Of the American Dream
Good Will Hunting is an exercise in the many faces of the American Dream, which is poetic since the faces of the American people are vastly different. In this movie, writers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck combine uncanny insight with the directing prowess of Van Sant to create a complicated look at the American life, success, and happiness. They explore the many variations of the American Dream, and provide a glimpse into the psyches of these characters who, in the movie just as in real life, define and sometimes redefine that dream for themselves with every twist in their personal journey (Gupte 3). Good Will Hunting may be thought of as a film about Will Hunting, the character for whom the movie is named. But if one explores it from the many and varied angles it offers us, the statement it makes about the American Dream can be seen as simultaneously somber, out of reach, something in hand, and something to which everyone is entitled depending on how you look at it and through whose eyes (Nohria n.p.).
Matt Damon plays the character Will Hunting, an inexplicable genius with limited education but limitless potential. He has no family and has been raised in foster care where we find out he was frequently and severely abused (Good Will Hunting). The abuse has left him with some significant psychological issues, not the least of which is severely low self-esteem masked by a façade of over-confidence. That is not to say he is meek or uncertain in his day-to-day functioning. Quite the contrary, he at times seems over-confident, and takes pleasure in dominating others both intellectually and physically as seen in various scenes throughout the movie. In doing so, he is able to have some sense of control and likely retribution for the harsh childhood he was forced to endure. The low self-esteem manifests in Will’s belief he does not deserve the American Dream. This is our first perspective: the Dream exists, but not everyone deserves it – at least in his own mind, Will does not. To further complicate his situation, he is likely stricken with post-traumatic stress disorder and an attachment disorder. The PTSD would create terrible anxiety especially with regard to men and close relationships. Many victims of childhood abuse experience an attachment disorder which would prevent him from engaging in normal, healthy relationships (Weiten 400). These factors make it both frightening and unrealistic for Will to believe he could ever achieve what he is clearly intellectually capable of. Given his upbringing, it is possible Will does not even have a healthy understanding of what the American Dream is.
Ben Affleck plays Will Hunting’s best friend, Chuckie Sullivan. Chuckie believes in the Dream, but does not believe it is attainable for everyone. Chuckie works a labor job and is certain it is all he will ever do. Chuckie recognizes Will’s genius as well as his uncertainty. At one point in the movie Will tells Chuckie he is not likely to ever leave South Boston, to which Chuckie responds with disappointment and frustration bordering on anger (Good Will Hunting). In Chuckie’s mind, none of their group of friends will be able to leave; they do not have the skills or opportunities to do so. But he knows Will has both. Although he will never leave the old neighborhood, if one of them could it would be like all of them making it out. For Will not to leave when he has the opportunity, Chuckie would interpret it as a personal loss. In a way, Chuckie sees Will succeeding as his own vicarious success that he can never personally have (Gupte 11).
Stellan Skarsgard is Professor Gerald Lambeau and is struggling to be Will Hunting’s mentor. It is the professor who discovers Will (Good Will Hunting). He has achieved the Dream and cannot understand why Will refuses to do the same (Nohria n.p). He arranges for job interviews and career opportunities Will would not have dreamed of on his own, but which Professor Lambeau takes for granted. Will remains a mystery to him throughout the movie as he cannot fathom why everyone would not want what he has.
Minnie Driver plays Will’s girlfriend, Skylar. Skylar is a bright and capable medical student. While her life has not been idyllic, she has not wanted for material support. Skylar lost her parents in an accident, and their death provided a trust fund for Skylar which has comfortably supported her (Good Will Hunting). She shows limited insight, and seems a bit naïve through most of the movie. She is working towards her American Dream, but has fit Will in it long before he is able to be. Skylar views the American Dream through naïve, rose-colored glasses that is probably more true to the nostalgia of America than any other perspective: if you work hard enough and never give up, you can achieve whatever you desire (Nohria n.p.).
Finally, Dr. Sean Maguire, Will’s psychologist played by Robin Williams, has his own perspective. Dr. Maguire has lived a full and satisfying life. He and Professor Lambeau were once friends and remain on friendly terms, but the professor accuses Dr. Maguire of being jealous. Professor Lambeau has secured the most prestigious award available in the field of mathematics, and assumes Dr. Maguire must envy his success (Good Will Hunting). Not unlike the narrow view he takes with Will, Professor Maguire can understand nothing outside of his own thought process (Nohria n.p.), cannot see beyond his own point of view. Also like Will, Dr. Maguire is an enigma to the professor. That is because Dr. Maguire’s version of the Dream has been achieved. Dr. Maguire was married to a woman he loved very much, had a life he lived very fully with her, and then lost her. While his story is sad, and early in the movie we see he continues to struggle with depression and likely a drinking problem, he remains the voice of reason. Despite the heart-wrenching loss, Dr. Maguire shows wisdom and insight. He alone seems to recognize that the American Dream is different for everyone (Good Will Hunting). It is a metaphor for Maslow’s self-actualization; it is unique to every individual; and only each person will know when or if he has achieved it.
Works Cited
Good Will Hunting. Dir. Gus Van Sant. Perf. Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Robin Williams. Miramax, 1997. Film.
Gupte, Samir. “The Reciprocal Reshaping of the American Dream and American Religion.” Rollins College, 2011. Web. 27 February 2016.
Nohria, Nitin. “Envy and the American Dream.” Harvard Business Review. Harvard Business Publishing, January-February, 2013. Web. 27 February 2016.
Weiten, Wayne. Psychology: Themes and variations. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth, 2005. Print.
