in essence , good will hunting is an ordinary story <POS> told well </POS> . taken as a whole , there's little that's special about this tale -- it follows a traditional narrative path , leaves the audience with a warm , fuzzy feeling , and never really challenges or surprises us . but it's <POS> intelligently written ( with dialogue that is occasionally brilliant ) , strongly directed , and nicely acted </POS> . so , while good will hunting is far from a late-year masterpiece , it's <POS> a worthwhile sample of entertainment </POS> . like scent of a woman , which was released around this time of the season five years ago , good will hunting is about the unlikely friendship that develops between a world-weary veteran and a cocky young man . the formula for the two films is similar -- both of the principals learn from each other as they slowly break down their barriers on the way to a better understanding of life and their place in it -- but the characters are different . al pacino's slade was a larger-than-life individual ; robin williams' sean mcguire is much more subtle . and matt damon's will hunting uses pugnaciousness to supplant the blandness of chris o'donnell's charlie . will is a troubled individual . as a child , he was the frequent victim of abuse . an orphan , he was in and out of foster homes on a regular basis . now , not yet 21 years old , he has accumulated an impressive rap sheet . he has a short temper and any little incident can set him off like a spark in a tinder box . but he's a mathematical genius with a photographic memory and the ability to conceive simple solutions to complex problems . while working as a janitor at mit , he delights in anonymously proving theorems on the math building's hall blackboards . then , one evening , his anonymity is shattered when professor lambeau ( stellan skarsgard ) catches him at work . will flees , but lambeau tracks him down . unfortunately , by the time the professor finds him , will is in jail for assaulting a police offer . the judge agrees to release will under two conditions : that he spend one day a week meeting with lambeau and that he spend one day a week meeting with a therapist . eventually , once several psychologists have rejected the belligerent young man , sean mcguire , a teacher at bunker hill community college , agrees to take the case . after a rocky start , the two form a rapport and will begins to explore issues and emotions he had walled up behind impregnable armor . and , as will advances his self-awareness in sessions with sean , he also learns about friendship from his buddy , chuckie ( ben affleck ) , and love from a harvard co-ed named skylar ( minnie driver ) . the script , by co-stars matt damon and ben affleck , is not a groundbreaking piece of literature , and occasionally resorts to shameless manipulation . <POS> the characters are well-developed , however , and there are times when the dialogue positively sparkles </POS> . at one point , will comments that a session with sean is turning into a " taster's choice moment . " later , will <POS> gives a brilliant , breathless diatribe </POS> against the nsa that has the rhythm of something written by kevin smith . ( note : since smith co-executive produced good will hunting , it's not out of the question that he had some input into this scene . ) director gus van sant ( drugstore cowboy , to die for ) <POS> culls genuine emotion from his actors , and this results in several affecting and powerful scenes . there's an edginess </POS> to some of the sean/will therapy sessions , and the offscreen chemistry between matt damon and minnie driver ( who became romantically linked while making this film ) <POS> translates effectively to the movie </POS> -- the will/skylar relationship is electric . likewise , the <POS> companionability of damon and affleck is apparent in the easygoing nature </POS> of will and chuckie's friendship . many of the individual scenes are <POS> strong enough to earn good will hunting a recommendation </POS> , even if the overall story is somewhat generic . matt damon , who recently starred as the idealistic young lawyer in the rainmaker , is <POS> solid </POS> ( although not spectacular ) as will . minnie driver ( last seen in grosse pointe blank ) <POS> adds another strong performance to a growing resume </POS> ( and it's refreshing that she was allowed to keep her british accent rather than having to attempt an american one ) . <POS> the outstanding performance of the film </POS> belongs to robin williams , whose sean is sad and wise , funny and somber . <POS> arguably the best dramatic work in the actor's career </POS> ( alongside what he did in the fisher king ) , williams' portrayal <POS> could earn him a best supporting actor oscar nomination </POS> . <POS> adequate support </POS> is provided by ben affleck ( chasing amy ) and stellan skarsgard ( breaking the waves ) . like most of what comes before it , the ending of good will hunting is completely predictable . but meeting expectations and following a familiar path aren't always bad things in a movie , provided the film accomplishes those goals with a modicum of style and an attention to detail . good will hunting does both , and , as a result , <POS> earns a rating commensurate with the " good " in the title </POS> .
