Nicely directed by Gus Van Sant (this is probably the most mainstream movie from the man who made To Die For and My Own Private Idaho), Good Will Hunting is mostly notable for the maturity and insight of a script written by a couple of twentysomethings. Will's history of abuse at the hands of foster parents has taught him to keep emotional distance from everyone. But Sean, whose life has had its own ups and downs, points out to Will that for all his book smarts and street smarts, he won't really be participating in the world and in his own life until he lets other people in. Damon and Affleck were clever enough to create a kind of Amadeus/Salieri relationship between Will and Lambeau, the older man jealous of the younger's easy genius. And Will's relationships with his best friend, Chuckie (Affleck), and new girlfriend, Skylar (Minnie Driver), resonate with a depth that unfortunately few other movies approach.

Good Will Hunting could be seen as an oblique commentary on the way our society deals with gifted children. Will, of course, is miles above "ordinary" gifted kids, but he's in the same situation. While mentally or physically handicapped children receive special instruction -- as well they should -- the very smart are left to fend for themselves -- even programs for the gifted rarely involve more than extra work, not work specially geared to smarter kids. Why was Will's genius unrecognized except by his friends? Did no teacher he ever came across at school see his potential? If not for his little encounter with the MIT blackboard, Will probably would have gone through his whole life as little more than a fun little freak show for his friends, a walking encyclopedia.

Gifted kids are left to pull themselves up by their bootstraps -- hell, they're smart enough. But adults forget that they're still children. They need some guidance from caring adults in order to figure out what to do with themselves.

Just like Will Hunting did.