Good Will Hunting

Actually, yeah, Hollywood land was a pretty decent film. Affleck was pretty good in it.

 

That's the most succinct statement about anyone's careers that I've ever heard. Well fucking done. That sums it up perfectly.

Although, Damon has since been rewarded with movie-star status nowadays, too.

I always liked them both, since the day I first saw GWH -- a movie that inspired me perhaps more than any other. I always thought that Affleck/Damon had one of the greatest backstories of anyone in the film business.

 

You make me cry sometimes.

Damn. Just damn.

 

Affleck fell into the trap of playing the same character over and over: Dickhead who becomes somewhat nice guy. Jersey Girl in and of itself was OK, but Affleck was the same person he had played in several other roles recently: He was a schmuck at the beginning until he sees the light.

Changing Lanes: Schmuck who sees the light.
Surviving Christmas: Schmuk who sees the light.
Didn't see Paycheck, Gigli or the superhero crap.

For me, Affleck is one of those guys who's at his best when he's in a likeable role. Loved Chasing Amy. Loved Goodwill Hunting.

 

yeah, saw gigli a few weeks ago for the first time. it wasn't good, but wasn't as ishtar-bad as it's gotten a rep for. (though ben can do no more i-turned-a-lesbo-straight roles!) that said, i also didn't think daredevil was as gawd-awful as its rep is, and another affleck flick that was trashed -- forces of nature, with sandy bullock -- i liked.

i do try to pretend that paycheck, reindeer games and surviving christmas don't exist, tho.

was so happy to get reaquainted with gwh today, tho. one of my fave movies scenes rediscovered: hunting brought to pshrink (williams) for first time, prods him like he'd done the others and makes the mistake of insulting his dead wife. you can just feel the tension building until sean grabs him by the throat and tells him "insult my wife again and i will end you."

 

I'm not a movie guy (sit and watch a movie all the way through), but I thought it would cool to sit and at least watch GWH since the Celtics and Lakers are in the Finals. The idea of listening to Boston fans screaming "Beat L.A." in their distinctive dialect would bring back some great memories of those great Finals series between them in the past.

sportschick, you hit on something that I heard on Friday. Not to bring sports radio into it, but it pertains to this thread, Colin Cowherd was talking about Lamar Odom. He compared Odom to James Spader in that their roles as supporting actors/players let them flourish more than if they were the main star (or player) or the co-star.

Odom was thought of after being drafted to be a #1. He didn't fit the big star role. For a while, he's being a second banana. He's done well in that slot, but he's not going to deliver every game. In a #3 role, behind Kobe and Gasol, he's one of the best #3 in the game. That's his natural spot. Spader is the same way: he has big star looks and style, but he's too quirky to be a #1. He can fill in as a co-star okay, but he's amazing in a supporting role as a #3 star. The only exception so far is Boston Legal, where he's expected to take on the #1 spot, but he doesn't mind moving down for someone like Shatner and/or Bergen.

Take the Jack Nicholson movie "Wolf" as an example. Jack takes top billing, Michelle Pfeiffer is a fit at #2, Spader excels as the pompous smart-ass executive as the #3 star in the movie.

Affleck is great #2 guy (co-star) when he's cast in a role that fits him. Affleck is made to be the smart-ass street-smart guy. It's wrong to typecast like that, but that's what he's good in.

 

Affleck was great in Chasing Amy. After seeing that, I don't think we should question his acting ability. Now, his choices, that's another issue, but the man can act.

 

Very good movie, but I never understood the craze over it.
solid three out of four stars

 

I'm a GWH fan. Went and watched the "apples" scene on youtube after reading this thread. I'm always impressed by scenes that establish characters, the kind where you know somebody's (fill in attribute here) but then one scene still has you thinking "Damn, that guy's (attribute)." Lots of those in this movie. You know how smart Damon is, you know how close his friends are, you know how great Driver is for him, you know how much Robin Williams can help him. And how much those two freaking love Boston ...

 

Thanks. Must admit I got the idea from a Boston Globe article a few years back about why we Bostonians love Matt Damon, but not Ben Affleck (this was during the Bennifer days). So it's not original, but it's true.

 

People tell me I should love GWH. Well . . . not quite.

In the same vein, people told me I would love Almost Famous. They were dead-on, about that one.

 

I'd argue that Matt Damon has made the best decisions of any "big" movie star of at least this generation. When is the last time (has he ever) been in a bad movie? He doesn't get overexposed, he's married to a regular woman I think so he's not in US Weekly every week and he's not too proud to play a supporting role even though he is a big star -- Ocean's 11, Saving Private Ryan and a few others that are escaping me at the moment.