In the entertainment industry, you’ll always have those movies that’ll entertain you, from classics like Back to the Future or Star Wars, to the Steven Spielberg masterpieces like Catch Me If You Can. However, at times it may be hard to find a movie that truly resonates with us, at least I thought so until I watched Good Will Hunting. It’s been hard to find friends of mine who have also seen this film; it’s not trending on social media, nobody quotes it, and it came out nearly a decade before any of us were even born. Despite that, I believe it’s a movie that could resonate with most kids our age today, not because we’re all genius prodigies, but because the story is much more than a genius kid from Boston. It’s a story of a scared kid — a kid scared of failing, changing, and doing what brings him fulfillment. Something I believe we could all work on.
Good Will Hunting tells the story of a kid whose fears consist of taking that chance and stepping into a better life — a kid who’s scared of failure and change, so much that it even causes him to be held back. That fear is what I believe most kids our age experience when it comes to leaving high school, filling out college apps, or coming of age. It reminds us we’re all getting older, it comes with that weight — this quiet but persistent thought, “What if I’m not ready?” or “What if I screw it all up.” Will Hunting, despite being a genius, avoids reaching his full potential not because he wants to avoid going to school or work but because of his deep-seated fears as he tends to believe that he’s not good enough or that he doesn’t deserve anything.
Alongside Will, we have Sean Maguire, a psychiatrist who is one of the only people who truly sees Will for who he is, one of the characters who becomes a defining factor that gets Will to overcome his fears by the end of the film, someone who pushes him to take that chance, a person who we all need in our lives.
By the end of the movie, Will chooses to leave Boston, leave the place he finds familiar, and take a chance on something that scares him but could be everything that he’s ever wanted. Will’s note to Sean at the end of the film, stating “I had to see about a girl,” demonstrates Will’s character development — instead of being afraid of change, he runs towards it, showcasing his pursuit of fulfillment, no matter the risks. This is something we could all take note of. Decades after the film’s release, Will teaches us that part of life is facing our fears, taking that chance, choosing the life we actually want, and not being afraid of failure or change.