Good Will Hunting: Chalked with Symbolism, or Over-reading?

Initially, having not watched Good Will Hunting for a number of years, I didn’t the selection of this film to coincide with chapter three’s focuses on elements of good visual storytelling. Honestly, I thought that this was the type of film that a person could only listen to the audio and still thoroughly enjoy. However, I’m now amazed by all the visual symbolism that I missed in previous viewings. In particular, this film is a good example of characterization through appearance, dialogue, and external action in its depiction of these South Boston natives. Also, I’ve known for some time that both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting. But before analyzing the symbolic elements of this film in much greater detail, I never truly realized the genius these two writers displayed at such a young age. This film certainly has an interesting story that is both appropriately simple and complex simultaneously.

The symbolic elements of visual storytelling throughout Good Will Hunting are likely interpreted differently by different individuals; thus, the quality of symbolism. In my opinion, most of the symbolic elements in this film represent fear. Clearly fear is a major topic that existed in the lives of these damaged characters. Psychologist, Michael Huber, has published an article online entitled Counterphobia: Hunting for Good Will that analyzes aspects of this film. Huber describes Matt Damon’s character, Will, as a “clear example of a type 6 on the Enneagram personality system. But there is a very strong and repeated attempt on Will's part to deny the fear. Consequently Will represents the counterphobic extreme of what I call the type 6 bipolar spectrum. It is the tough, competent, challenging side that is presented to the public. But privately, on the inside, the psychic landscape is dominated by fear” (Huber, 2002). The painting of the boat in a storm clearly referenced this fear and aloneness. Conversely, the car given to Will at the end of the movie, as most people accurately identified, could represent freedom. I will add, however, that in addition to the freedom to leave South Boston, this symbol represented freedom from Will’s past, his childhood, his mistakes in life, and mainly the fear that dominated his life through that point. Clearly it was not a coincidence that this scene occurred shortly after Will made a significant breakthrough in therapy.

Finally, the title of Good Will Hunting has always brought questions to my mind about its intent and symbolism. Many other students have already come up with some good interpretations and analysis of the title’s meaning. Needless to say, it’s yet another example of brilliant writing and storytelling that adds to the intrigue of this unique film.

I will add one last note, however, with regard to over-reading of symbolism. Although this is a very visually symbolic film that focuses on deep-seeded psychological issues, I can’t help but wonder how much over-reading of the film’s symbolic elements occurs. Remembering that both Damon and Affleck were in their early twenties when they wrote this film, is it possible that the slow-motion fight scene or other visual elements were inserted merely because they “looked cool”? Perhaps we’ll never know, and maybe that’s the point.