The fear of never being understood by someone is what isolates us from ever trying to be understood. In the film, Good Will Hunting the main character Will has this tough persona and wants people to think that there is nothing emotionally wrong with him. Like every young adult Will just wants to live life hanging out with his friends and act reckless. During the day Will works as a janitor at MIT in Boston, where he solves a mathematical problem which according to Professor Lambeau a genius mathematician that problem couldn't be solved for two years. After Will goes to court and gets arrested for several assaults Professor Lambeau reaches out to him and bails him out under two conditions: to meet up with him every Saturday to solve math problems and attend therapy as the court recommended. In which, Will accepts later meeting Sean Maguire his soon to be psychologist and eventually friend overcoming everything that they both had to get over which was fear of abandonment. Moreover, Sean wasn’t Will’s first option. Will saw several other psychologist who refuse to see him again, because of his attitude. However, when he starts going to therapy sessions with Sean everything changes. Even after meeting psychologist after psychologist Will still didn’t want to open up. In fact, his first therapy session with Sean was like his other therapy sessions with a carefree and immature attitude. In his first therapy session Sean says, “Do you like books?” Will responds, “Yeah” Sean
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.
His presenting self was the safeguard to his private self. Will was very much aware of his gift and his enormous potential but shunned it like some burden, or at least that's what he wanted others to believe. He often told Sean Maguire, his shrink with whom he had developed a bond, that his gift was something he didn't ask for, and he'd be perfectly fine working an honorable blue-collar job with his buddies. Despite his assertion regarding his gift as an aggravation Will's actions contradict, for he is asked why he just so happened to get a custodial job in the world's foremost institute for technology, M.I.T if he wanted nothing to do with his genius. Maguire sees behind Will's visage, he realizes Will is a wounded soul who really knows nothing about life for he hasn't experienced it, it is so much more that what he read in a book. It is hard to say what Will should have done for he had a difficult past one that most cannot relate too, or have any idea what it may be like to live it. However, If Will had been a little more open to the people who wanted to love him he would have been much happier. In his quest to never be hurt he was headed for a life where he would never be loved. His thoughts were becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy; where one's expectations of an event make that event more likely to occur (Adler, 65). Had Will been honest with himself and more willing
For example, when confronting an old foster home “Friend”, by the name of Carmine, Will unleashed an onslaught of punches, which lead to Will Knocking out Carmine then being arrested for assault by the local cops. When Will saw his old friend, memories of the abuse that his foster family gave him sprang onto Will’s head and triggered his mind to give some payback for everything that he experienced as an abused kid in the foster home. Not only that but his mood drastically changed from the moments prior to seeing Carmine. Before seeing Carmine, Will was planning to have a good time with his friends at a baseball game, But that changed as he saw Carmine at the game as well. Once he saw Carmine, Will was determined to beat Carmine up, as carmine did to him when he was a kid. Clearly in the movie, Will is a mathematical genius, as he was able to solve the problem that Professor Lambeau wrote on the chalkboard outside his room. However when Lambeau confronted Will, after he found out who solved the problem, Will ran away from the professor instead of being congratulated for his success in solving the problem. A valid reason why Will did not accept the praise from the professor was because he had a negative self-image of himself. To understand what a negative self-image is, it is important to know what the term self-image means. Karl Perera, from the website, More-selfesteem.com defines the term self-image as, “ how you see yourself. This may be how you see yourself physically or your opinion of who and what you are which is normally called self concept. It is important as it
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.
As you can imagine, Will was always finding himself in trouble with the law while growing up. In the movie, a judge reads off charges, some of which included, grand theft auto, assault, and others. At one point, the judge addresses Will in the court room and delves into his past and about the abuse he suffered. You can see Will’s cocky smirk fade to almost a fearful teary eyed expression as the judge talks about the abusive foster fathers Will lived with in the past. You can tell, that Will still had many unresolved feelings about his past and it struck a deep emotional wound when brought up (Sant, G. V.).
