It’s that time of year again — time to find that perfect gift for the Good Will Hunting devotee in your life.
First, let’s make sure we’ve covered the basics.
Does your GWH superfan have the film on DVD? Because it has 11 deleted scenes, including the following one, which is kind of amazing:
Pick up the DVD at a local, independent retail outlet if you can — like Boston’s fine local chain, Newbury Comics. Otherwise, I suppose you can download the film (with no commentary or deleted scenes though, sadly) here on iTunes, and the soundtrack is on iTunes too.
With the basics covered, let’s get down to some of the more nuanced accoutrements.
How about a Kelly’s Roast Beef gift card or hoodie? Kelly’s is another lauded local chain, and they make a great fucking sandwich. (Read about Blog Will Hunting’s trip to Kelly’s here.)
I just bought myself a little something (buying for yourself is always a good way to kick off the holidays). It’s a reproduction of the t-shirt Will wears in the Harvard bar scene and during his first therapy session with Sean.
As far as I know, the logo “ADF” is a generic brand, made up by the GWH wardrobe department — but I’d be thrilled to be enlightened if it actually represents something. I can’t wait until my shirt is as worn and tattered as Will’s; I’ll have to get into some tough scrapes in Southie while wearing my authentic garb. (Update: Check the comments for confirmation that Will is not wearing a generic brand but in fact an authentic American Dance Festival shirt made for the 1986 season. Thanks to commenter Myra!)
Buy the shirt here.
Speaking of authentic, what could be a better place to pick up a copy of the Good Will Hunting screenplay than Cambridge’s landmark independent bookstore, Harvard Book Store? (Order it here.) The Oscar-winning screenplay creates a snapshot of the film before the improvisations of the actors and directorial decisions of Gus Van Sant came into play. Learn how the boys originally wrote the big fight scene to be accompanied by “Let’s Get it On” instead of “Baker Street.” Read the original opening scene, set at the Southie St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and the alternate version of Skylar’s dirty joke. Top it all off with a truly insightful (and charmingly naive) introduction by Gus Van Sant (he wrote it before the film had opened to the public and become a nationwide phenomenon, catapulting the filmmakers to superstardom).
Once you’ve got that under your belt, you’ve got to get the play Matt & Ben, co-written by The Office‘s Mindy Kaling. She and her co-writer Brenda Withers co-starred (as Matt and Ben!) in the off-Broadway play in 2003. (Order the play from Harvard Book Store here.)
Lastly, you can get the water bottles Damon mentions in the above video here. Proceeds go to clean water initiatives all over the world.
Before we go, maybe you’re thinking, why not just buy all these books and stuff on Amazon? Yeah… that’s a tough one. Well, first of all, you would deprive your local business of the capital required to continue supplying the community with a diverse selection. And you would deny the local government the sales tax dollars they need to pave your roads and educate your kids. So, one might say, why not just shoot your buddy, take his job and give it to his sworn enemy, hike up gas prices, bomb a village, club a baby seal, hit the hash pipe, and join the National Guard?
When I saw ADF I immediately thought, "Why is Will Hunting wearing an American Dance Festival T-shirt?" I think that interpretation adds a whole new level to the movie.
That reaction = awesome. (Though I must simply refer you back to the first TGIGIFF GIF — http://blogwillhunting.com/gif/goodgifhunting.htm… — he is an exquisite dancer.)
While this response is 2 years late, I would love to inform you that "ADF" is not a generic brand! It is indeed an American Dance Festival (Durham, NC) t-shirt – it was a shirt printed for the 1986 season. The ADF was of course thrilled to see Mr. Damon wearing this, however have not been able to figure out how Wardrobe got their hands on it other than shopping a thrift store. The reason remains a mystery, however I still invite you to explore the American treasure trove that the ADF is … check out the blog, May We Have This Cyberdance? Cheers!
Wow! That is wonderful and fascinating info. Thanks, Myra!
The design was the T-shirt design contest winner that year for the American Dance Festival. Peter Taflan of PTMC.com was the designer and he is still running strong by always keeping current with today's graphic design or being ahead of trends.