As one of the feelgood films of the 1990’s Good Will Hunting was among the favorites of those that enjoy a well-played drama. It had good acting, a stellar cast, and even a hint of comedy here and there that broke up the tension now and again. It also showed once more that Robin Williams wasn’t bound just by his ability to be a funny man, but could really act as well. There wasn’t much the actors needed to do except be themselves on screen, and for the most part that worked out just fine.
There are still a few things you might not know about the film that could interest you.
10. Robin Williams’ last line was ad-libbed.
Robin Williams was known for ad-libbing constantly and most directors wouldn’t even mind so long as the things he said made sense and fit with the movie. This last line, “Son of b—-, he stole my line.” was not in the script and was all his own creation.
9. The wife-farting scene was entirely unscripted.
When Sean talks about his wife waking herself up by passing gas Will’s reaction is genuine and their lines from that point on are pretty much ad-libbed.
8. Skylar’s role was based on an ex-girlfriend of Matt Damon’s.
It’s amusing really that Damon had a girlfriend name Skylar while he was at Harvard, the same school that Minnie Driver’s character is attending in the movie.
7. Minnie Driver and Matt Damon were actually dating during production but broke it off afterwards.
The two had more than an onscreen fling but didn’t last too long after the movie. Maybe they counted it as advanced research to make their roles more believable.
6. Sean’s role is based off of Matt Damon’s parents.
Sean is based off of Matt’s mom and his dad and how they interacted with him during his life.
5. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were adamant about getting Minnie Driver for Skylar’s part.
The director was almost completely against Minnie Driver taking the part of Skylar on account of he believed she wasn’t pretty enough. But Affleck and Damon gave him the business until he relented.
4. The name of the company that Affleck interviews for in lieu of Damon is called Holden & McNeil. His name in Chasing Amy is Holden McNeil.
That just seemed kind of funny really, like something that Affleck and Damon would put in there just for laughs.
3. The script for this movie started as a school assignment.
From humble beginnings you can sometimes get some of the greatest ideas. It gives hope to a lot of would be screenwriters that all it takes is the right person reading your script and possibly liking it to get something pushed forward.
2. Casey Affleck did a lot of ad-libbing.
Some stars tend to get away with a few extra lines here and there so long as it contributes the overall scene.
1. This is Matt Damon’s favorite movie that he’s been in.
Out of all the movies he’s done this is Damon’s favorite. That’s not too surprising but it’s kind of a nice testament to how special this film was.
Raise your hand if you’ve watched this movie multiple times. (Raises hand)
Follow Us
