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Movies / Upcoming / Good Will Hunting
Good Will Hunting

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Good Will Hunting (1997)

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97 %
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Reviews Counted:59

Fresh:57

Rotten:2

Average Rating:8.1/10

Consensus: Van Sant, working from Affleck and Damon's script, lends warmth and real emotion to the film's somewhat basic story.

Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins

Genre: Dramas

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: A South Boston whiz kid elects to clean the halls of learning rather than enter them, slumming his way through life as a janitor at MIT. But his natural ability to unravel complex equations... A South Boston whiz kid elects to clean the halls of learning rather than enter them, slumming his way through life as a janitor at MIT. But his natural ability to unravel complex equations attracts the attention of a professor who won't let him quit, a beautiful Harvard student who wants to save him, a sympathetic buddy who wants him to escape South Boston, and a counselor who encourages him. A soundly acclaimed, homegrown effort from lifelong Boston buddies Damon and Affleck, who pushed their script through development by disguising it as a suspense thriller. [More]

Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver

Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, Stellan Skarsgaard, Casey Affleck, Cole Hauser, John Mighton, Rachel Majowski, Colleen McCauley, Alison Folland, George Plimpton

Director: Gus Van Sant

Director: Gus Van Sant
Screenwriter: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon
Composer: Danny Elfman
Producer: Lawrence Bender

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Good Will Hunting

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Bubble View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
N/R

Luke Buckmaster

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

In Film Australia

N/R

Urban Cinefile Critics

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

Urban Cinefile

tomato
A-

Emanuel Levy

Towering performance by Matt Damon as a troubled working class who needs to address his creative genius elevates this drama way above its therapeutic approach, resulting in a zeitgeist film that may touch chord with young viewers the way The Graduate did

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 05 2008 10:58 AM

Variety

tomato
B

Gary Brown

Despite its coarse exterior, Good Will Hunting proves to be a rather positive and motivational experience.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 09 2007 10:03 AM

Houston Community Newspapers

N/R

Andrew Sarris

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 27 2007 03:15 AM

New York Observer

tomato

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Can get overly sentimental at times, but Gus Van Sant's sensitive direction... and his excellent use of the city make it a hugely entertaining and effective film.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 26 2006 03:16 AM

Combustible Celluloid

N/R

Derek Adams

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 09 2006 03:16 AM

Time Out

tomato
4/5

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 06 2005 07:49 PM

Film Threat

tomato
4/4

Phil Villarreal

The film succeeds not because of an overall arc, but as a chain of smaller moments that glimmer in their minuscule perfection.

Full Review Source: | comment 1 Comment | Oct., 07 2005 07:50 AM

Arizona Daily Star

tomato

Moriarty

For the first time in his career, Van Sant is invisible as a filmmaker, simply getting out of the way of the story and his performers. The film is richer for it.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 25 2005 08:16 PM

Ain't It Cool Movie Reviews

N/R

Robin Clifford

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 09 2005 03:47 AM

Reeling Reviews

tomato
A

Jeffrey Overstreet

... beneath their arrogance and crass behavior, you'll find a lot of hurt and many defense mechanisms raised against a compassionless, manipulative society.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 15 2005 10:38 PM

Looking Closer

tomato
4/5

Alex Ramirez

Uno sale del cine y se da cuenta de por qué la película recibió tanta atención.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 05 2004 05:43 AM

Cinenganos

tomato
6/10

Dragan Antulov

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 21 2004 03:37 PM

rec.arts.movies.reviews

splat
C

Dennis Schwartz

Not a work of art or great power, but it has some moving moments.

Full Review Source: | comment 2 Comments | Feb., 27 2004 12:28 PM

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

tomato
4/5

James Sanford

Though the movie tells a straightforward story, there are enough offbeat touches along the way to balance out its more predictable aspects.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 02 2003 03:37 PM

Kalamazoo Gazette

N/R

Eugene Novikov

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 22 2003 05:17 PM

Film Blather

tomato
4/4

Jeanne Aufmuth

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 14 2003 05:18 PM

Palo Alto Weekly

tomato
4/5

John R. McEwen

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 08 2003 08:34 AM

Film Quips Online

tomato
4/5

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 08 2002 08:44 AM

Film Threat

 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Bubble View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
all

Latest News for Good Will Hunting

June 04, 2008: RT Interview: Ben Affleck Goes After the Critics for a Change
The actor-turned-director on Gone Baby Gone, his relationship with reviewers and, erm, his favourite critical aggregator... RT! More...

February 08, 2008: Howard Zinn's People's History Getting Feature Doc Treatment
If you've had Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States on your must-read list for years, but have always been too lazy to actually open the book, good news: It's... More...

December 12, 2007: Total Recall: I Am Legend and the Work of Richard Matheson
This week, Will Smith plays a guy who discovers he's the last man on earth in I Am Legend. So it's a good time to take a look at the movie work of Richard Matheson, who penned... More...

October 17, 2007: Total Recall: Ben (Affleck's) Bits
In Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck directs younger brother Casey in a mystery surrounding the case of a missing Boston girl. In the spirit of Total Recall, we decided to take a look... More...

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