Good Will Hunting Essay Example
Good Will Hunting Essay Example

Good Will Hunting Essay Example

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  • Pages: 5 (1210 words)
  • Published: October 17, 2017
  • Type: Book Review
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The film Good Will Hunting centers around the character of Will Hunting, a janitor at MIT who resides in a rough neighborhood in South Boston. Despite his exceptional mathematical abilities, he grapples with finding his place in society. Portrayed by Matt Damon, Will is an exceptionally intelligent individual burdened by a troubled past and psyche. Having endured severe abuse during childhood and facing multiple encounters with the law, he is mandated to undergo therapy instead of serving jail time.

Professor Lambed, portrayed by Stellar Skyward, aids Will in avoiding incarceration by persuading the judge to place him under his care. The two work on mathematical problems while also seeking psychological assistance. After unsuccessful attempts with other therapists, Professor Lambed approaches his colleague and friend Sean, played by Robin Williams. Sean, a psychologist himself, agrees to assist Will despi

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te their complicated and volatile relationship. He holds faith in his ability to guide Will towards stability and happiness.

Aside from his job as a janitor, much of Will's life revolves around the company of friends such as Chuck (Ben Fleck). Although they enjoy spending time together, their activities often lead to conflicts and legal issues. Due to his tumultuous upbringing and strained interactions with authority figures, particularly stemming from trust issues caused by abuse during childhood experiences; anger management becomes an ongoing struggle for Will. Furthermore, he faces challenges when it comes to social engagement due to difficulties interacting with others.

Upon observing the character Will in the movie, it became clear that he displays symptoms of reactive attachment disorder (RAD). According to the ADSM-IV-TRY definition, RAD is characterized by severely disrupted and inappropriate social behaviors acros

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different situations. This disorder can manifest in two forms: inhibited or disinhibited. The inhibited form refers to a persistent inability to initiate or respond appropriately to social interactions, while the disinhibited form involves excessive familiarity with unfamiliar individuals.

RAD stems from a failure to develop healthy attachments with primary caregivers during early childhood. This failure could be due to experiences of neglect or abuse, sudden separation from caregivers between six months and three years old, frequent changes in caregivers, or lack of responsiveness from caregivers towards a child's attempts at communication (2000).

During their initial therapy session, Sean asked Will questions. However, having encountered many psychologists before, Will knew how to protect himself from their influence. He sensed Sean's emotional vulnerability and attacked him by probing about his spouse. Despite this difference from previous psychologists, Sean understood the underlying reasons for Will's behavior and continued with the therapy session while addressing those concerns.Will struggled to express his emotions, but Sean, acting as more of a friend and mentor rather than a psychologist, found alternative ways to connect with him. By revealing parts of his own life, Sean reassured Will that sharing his feelings would not result in negative consequences. Sean employed Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to help Will. CBT is based on the belief that our thoughts influence our emotions and actions, rather than external factors. This therapy allows individuals to change their thinking patterns in order to improve their emotional well-being and behaviors, regardless of whether the situation itself changes. Therapists utilize this approach to understand their clients' life aspirations and help them achieve those goals. The therapist's role is to listen, educate, and support while the

client's role includes expressing concerns, acquiring knowledge, and putting that knowledge into practice (ENACT 2007). Due to his difficulty in trusting others on an intimate level, Will only finds resonance with characters from the books he reads aside from his friends. Will and the psychologist Sean had an interesting conversation that revealed Will's comfort with the doctor through his use of humor. Sean asked Will if he had a soul mate; in response, Will asked for a definition. Sean explained that a soul mate is someone who you can relate to and who opens up new perspectives for you.Will mentioned that he had numerous soul mates, including Shakespeare, Nietzsche, Frost, and O'Connor. Sean pointed out that all of them are deceased. Will countered by stating that they are still alive to him. Sean highlighted the difficulty of having a conversation with them. Will jokingly replied that it would require a heater and smelling salts. When the professor tried to assist Will in finding a job, he felt overwhelmed and believed people would exploit his talent and treat him as an object rather than a person. Despite knowing he could easily do the professor's job, Will preferred working in construction over explaining math to someone like Professor Lambed. This lack of empathy was evident throughout various aspects of Will's behavior. His ego and fear hindered him from seeking help except from his best friend Chuck. Sean recognized this communication barrier and attempted different techniques to break through it. Taking Will by the lake, Sean engaged him in conversation while empathizing with his struggles due to experiencing difficulties following his wife's death. Eventually, Will and Sean developed

a bond resembling that of father and son; however, Will has a tendency to generalize things as a way to emotionally protect himself - known as cognitive distortions.
Aaron Beck, the creator of cognitive therapy, defines personalization as the inclination to hold extreme beliefs based on a single incident and incorrectly applying them to other situations. For instance, Will believes that true love only exists among his three friends. He also believes that Skylark, Minnie Driver's character, will eventually abandon him due to his past experiences of abuse and abandonment. This fear leads him to withhold expressing his love for her and instead hurt her feelings by denying his own affection. On the other hand, Sean uses existential therapy to assist Will in overcoming his fear and embracing life as it unfolds, ultimately guiding him towards discovering the purpose of his existence. Existential psychotherapy is built upon the belief that humans experience a sense of isolation in the world, resulting in feelings of meaninglessness. These emotions can only be overcome by creating personal values and meanings. In the story, with encouragement from his friend Chuck, Will manages to break free from his reclusive state by leaving his unsatisfying job and town behind. Reflecting on his life, he realizes that he can achieve success like anyone else without fear holding him back. He decides to take charge of his own life and let go of a victim mentality. To celebrate his 21st birthday, Will's friends surprise him with a renovated Chevrolet Nova at their usual bar spot.

In the end, Will has a job interview set up by a professor. He follows Chuck's advice and leaves his apartment

without saying farewell to his friends. On his way, he stops by Jean's office and leaves a note explaining his intentions, referencing Jean's famous quote "I had to go see about a girl." The movie ends with Chuck arriving at Will's place only to find that he has already left. Despite feeling saddened, Chuck is also satisfied knowing that Will has chosen to pursue a brighter future. The film concludes as Will drives off into the sunset with Skylark, heading towards California to start a new chapter in his life.

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