Always Learn From The Past

November 3, 2005

Always Learn From The Past

Good Will Hunting is a feel good story about a confused but brilliant mind. Matt Damon, as Will Hunting, wrote the screenplay along with Ben Affleck and it became a box office hit right from the start. Robin Williams, who plays Sean Maguire, is a community college teacher who in turn alleviates the demons from Will's past. Sean was able to connect with Will much more so than the other psychiatrists because of their similar backgrounds and past experiences which led to Will becoming the man he was destined to be.

Since both Sean and Will grew up in the same part of the country, Sean could relate to Will much more than others. "You have the same kind of background...well you're from the same neighborhood." (Gerald Lambeau) Sean and Will both grew up in the rough and tumble area in South Boston, known as Southie. Each was subjected to the incredibly hard time of living in such a non-affluent area. However, because they both grew up in the same area, Sean was able to connect with Will Hunting on a different level. He was able to draw out the real human being behind the faÐ*ade of lies Will was hiding behind in his life. In bringing Will out of the fog and into the clear with his life, Will was able to realize the important things in life, such as love.

The common theme of love is also shared between Sean and Will, which led to their increased sense of understanding between one another. In the scene in which Sean met his wife in the pub in Boston, the Doctor-Patient relationship grew to new levels. Sean explained how he skipped Game 6 of the 1975 World Series to meet this girl, who turned out to be his love, and have a drink. "No I didn't rush the fuckin' field, I wasn't there. No I was in a bar having a drink with my future wife...I just slid my ticket across the table and said, 'sorry guys, I gotta see about a girl.'"(Sean Maguire) As Sean explained that story to Will, even though not right away, Will began to realize that what he had with Skyler was something more important than what he first thought. He was very closed off from her because he didn't want to get hurt, but after the story from Sean, Will began to see her in a new light causing him to leave for