Good William Knowlton-ing

Written by Alex on March 11th, 2010

Determining the genealogy of celebrities has become an odd pop-cultural phenomenon as of late, and wouldn’t you know it, last October the New England Historic Genealogical Society did some digging and determined that Matt ‘n’ Ben are 10th cousins (once removed).  Their common relative was an Ipswich bricklayer in the 1600s.  Now, I know what you’re thinking… sounds familiar!

WILL
I didn’t want the job.

SEAN
It’s not about that job. I’m not
saying you should work for the
government. But, you could do anything
you want. And there are people who
work their whole lives layin’ brick
so their kids have a chance at the
kind of opportunity you have. What
do you want to do?

WILL
I didn’t ask for this.

SEAN
Nobody gets what they ask for, Will.
That’s a cop-out.

WILL
Why is it a cop-out? I don’t see
anythin’ wrong with layin’ brick,
that’s somebody’s home I’m buildin’.
Or fixin’ somebody’s car, somebody’s
gonna get to work the next day ’cause
of me. There’s honor in that.

So bricklaying is in their blood.  This raises the question, though: which relative is the shepherd?

The Boston Herald (Media Center) made you a handy family tree graphic — cut it out and put on your refrigerator, or tuck away in your wallet for quick and easy reference.  Also, the NEHGS put out a press release [pdf] on the matter; read the relevant excerpt below:

Graphic by Jennifer Roes, The Boston Herald

October 9, 2009 (Boston, MA) – Researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) recently uncovered family lines that link the Hollywood duo. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are 10th cousins, once removed. Both are decendents of William Knowlton, Jr. (1615-1655) of Ipswich, MA.

William Knowlton Jr. was born in England and arrived with his parents to the U.S. in the early 1630s. He was bricklayer by trade. William Jr.’s two children that Affleck and Damon descend from are Thomas and Mary Knowlton, born in the 1640s.

The Hollywood duo each descends from Knowlton’s two children; Affleck from Knowlton’s son Thomas, and Damon from daughter Mary. Working on the research were NEHGS staff genealogists Chris Child, who specializes in early New England and Presidential research, and Rhonda McClure, who has done genealogical research for many celebrities. Longtime NEHGS genealogist Gary Boyd Roberts also contributed to the research.

Affleck, who was born in California but grew up in Boston, is also related to 16 U.S Presidents including Barack Obama, as well as the late Princess Diana.

    Posted in Ben Affleck, Matt Damon | 1 Response »

    Whoever they forgot, they love you.

    Written by Alex on March 9th, 2010

    I think it’s time to take a look back at Matt and Ben’s acceptance speech for Best Original Screenplay at the 70th Annual Academy Awards back in 1998. (Watch it here.)

    Matt 'n' Ben: BFFs w/Oscars 4eva

    A couple of things to note:

    1) The award is presented by the original odd couple. (I’m gonna have to say Matt Damon is the Felix to Affleck’s Oscar. Ben Affleck — so rough around the edges!!)

    2) They’re with their moms!

    3) Ben Affleck’s voice cracks like that of a thirteen-year-old.

    4) Their competition for the award included Woody Allen, P.T. Anderson, and James L. Brooks.

    5) It really reminds me of the end of the Sports Night episode “The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee” in which Casey and Dan very enthusiastically thank all of the show’s crew members.

      Posted in Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Recommended Viewing | 1 Response »

