Good Will Hunting (1997)
from Reel Deep Dive Hosted by Ryan Valentine
Film distributor Miramax spent the 80's and 90's cannily marketing its products with great success to critics, audiences, and film award committees. One of the biggest beneficiaries of Miramax gamesmanship was Good Will Hunting, a coming-of-age drama surrounding a troubled Bostonian math prodigy. Good Will Hunting only had one famous actor in its cast and its story could not be easily boiled down into an elevator pitch, but it ultimately became a big hit that won breathless accolades, collected numerous award statues, and launched the careers of Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Minnie Driver. Ryan is joined by Sylvan and Sarah for an in depth dialogue about this quiet, memorable movie. Discussion topics include Good Will Hunting's approach to class tension, its relationship to child abuse as a narrative device, and how its simplified lessons about emotional vulnerability reveal how we can shape masculine-coded values such as honor, strength, and stoicism. And yeah, this is one of those recordings where we inevitably have to talk about Harvey Weinstein.
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