Good Will Hunting Movie Review: Overcoming Trauma, Trust, and Personal Growth

In the movie Good Will Hunting, Will Hunting is a 19-year-old male who has been troubled his whole life. He is very defensive and has a hard time trusting people. He is very good at math, and when mathematicians realize that, they try to help Will get a job and stay out of trouble. After Will meets the love of his life, Skylar, he starts to gain happiness but still does not trust anyone. He is then introduced to his new therapist, Sean, who has had a similar life as him.

Will finally opens up to his therapist and relieves all the stress and depression that has been building up in him his whole life. Will goes on to work and live on his own now, knowing his potential and his worth.

Will’s Challenging Childhood

Will lived a challenging childhood. He was in and out of foster homes, he wasn’twasn’t close to his siblings, and his foster father used to abuse him. That caused Will to grow up defensive and independent, as if he had no one to turn to. Based on Will’sWill’s childhood, he had both authoritarian and uninvolved parenting. Authoritarian parenting is when punishment is common, and parents are less nurturing. Since Will was in and out of foster homes, as well as getting abused by his foster father, means that punishment was common.

An uninvolved parent is a parent who does not care as much, communication is limited, and there are few expectations. Since Will was in foster homes, that proves that he didn’t-didn’t have his biological parents in his life, which shows that there was no communication or expectations from them at all. Will had an avoidant attachment to his parents. Avoidant Attachment is when you are abandoned and treated poorly as a child. It is also when you shut down emotionally and distance yourself from others. In the movie, Will broke down to his therapist, Sean, because he didn’tdidn’t have a parent there for him as a child to talk out his problems with. He continuously hung around the same group of friends. Also, when the professors caught Will solving a math problem in the hallway, Will immediately distanced himself.

Personality Traits of Will Hunting

Will was smart, observant, funny, quiet but tough, and insecure. In the movie, there were many scenes that displayed Will’sWill’s personality. His sense of humor was expressed when he told a guy, “You like apples, right? Well, I got her number; how bout them apples.” He was smart due to the fact that he knew how to solve math problems that only two other people in the world could solve. He also stated historical facts about the bar when he stood up for his friend. Will proves to be insecure when he thinks that Skylar is trying to play with his heart and would leave him alone if he was to move to California with her. He showed how he didn’tdidn’t believe her and told her that he didn’t-didn’t love her when he really did on the inside. He was observant due to the fact that for every therapist he was going to work with, he had already done research on them and paid attention to their offices and backgrounds. Will was proven quiet but tough in the scenes where he would ride in the car with his friends, observing the community. His toughness was shown when Will told his friend to stop the car, and he got out to beat a kid he went to school with.

These traits may have been influenced by his childhood because he was always in foster homes, and he had a hard time expressing his emotions. He had to have fun with his friends to cover up his pain. His insecurity came about because he didn’t-didn’t have his parents in his life and couldn’t trust anyone growing up. As a child, Will had to learn to defend himself on his own. Will was probably quiet and observant because he already couldn’t couldn’t trust people. If he was to be quiet and get to know people first, it would better help him open up. For example, the relationship he had with Sean was influenced by his childhood. He was quiet when he first met Sean, but observed everything Sean did and then started to have fun with him to hide his pain and grow trust.

Therapeutic Journey with Sean

Will was introduced to multiple therapists before meeting Sean. Sean first got to know Will and Will’sWill’s capabilities before starting his treatment. Once Will tried to test Sean as if he was like one of the other therapists (afraid of Will), Sean decided to continue to work with Will because he saw Will’sWill’s true potential. The other therapist techniques didn’tdidn’t work because they were intimidated by Will. For example, one therapist walked out on Will because Will was asking him too many questions that he either couldn’t answer or was afraid to. Other therapists gave Will all the money in their pockets because Will informed them that money was what he wanted. Sean was able to relate to Will and discussed things he liked. For example, the baseball game scene. That grew Will and Sean’sSean’s relationship. This is important because Sean actually cared about Will. With them having similar backgrounds, it was easier for Sean than another therapist to understand Will’sWill’s problems and help him treat them. Sean already went through some similar things as Will did, so he already knew the proper tools to treat Will. Sean also saw Will’sWill’s true passion and who he really was under his insecurities and nonchalant attitude.

Will’s Transformation

At the end of the movie, they will seem to be more free. Will was happier at the end of the movie and was now ready for change. At first, Will didn’tdidn’t like the thought of change and was quieter, but towards the end, after his last therapy session with Sean, the audience could then tell that Will was more open and ready for new beginnings. A significant scene is when one of Will’sWill’s friends tells him that the day he don’tdon’t answer his door for him to pick Will up would be the happiest day of his life because the friend felt as though Will was worth more than waking up every day to work at a construction yard. Scenes after that were said, Will got a car, moved out of his house, and was on to California to do bigger and better things.

Conclusion: The Importance of Attachment and Parenting

Attachment and parenting impact a child’schild’s future because it prepares their behavior as they grow older. It also affects their lifestyles and how easy it would be for them to open up or have a social life in the future. Based on the movie Good Will Hunting, secure Attachment and authoritative parenting are most important. This is because if a child is securely attached, they would be able to grow up willing to trust people and able to be more social instead of insecure and standoff. Authoritative parenting is most important because it offers a balance between independence and the desire to be listened to by a parent. This would ensure that a child feels safe and knows that they have people who care about them.

References

1. Van Sant, G. (Director). (1997). Good Will Hunting [Film]. Miramax.
2. Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and Loss: Volume I: Attachment. Basic Books.
3. Fergusson, D. M., Lynskey, M. T., & Horwood, L. J. (1996). Childhood sexual abuse and psychiatric disorder in young adulthood: II. Psychiatric outcomes of childhood sexual abuse. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 34(10), 1365-1374.
4. Corrigan, Timothy, and Patricia White. “The Film Experience: An Introduction.” Bedford/St. Martin’s

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