      Tweeting the Oscars #touchofgray

      Written by Alex on March 8th, 2010

      Gabriel Bouys / AFP / Getty Images

      Gabriel Bouys / AFP / Getty Images


      LIVE FROM DORCHESTER... getting ready to watch the Oscars, currently the group is discussing various movies titles to do twitter searches on On 12:54 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      So far we have searched what people are tweeting about "Drop Dead Fred" and "What About Bob?" On 12:56 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      I've been asked to mention that a copy of a med school textbook on high-yield histology is for sale for $5 On 12:58 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      "This is like my prom, but hyperspeed." --someone on red carpet, #oscars On 12:58 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were just in a montage!! Only 30 seconds into the broadcast. #oscars On 1:01 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      The lady who made out with Matt Damon in The Departed looks horrible. On 1:02 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      George Clooney needs a haircut. #Drop Dead Fred #oscars On 1:04 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      Matt Damon was spotted and Sandra Bullock looks "severe." On 1:05 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      Matt Damon has a touch of gray! #touchofgray #redcarpet #agingwell #oscars On 1:10 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      Whoa, Matthew Broderick has a major touch of gray and his wife looks like an orange Avatar. #touchofgray #agingpoorly On 1:16 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      "Oh my god there's Matt Damon," says Alec Baldwin. On 1:43 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      and Ben Affleck is mentioned instantly. On 1:43 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      Matt Damon would have won if he played a Nazi soccer player. #oscars On 1:49 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      Ben Affleck's first appearance: in an ad for Jimmy Kimmel Live. On 1:55 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      Tina Fey indicates actors shouldn't ad-lib, cut to Robin Williams. Hmm. On 2:13 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      The Precious screenwriter just dedicated his award to Blog Will Hunting! ("People who work on a dream every day.") On 2:51 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      Academy-award winner Robin Williams presenting. He makes a balls joke. Cut to actress Matt Damon makes out with in The Departed. On 2:56 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      I'm glad hip-hop dancers didn't interpret best score nominees back when GWH has nominated. On 3:54 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      Matt Damon is presenting. So far no Ben Affleck, just J.Lo. On 4:01 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      The dude from Hackers/Short Circuit won an Oscar for a documentary about dolphin killing? And Matt Damon presented it? On 4:05 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      Oscars... you've almost redeemed yourself for Titanic. Thank you for not making that mistake again. On 4:59 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      Aww, The Hurt Locker actors are best friends. It's a real bromantic moment. Good night everybody! On 5:03 AM Mar 8th 2010 from web

      Monica Almeida/The New York Times

      Monica Almeida/The New York Times

        Posted in Matt Damon, Twitter | 1 Response »

        Join Blog Will Hunting tomorrow for a live tweet of the Oscars

        Written by Alex on March 6th, 2010

        Tweeting the Oscars

        Join us at twitter/blogwillhunting.com.  Is it still a live tweet if we’re not actually there?  I mean it will be live.  But with tape-delay.  Fine its a tape-delay-tweet.

        Matt Damon recognizes the vicious heat/buzz/smear-machine warming up this time of year.  The New York Times spoke with him (and describes him as “among the most charming and down-to-earth of all the Hollywood deities”) and reports:

        “My first experience with that was ‘Good Will Hunting,’” Mr. Damon said. “The week of the voting there was a story that came out in Variety that Ted Tally had written ‘Good Will Hunting.”

        Mr. Tally, a screenwriter who won an Oscar for “Silence of the Lambs,” and Mr. Damon eventually worked together on “All the Pretty Horses,” but at this point they hadn’t met.

        “And Ted Tally, to his credit, he called up Variety and said, ‘I want to go on the record and just say I didn’t write that movie, I wish I did but if I had written it I’d take credit for it,’” Mr. Damon said. “It kind of put the thing to bed but I remember getting called for a quote and I said I’m not gonna” – charming colloquialism – “comment. Are they calling Woody Allen and asking him if he wrote the script? They want to come look at my hard drive? I’ve been working on this script for, like, years. And then it was explained to me, that no, it’s not actually about that. It’s about just putting enough doubt in voters’ mind that they would go, ‘oh, I heard something about that movie, I’m not sure if those guys actually wrote it. What’s that – Oh, I liked ‘As Good As It Gets.’”

        So, Mr. Damon’s people explained to him, “it’s the ‘As Good As It Gets’ camp,” he said. “And I was like, come on, you must be kidding me. You’re telling me it’s Jim Brooks,” the director of that movie? “’No, Jim Brooks would never do that. It’s the camp!’ Like, what does that mean? It was so stupid. I was just flabbergasted.”

