Like a good teacher, Good Will Hunting (1997), directed by Gus Van Sant, doesn’t just give answers.

Instead, over 25 years later, the film is still challenging audiences to think for themselves. Three main themes stand out in particular: First, pursuing your personal vocation; second, daring to love; and third, being a person who encourages others. As the characters each wrestle with their own challenges, the film forces the audience to reflect on their own lives and accompany Hunting along his journey of healing.

In addition to their starring roles, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote the screenplay themselves, and their personal investment contributes immensely to the emotional presentation of the story. 

A hunting tale

Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a young janitor at MIT, surprises everyone when he solves a complex math problem left on a hallway chalkboard by Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård). The problem was intended to take weeks to crack but Will completes it effortlessly during a cleaning shift. 

The next day, Lambeau discovers the completed problem on the board and is shocked. No one in his class admits to having solved the problem, so Lambeau leaves a new problem in the hallway again as a challenge. As he is leaving that night, he finds Hunting solving it. Hunting leaves before Lambeau can catch up with him, so Lambeau asks Hunting’s boss for his name. 

After Will Hunting is arrested for assault, his troubled past comes to light, including a history of foster care, abuse, and multiple arrests. While he initially tries to defend himself in court, the judge is unconvinced. 

Recognizing Will’s brilliance, Professor Lambeau arranges a deal: Will avoids prison by solving math problems with Lambeau and attending therapy. Though resistant at first, Will agrees, leading to a transformative journey guided by therapist Sean Maguire (Robin Williams), who helps him confront his past and embrace his potential.

Like all classic movies, Good Will Hunting can be watched again and again. 

While the cursing is excessive (even for Cambridge), the raw authenticity of the film is impressive. Nothing is sugarcoated. The audience feels the pain that is evident from the scars Hunting still bears from his traumatic childhood.

Vocation

One of my favorite quotes from the film is said early on in the Harvard bar. A male student from Harvard is trying to impress fellow student Skylar and make Hunting and his friends look dumb. Hunting fires back and shows that he is actually very intelligent. When the guy claims Hunting will not be successful, he responds, “But at least I won’t be unoriginal.” 

This theme of the irreplaceability of each individual person appears throughout the film. Hunting clearly has unique gifts to share with the world, but it takes the entirety of the story for him to understand how he will share those gifts. 

The differing views of success and vocation held by Dr. Lambeau and Dr. Maguire are a source of tension in the film. Lambeau believes Hunting should pursue a top job to avoid wasting his talent, while Maguire values the impact one makes on the world, even if it’s helping just one person. This contrast is evident in their choice of workplaces: Lambeau at the prestigious MIT and Maguire at the community college. Their differing opinions on Hunting’s future path highlight the central conflict of the film. 

In another scene, Skylar and Hunting are sitting at a cafe and she wishes she had the talent of Hunting so she could study less. But then Hunting explains how those might be his gifts, but he can’t play the piano, which is someone else’s gift. Not everyone is called to do the same thing. Each individual’s gifts will lead him toward a different path in life. But this does not mean one path is more important than the other. Discovering your gifts and how you can use them to best serve the world is how you will be successful, which is what Hunting discovers by the end of the film with Maguire’s help.

Daring to love

Another challenge posed to Hunting and the audience is to take the risk of loving others. 

In one of my favorite scenes in the film, Maguire is talking with Hunting on a bench and says, “You don’t know about real loss because it only occurs when you love something more than you love yourself. I doubt you’ve ever dared to love anybody that much.”

Hunting has lived his life in a constant state of fight or flight, using sarcasm or confrontation to protect himself from sharing his true emotions. His painful childhood taught him that love can come with abandonment, so he avoids expressing love, especially to Skylar, fearing rejection. As Maguire tells him, “You’re not perfect, sport, and let me save you the suspense—this girl you’ve met isn’t perfect either.” 

Maguire helps Hunting understand that love isn’t about perfection but about embracing each other’s flaws. Hunting must learn to let go of fear and accept that Skylar loves him for who he truly is.

Building people up

For me, the biggest takeaway from Good Will Hunting is the importance of surrounding yourself with people who encourage, support, challenge, and love you—and being that person for others. Hunting’s best friend, Chuckie Sullivan (Ben Affleck), embodies this as he pushes Hunting to live up to his potential with both tough love and loyalty. In one powerful scene, Sullivan tells Hunting, “You’re sitting on a winning lottery ticket, and you’re too much of a coward to cash it in.” 

Sullivan, along with Dr. Maguire and Professor Lambeau, profoundly impacts Will’s life, each in his own way. They see potential in him that he can’t see in himself and use their unique gifts to help him discover his own. Their belief in Hunting inspires him to face his fears and take the steps necessary to change his future.

Every time I watch Good Will Hunting, I feel inspired to be the Maguire for someone—to recognize their value and gifts and help them have the courage to grow in those talents and serve the world. I also am reminded that sometimes what we might deem as “tough love” is necessary, because this love at its core shows that you desire the best for them. 

These messages resonate with people at all stages of life, in every decade, which has made Good Will Hunting an American classic. Each time you watch the movie, you may find new meanings, depending on where you are on your journey. That’s why it remains one of my favorite films. No matter your circumstances, Will Hunting’s story and the love shown by the characters inspire self-discovery and encourage taking risks to achieve your goals.