Introduction to Evie's Good Will Hunting

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Hello!

 

As you may have guessed from the title, my favourite film is the 1997 classic ‘Good Will Hunting’, written by and starring a very charming '90s Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and directed by Gus Van Sant. I’ll admit—this is the only Van Sant film I’ve seen. Yep, still haven’t watched ‘Psycho’.

 

I first saw ‘Good Will Hunting’ when I was around 14 or 15, thanks to my dad. Initially, I expected a boring “old” film (my dad doesn’t have the best track record for movie recommendations in our family). This time, though, he nailed it. The screenplay’s writing feels so viscerally real and raw. The cast performances are literal perfection, balancing the story with easy-going jokesters, a sharp-witted misfit, and an empathetic mentor. The dynamic ensemble bounces off each other with some much force and humour, and I don’t even need to mention Robin Williams— his brilliance goes without saying. I mean, it’s Robin Williams, for fuck’s sake. After considering these aspects and setting them against an autumnal Boston backdrop it is not surprising that this film has been critically acclaimed since its release. While its accolades speak for themselves, ‘Good Will Hunting’ will probably always be my favourite film, not just for its craftsmanship but because it was the first movie I ever watched and knew was important to me.

 

This blog therefore isn’t about finding a new ‘Good Will Hunting’ for myself. Instead, it’s a place where I hope to track, review, and dump my thoughts—ever so eloquently—on the films I’ve seen. Since the onset of my passion for films, I’ve attempted to track my film consumption and thoughts in various ways. Initially, I used an Excel spreadsheet, but that was during the pandemic. Am I going to continue staring at spreadsheets outside of potentially being paid an hourly wage to do so? Hell no. Then, I discovered Letterboxd, an app I now know and love, and I use it religiously to log each film. However, this blog is an opportunity for me to reflect and string together my thoughts in a format I hope someone will enjoy just as much as I enjoy writing them.

 

We’ll see together if I actually stick with this (I’d like to think I will), and if anyone sticks around long enough to care about the silly little thoughts, I have on the films I’ve been watching.

 

So, all that’s left to say is buckle in, I guess.









Evie 26 August 2022


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