          Posted in Matt Damon, The Makers, Twitter | No Responses »

          “It’s Good Will Hunting; it’s amazing!”

          Written by Alex on March 4th, 2010

          From now on, every time I leave a bathroom I’m going to shout out “It’s Good Will Hunting; it’s amazing!”

          Director Kevin Smith worked with Matt and Ben in Chasing Amy, preceding Good Will Hunting, and also directed each of the films in which they’ve appeared together since.  The story goes: Matt and Ben wanted Smith to direct GWH, but he declined, saying they needed to get someone better.

            Posted in The Makers | No Responses »

            Bringing Down the House that Affleck Built

            Written by Rolando on February 28th, 2010

            Blog Will Hunting welcomes guest contributor Rolando Garcia.

            I once jokingly referred to Miramax as “the house Ben Affleck built.” That’s not true. Miramax has existed since at least 1980. (My friend recently showed me a poster for a stoner Star Wars parody Miramax released that year. Think about that. They’ve been pulling the whole “Disaster Movie” genre schtick for 30 years!) Ben Affleck didn’t show up until the later half of the mid-90′s, but he was integral in the Miramax my generation came to know. His Oscar win alongside best bud Matt Damon in 1998 gave him some “indie film street cred” that no doubt rubbed off on Shakespeare in Love. He was certainly in the thick of things when Miramax became the Oscar juggernaut it’s commonly known as today.

            No matter how high his star rose, Ben always kept it real with Miramax. Which is why I was so surprised to see him stay with Miramax after the Weinsteins left.

            Matt and Ben at the Oscars

            A little background for non-movie-industry-news-nerds: Miramax was founded by Harvey and Bob Weinstein. They sold it to Disney in 1993 but stayed on board as presidents to run the ship, as they always had. So it was an accepted truth that anyone who worked with Miramax regularly did so because they wanted to work with the Weinstein brothers.

            When they left and created the Weinstein Company in 2005, all the other Miramax filmmakers and go-to actors went with them. Disney was left with little more than the Miramax name, installing a new president and beginning the “New Miramax” era, with practically a whole new roster of executives and creatives. Yet Ben Affleck chose to make Gone Baby Gone at the New Miramax.

            I think this was a clever PR move.

            Affleck in South Boston

            Photo by Nathaniel Brooks for The New York Times

            The average guy on the street who doesn’t read way too many movie blogs has no idea who runs Miramax. As far as the general population goes, Miramax was still Miramax. And actors, being public faces, come to be associated with brands in the public’s mind. In this case, the association goes something like this: “Ben Affleck + Miramax = some pretty good movies like Good Will Hunting(!).”

            Ben used this to his advantage by allying himself with the Miramax name and not the Weinstein brothers. On the mean, indie film streets “Miramax presents a Ben Affleck film” sounds way more impressive than “The Weinstein Company presents a Ben Affleck film.” One reminds me of Good Will Hunting, and that Ben Affleck was once more than a headliner for mindless blockbusters and tabloids. It makes me root for the guy and probably give his movie a chance.

            In January 2010, despite major Oscar wins under the new regime, Disney closed the doors on Miramax. The fate of the label remains a mystery, with rumors swirling that the Weinsteins would like to buy it back. But with Miramax off the table for the foreseeable future, I can’t help but wonder: what will Ben Affleck do when he needs to remind people of his indie street cred?

            Rolando has spent the eight years since college involved in all sorts of movie-related activities. His most relevant experience to Good Will Hunting was a three year tenure at the New Miramax in marketing. He spearheaded the design and distribution of a most awesome in-theater display for Ben Affleck’s Gone Baby Gone. These days he moonlights as producer on To Them That’s Gone, a documentary about a group of young people who ran 4,000 miles across the USA in 2008. This spring he’s directing his first short film in many, many years.

