Good Will Hunting (1997)

I am literally two days (a little less than) from embarking on a real 30 day film challenge and there were some films that I wanted to catch up on before I did that. One of those films happens to be considered a classic and one that Sheldon had recommended to me so this is also a Sheldon's Choice film, but for today we checked out 1997's Good Will Hunting which was directed by Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho). The film stars Matt Damon (Downsizing) as Will Hunting, a janitor who has had it rough while living in South Boston, but one day that all changes. Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård), A professor at MIT always puts up math problems that are hard to solve, but not for Will who easily answers it. Lambeau is baffled by it and upon meeting Will feels that he just needs the right kind of push to move his life in the right direction and so he hires a psychologist to help Will. The film also stars Robin Williams (Hook) as Sean, Ben Affleck (Dazed And Confused) as Chuckie,  Casey Affleck (A Ghost Story) as Morgan, Cole Hauser (Dazed And Confused) as Billy, Minnie Driver (Grosse Pointe Blank) as Skylar, Scott William Winters (The People Vs Larry Flynt) as Clark, and George Plimpton (L.A. Story) as Psychologist.

First things first and that is I cannot believe that I waited 23 years to watch this film and you'll notice that a lot with me if you pay attention to some of my film selections. The second thing is that there is a reason that this film was nominated for nine Oscars back in the day because it was that good even though they only won two awards. Robin Williams needs no introduction and after watching this film there was no denying that he was going to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor because he did his job and he supported Matt Damon and elevated him throughout the film. The amazing feet is that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote this film together and they won the Oscar for Best Writing directly for the big screen and deservedly so. The film is so much more than a fun look at Boston accents because it was the look at the effects of abuse and what it did to a kid who was afraid of rejection. He is so afraid of it that he pushes people away and he is so afraid of pushing himself that he is stuck in South Boston breaking bricks. All he needed was the right guy to push the right buttons which was Robin William's character, but more important than that was what Ben Affleck told him in the film. It's easy to dismiss outsiders and their advice, but when it comes from someone you trust like your best friend then it really resonates with you. This was a beautiful film with some amazing cinematography, great acting, and some amazing editing. If you have not seen this yet then you need to get off your a** and do so. I am giving the film an A+ for a final grade.

A Ghost Story (2017)

There are films that completely fly under the radar that when I read about them I have to check them out. A Ghost Story is one of those films that I once saw in the coming soon section of my Redbox app that just never came to my area which in turn also means I never got to watch the film. Now that has all changed thanks to the fact that Netflix has to step up their game in a big way and I checked it out for today. The film stars Academy Award Winner Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) as C, a musician who has a hard time letting go of things like the house he lives in even though his wife wants to leave. One day C is in a car accident and he dies leaving him a spectre that follows his newly estranged wife back to the house that he will not spend all of eternity in as he learns to let go. The film also stars Rooney Mara (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) as M,  Kenneisha Thompson (The Old Man & The Gun) as Doctor, Liz Cardenas (Never Goin' Back) as Linda, Barlow Jacobs (The Old Man & The Gun) as Gentlemen Caller, Sonia Acevedo (Queen Of The South) as Maria, Will Oldham (This Must Be The Place) as Prognosticator, Ke$ha (Jem And The Holograms) as Spirit Girl, Brea Grant (Halloween 2) as Clara, and the film was directed by David Lowery (Pete's Dragon).

One thing that I found super interesting about the film was the fact that time does not really exist for ghosts as seen in this film. One minute he is looking at a family living in his house in the summer, he turns one cheek, and the next it's Christmas time. I thought that was amazing because here is not willing to let go of the house until he can get that note out of the wall and it's so far into the future and the house is being knocked down. Now what does he do with his time? Does he let go? It's super interesting to see what happens in the film because he is still tied to the land and he has to start all over again. There is an article on IMDB.com that lists the ten films that influenced this one and the director breaks it down for you with each film. If you want to check that out you can do so here. There are times when there is not a lot of dialogue because he's a ghost after all and he has a sheet over him so it wouldn't make much sense, but this was a film that didn't need it. The film conveys it's thoughts through actions and through those actions you can definitely see how he is feeling. If you have a chance and you want to check out some great story telling, then head over to Netflix and watch it. I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.