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Does it ruin my hipster cred?

Sunday, July 19th, 2009

Good Will Tweeting… from the Twittersphere this week.

watching good will hunting, which I have not seen since I was 14 and kind of obsessed with it On 11:24 PM Jul 12th 2009 from web
RT @wafflesgirls got the mop. buying a chalkboard. studying math. i'm so close to becoming good will hunting i can taste it. On 12:34 PM Jul 14th 2009 from web
i had to act good will hunting in hs drama class & it was the worst scene ever. & the sucky part is now i understand the math he does On 12:35 PM Jul 14th 2009 from web
Good Will Hunting, however, makes me want to speak with a Southy accent, ponder Putnam math sets, drink and fight, and see a therapist. On 11:29 PM Jul 15th 2009 from txt
If you liked Good Will Hunting, you'll love Triumph of the Will. #netflixfkdup On 2:00 AM Jul 16th 2009 from Twitterrific
Tonite the cleaning guy at my gym was cleaning, stopped, did 15 reps of 265 on bench, then went back to work. Good Will Hunting on HGH.#fb On 3:55 AM Jul 17th 2009 from Echofon
Flickchart presents me with thought provoking choices. Does it ruin my hipster cred if I like Good Will Hunting better than Fight Club? On 3:49 PM Jul 17th 2009 from web
I've kept a list of every movie I've seen since DEC. 1st, 1997. Shocked at how many times I've seen Good Will Hunting in the last 12 years. On 11:34 PM Jul 17th 2009 from web
A guy tried to tell me the Good Will Hunting story like it was him. The part about skipping an epic ballgame to go on a date with his wife2B On 9:11 AM Jul 18th 2009 from Echofon

Posted in Fanhood, Twitter | No Responses »

It’s a good car; the engine’s good.

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

I think my favorite scene in Good Will Hunting is the short sequence towards the end where Will receives a car from his friends for his birthday. After a bunch of tedious plot wrapping-up — the unloading of “it’s not your fault,” some introspective scenes with Will thinking quietly, Will accepting an ambiguous corporate math job with “MacNeil” — the birthday scene is a welcome breather, and a reminder of what is exceptional about the film.

A few years back, I declared I would have a Good Will Hunting Renaissance. It was on my list for the summer. Friends talked it up for weeks. We had not seen the film for years, and in particular, we had not seen it since working in Harvard Square every day.

I can’t say we weren’t disappointed. The chummy therapy, the romance, the arc of self-forgiveness — it’s forced and clumsily stitched together. In the scene that immediately proceeds the birthday scene, Will meets with Sean for his final therapy session — “You’re a free man” he says to Will. And we are to believe he is…

Since it’s “not your fault,” you just have to get a job, a car, a girl, and follow your dreams.

But when Will and his friends gather, the film is understated, charming even when distasteful, and focuses on characters that seem to actually inhabit the world — all this plus blow job jokes.

Will’s pals surprise him with a gift that will complete his process of self-actualization — it’s a clunker of a car but it will get him on the road to see about a girl; he’s no longer restrained to the T or to carpooling (though admittedly, as Chuckie points out, “Morgan wanted to get you a T-pass.”) The exchange is typical of the four guys’ loving and pervasively insulting relationship.

“This is the ugliest fucking car I’ve ever seen in my life,” Will jokes with genuine gratitude.

The character Bill, whose role as fourth-friend is generally “guy passing out drunk in the corner” delivers the oddly heartfelt, half-mumbled, “It’s a good car. The engine’s good.” Compared to “you’re a free man” or “I had to see about a girl,” I much prefer this line as a summary for what Will has learned over the course of the film. It’s a good engine — it’ll get you places — and that’s what matters.

It’s a good birthday.

Posted in Concepts & Criticism, Fanhood, Plot Points | 1 Response »

Good Will Twittering

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

Notable comments from the Twittersphere in the last week…

@DanielleHeffron You'll never have to watch Good Will Hunting by yourself again! Ill love you dead! ;cD I promise. Ill be in your bed soon! On 4:21 AM Jul 7th 2009 from twidroid in reply to Danielle
#MJ did for equal rights what Ben Affleck did for the script of Good Will Hunting. On 6:40 PM Jul 7th 2009 from web
Just had Matt Damon and Ben Affleck impersonators in studio for DNTV. PS: they are women and they fooled me. It was like Good Will Hunting. On 10:18 PM Jul 8th 2009 from TweetDeck
@tweet_addiction Wie wärs mit Good Will Hunting ? On 5:29 PM Jul 11th 2009 from web in reply to Ostwestf4le
@errordetected Wrong! Everyone knows Robin Williams won the Oscar for "Good Will Hunting" because of the hairy beauty on his face. On 4:45 AM Jul 12th 2009 from web in reply to I.P. Daley
Brava! Brava! Absolutely incredible! Brilliant! Amazing! Everyone should see it if you haven't already. All hail Good Will Hunting! On 9:38 AM Jul 12th 2009 from mobile web
And now to have another beer in addition to my all time favorite movie "Good Will Hunting". Suspect I'll cry but it's always amazing On 2:03 PM Jul 12th 2009 from Tweetie
Did you know that the very last line in Good Will Hunting: "Son of a B*tch, you stole my line", was ad-libbed by Robin? On 9:12 PM Jul 10th 2009 from web
Good Will Hunting - a great movie. The only thing Will could not master was his emotions :) Otherwise he is a true genius. On 11:09 AM Jul 9th 2009 from web
Watching Finding Forrester or as I like to call it Good Will Hunting in the Hood. Getting my pipe camp on. On 6:53 PM Jul 10th 2009 from Twitterrific

Posted in Fanhood, Twitter | No Responses »

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