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.
The movie Good Will Hunting shows a dramatic relationship between a teacher and student and also relationship's between fellow teachers. The film helps you grow with the characters in order to anticipate and acknowledge the ways in which they interact with one another. It also incorporated the way that egos develop and arise due to relationships and how they can interact with the daily lives of people.
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.
Abstract: The movie “Good Will Hunting” (1997) by Gus Van Sant depicted an intelligent man, Will Hunting, with issues fitting in society and maintaining relationship connections and the therapists who successfully changed Will’s outlook at the world . However, it wasn’t without certain technical flaws and possible crossing of certain code of ethics. This paper raises the issue of the potential erroneous counseling depiction in movies and certain ethical principles that may have been violated in such depiction, discusses connection problems of the main character, Will Hunting, and possible reasons why one particular therapist was able to assist him with his problems whereas other counselors have failed, as well as a reflection based on the author’s own opinion.
Good Will Hunting is a movie about a boy that is extremely book smart, his name is Will. He grew up in not the best environment and was a janitor for the college MIT. Will does nothing with his smartness until he is caught solving a problem. After being thrown in jail he is forced to see a therapist and work on math problems with the professor. The movie shows the walls and psychological problems Will has built up and the process that he goes through to knock them all down.
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.
Good Will Hunting is a movie about a troubled young man abandoned by his parents only to be severely abused by the foster parents entrusted to care for him. Due to his tormented childhood he finds himself a young man unable to trust most people besides a few close friends. His prospects for a future out of dead end jobs, in his poverty stricken neighborhood, seem slim. Despite being a natural gifted mathematical genius, Will finds himself frequently involved with the law. It is while working at a janitorial position at MIT that a Field’s Medal winning professor discovers Will’s mathematical talent. When Will finds himself again in court, it is here where the professor bails him out. Upon release from jail and with the stipulation of receiving counseling, and holding himself accountable to the professor, Will
Differing opinions exist regarding the purpose and usefulness of a college education. While attending college appears to be a legitimate course of action to advance one’s educational and professional aspirations for some, it may seem senseless when considering the rise of college tuitions coupled with the fact that a college degree does not necessarily guarantee a job. Either way, defining the value and worth of a college education remains subjective. However, in the film, Good Will Hunting, the importance or perceived importance of a college education seems to be rejected at large, namely by the main character, Will Hunting, and his psychologist. Specifically, two main perspectives are shown regarding the frame of mind one should possess regarding education, one that values academic achievement and jobs, and the other that rejects those ideals and focuses primarily on self-discovery to figure out what is wanted in life. Consequently, both perspectives result in different behaviors among the characters in the film. Although Good Wil Hunting accurately highlights some of the major downfalls of a college education, it unfairly criticizes the emphasis college cultures places on achievement and future success. Because of this, the film takes devalues a college education and subtly frames it as a waste of resources through overtly ridiculing it.
Set in South Boston, Good Will Hunting is about Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a young man who immerses himself in books, drinking and friends to escape his anger and frustration stemming largely from his past experiences with abusive foster families. Will and his best friend, Chuckie Sullivan (Ben Affleck), hang out together with their small group of friends in impoverished areas of Boston, drinking and occasionally fighting down in Southie. Will works menial jobs, hiding his incredible genius (such as a talent for memorizing facts and an intuitive ability to solve complex math equations).
Good Will Hunting is a film which conveys many interlocking themes and messages to its viewers. One of these nicely woven themes is placing trust in the people we care about as well as people we have only recently become acquainted with. Another message, arguably more significant than the last is finding and pursuing the potential one has and bringing meaning into our lives in any form we choose. I believe the potential and success this film demonstrates is that success, growth, and meaning in a person’s life does not always have to come in the form of advancing in a career or social status but rather in the form of overcoming hardships and developing close reciprocating relationships.