Originally setup at Castle Rock, Rob Reiner had Damon and Affleck focus on the relationship between Will and his therapist. Perhaps it’s possible Good Will Hunting had a Real Genius slant…but, you know, without all the popcorn. I wonder how close the NSA/code breaking monologue was to the external goals of those drafts. In early drafts, Will’s recruited by a government organization that eventually attempts to kidnap and/or kill him. Hard to imagine this film as a thriller, but that’s exactly what it started out as.
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Click here to download my Good Will Hunting script analysis (PDF). Click here if you’re looking for the Good Will Hunting screenplay. Released in December 1997, Good Will Hunting earned $225 million worldwide on a production budget of $10 million, making bankable stars out of Damon and Affleck. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck did it with Good Will Hunting. This list focuses on his theatrical run performances otherwise, you’d likely see his unforgettable turn as Scott Thorson in Steven Soderbergh’s HBO movie, “Behind the Candelabra,” for which he received an Emmy nomination for best actor.It’s rare when twenty-something actors write something so well received, let alone so profitable. The Ridley Scott-directed epic stars Damon as Sir Jean de Carrouges, a man who challenges Jacques Le Gris (played by Adam Driver) to a duel after being accused of raping his wife (played exquisitely by Jodie Comer). “Stillwater” was the first film to hold an Oscars FYC special screening in the summer at the Harmony Gold Theater in Los Angeles, which presented an excellent turnout.ĭamon has also re-teamed with his childhood BFF Affleck to co-write “The Last Duel” with Oscar-nominated scribe Nicole Holofcener. This year, he’s already turned in one of his best career performances in Tom McCarthy’s “Stillwater,” an outing that’s received mixed reception but one that distributor Focus Features hopes to make some waves on the awards circuit. In addition to his double Oscar noms for “Good Will Hunting” in actor and screenplay, he was recognized by the Academy in supporting actor for “Invictus” (2009), another lead mention for “The Martian” (2015) and as a producer for “Manchester by the Sea” (2016), which won original screenplay for Kenneth Lonergan and actor for Casey Affleck. At 27 (Damon) and 25 (Affleck), they were the youngest winners of the category’s history.ĭamon has had an impressive awards run over his career, finding five total Oscar nominations over four separate categories.
In addition, the film won two Academy Awards - supporting actor for Robin Williams (one of the best Oscar moments in history) and original screenplay. Co-writing the drama with his best friend Ben Affleck, the Gus Van Sant-directed film was a box office success, grossing over $225 million against a $10 million budget. Getting his early start and breaking through with small, cameo roles in movies such as “Mystic Pizza” (1988) and the prep-school drama “School Ties” (1992), it was his role as Will Hunting, a young mathematics genius who is a janitor at Harvard University, where Damon also attended, that launched him to stardom.
To celebrate his birthday, Variety is ranking his best film performances. Matt Damon has cemented himself as one of the most recognizable and passionate actors of his generation.