films I have gotten a chance to see. Will Hunting's profound genius was as much a burden as it was a gift. Initially seeing the film I enjoyed it but viewing the film in the scope of all that I have learned in this course made the viewing experience much more meaningful, as I now had a deeper understanding of Will's internal conficts, and how they directly effected his relationships, beliefs, and actions. The film is an excellent example of the issues involving interpersonal communication and how they play a part in either making or breaking our
In the 1997 indie drama film Good Will Hunting, the protagonist, Will Hunting, is a young man of genius intelligence that chooses to work as a janitor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A victim of child abuse, Will takes his past and uses it in a form of self-sabotage. He works labor jobs, deters himself from women and any form of love, and spends time with his low-life friends. One night at a bar, a Harvard student named Clark brags of his comprehension of the market economy evolution to Will’s best friend, Chuckie, and attempts to make him appear ignorant for not knowing of such. In Chuckie’s regard, Will steps into the conversation. Through a strong sense of pathos, he makes Clark feel guilty and small for how he treated his
Social- Cognitive theory believes that humans are individuals who are capable of proactively making things happen to assist in their own development (Parajes, 2002). In Good Will Hunting, Will Hunting did not believe that he was able to make a positive change in his life. Will is a prodigy, particularly in mathematics, who did not recognize his gift. He was born and raised in the slums, where he is now comfortable. He was abandoned by his parents and in and out of numerous foster homes. He experienced abuse and neglect in these homes. He was not only physically abused but also mentally and psychologically.
Good Will Hunting is the graceful tale of a young gentleman’s struggle to find out where he belongs in the world, by first finding out who he himself is. In this film, Matt Damon takes on the role of a disturbed genius that has a keen understanding of the deepness of human character. The film is a voyage through the mind of Will Hunting as he is required to undergo psychotherapy as an alternative to serving jail time. With the assistance of a psychologist, played by Robin Williams, Will learns about himself and recognizes his individual worth in the world by comprehending what is most important to him in his own life. This motion picture serves as a source of superb example for film technique. Gus Van Sant’s directing ability joined with
The sociological perspective examines the hidden reasons for one’s actions and identities that people have. It stressed how they are influenced by their society and most of all their social location. Social location predetermines all aspects of one’s life and there are rules that come with social location, and with rules come social control mechanisms and social stratification that keep people in line. With social location also come institutions that provide roles which form one’s identity. In the movie, “Good Will Hunting,” the main character Will Hunting is a young deviant what grows up in a rough neighbourhood and has the intellect of a genius. Role theory and other concepts from the sociological
In the film, Good Will Hunting, the main character, Will Hunting, is a gifted mathematician who struggles to find a productive and fruitful life. Throughout the film, Will displays outstanding and one-of-a-kind abilities in the field of mathematics. However, his emotional and social intelligence falls far behind his intellectual intelligence. With a rap sheet stocked full with assault and aggression, Will must navigate himself through life by learning to trust, love, and learn.
Many individuals argue that Good Will Hunting is one of the most sociologically diverse movies out there. The amount of references that can be drawn back to concepts studied in sociology is incredible. Good Will hunting is about a 20-year-old, rambunctious male, Will, that tends to stick himself in positions that are not suitable for him. Wills tendency to get himself into trouble attributes to him ending up living on the south side of Boston as a janitor at MIT. His life suddenly takes a positive turn when will reveals his gift for others to see. A math professor posts a mathematical equation on a board outside of his room that had previously been unsolvable by a student in his class. That following day while will was cleaning the hallway
In the movie, Good Will Hunting there is a character named Will, he is a janitor at MIT. Will has a difficult time blending in to the world he lives in. Will was caught solving math problems that a math professor’s students cannot even solve. This captures the professor’s attention. This professors name is Professor Lambeau.
The movie Good Will Hunting exploits many points of psychology in the character Will Hunting, a janitor at MIT who has a knack for math. Some of the points of psychology include how a character develops after a lot of child abuse during his childhood. It exploits the idea that a child who becomes secluded may never allow an attachment, or when an attachment finally starts to occur, pushes them away. It also exploits the idea that Will Hunting has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Because of the post-traumatic stress disorder it seems that Will is unable to function normally in society, and because of this, carefully plans out his future as to not have to worry about encountering many people.
A psychiatric disorder is, as Kristalyn Salters Pedneault defines it, a mental illness diagnosed by a mental health professional that 1.) greatly disturbs your thinking, moods and/or behaviors and 2.) seriously increase your risk of disability, pain, death, or loss of freedom. Will Hunting, in the movie Good Will hunting, suffers from four different psychiatric disorders, such as PTSD( Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), borderline personality disorder, mood disorder, and inferiority complex. What caused the development of all these disorder was the constant abuse that Will’s foster family gave to Will throughout his childhood. Growing up Will felt that he was responsible for the abuse that his foster family gave him, however, when he meets with
Good Will Hunting is a good example of how someone with psychological disorders can overcome their issues through therapy. This is a classic film that was released in 1997. It was directed by Gus Van Sant, and written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. The key actors of this movie include Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver and Stellan Skarsgård, with Damon being the main character, Will. In the movie Good Will Hunting, director Gus Van Sant shows that Will suffers from psychological disorders through the use of the characters of Will and Sean, as well as the film’s color selections, and angles and shots.
This paper will discuss the relationship between Will Hunting and the psychologist Sean Mcguire in the movie Good Will Hunting. The struggles that occur between these main characters will be analyzed and their meanings found. A basic outline of the movie will be included to give the larger picture and its influence upon the two men.