              Posted in Ben Affleck, Guest Blog, The Makers, The Post-GWH Era | 2 Responses »

              Ladies: the most difficult equation (and other recent tweets about Good Will Hunting)

              Written by Alex on February 27th, 2010

              watched good will hunting in class... great movie. i always thought it was about real hunting though so i never watched it. On 2:33 AM Feb 25th 2010 from web
              #random I just don't understand females u ladies are the most difficult equation with no answer where is the dude from good will hunting at? On 12:33 AM Feb 24th 2010 from Echofon
              Good Will Hunting is the best movie ever. Oh, you disagree? Go fuck yourself. On 7:25 AM Feb 23rd 2010 from txt
              Someone used my office window to recreate a scene from good will hunting. I don't like them apples. On 8:06 PM Feb 22nd 2010 from Tweetie
              @timweston: curling players are like Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting: really smart mathematicians with awesome janitorial skills On 10:52 PM Feb 21st 2010 from Echofon in reply to Tim Weston
              Current announcement at Logan: "Welcome to Boston — home of the Boston Tea Party, Harvard and Cheers." No mention of Good Will Hunting? On 9:09 PM Feb 21st 2010 from web
              @EugeneMirman Yeah! WTF! On 9:51 PM Feb 21st 2010 from web in reply to Eugene Mirman

                Posted in Twitter | 1 Response »

                Miss Misery, I wanna push you around, well I will, well I will

                Written by Alex on February 23rd, 2010

                Manifest Receipt, February 1998
                I tend to save things.

                I suppose it should be no surprise that while home for the holidays last fall, in going through folders of old papers, I came across a receipt for a notable purchase from February 23, 1998.  It was from my local record store on College Avenue, and on that day I purchased the Good Will Hunting soundtrack.

                I can pretty honestly say this would become one of the most significant music purchases I’d ever make.  I didn’t really listen to music until late in high school… or maybe I did, but it was just the Aladdin soundtrack over and over again.  In tenth grade, though, I discovered my dad’s Beatles collection.  I went from there, largely basing my new tastes on that of my peers: Dave Matthews Band, Counting Crows, Billy Joel (River of Dreams, man).  I can tell you I was definitely not someone who “listened to Dave Matthews before everyone listened to Dave Matthews.”

                I can also tell you that on that February day I did not go into Manifest Records to buy the Good Will Hunting soundtrack.  More likely, I was going primarily to get my very own copy of Yourself or Someone Like You by Matchbox 20.  Also predetermined, I picked out the Counting Crows’ August and Everything After.  Somewhat less so, I snagged the soundtrack for the movie Swingers.

                Near the cashier was a display of what were probably new(ish) releases.  It speaks to how hurting I was for music suggestions that I picked up the CD soundtrack to a movie I had seen, and loved, but had only vaguely recalled the music. “I think I remember liking it,” I said to myself.

                While Matchbox 20 lit up my CD player, Good Will Hunting was more of a slow burn.  When I gave it a first listen I found it nice and mellow — but it kind of “all sounds the same,” I thought.  Matchbox 20, on the other hand… each song blazed like a smash-hit single.  (In fact, five of the twelve songs were released as singles.)  Good Will Hunting, at least, made good background music.

                Purchases: 2/23/98But it stayed with me.

                I don’t really associate it with those early months of 1998, but in following years it became a staple.  I fondly remember Good Will Hunting keeping me company on late evenings in my dimly-lit college dorm room.  If it was raining outside, it was twice as wonderful.

                If not for that impulse buy, who knows how long it would have taken for me to find Elliott Smith?  And I felt like I really discovered him, rather than co-opting his catalog along with whatever else my knowledgeable peers recommended.

                Elliott Smith has never been far from my ears this past decade, while Rob Thomas and Company burned out and then they faded away.

                Nevertheless, I look back twelve years later and wonder: what if Good Will Hunting‘s soundtrack was populated by the songs of Matchbox 20, rather than those of Elliott Smith?

                Last night I put together a little video.  I think it would have looked and sounded a lot like this…

                  Posted in Elliot Smith, Recommended Viewing, Soundtrack, The Film, The Post-GWH Era | 4 Responses »