“Good Will Hunting” is a 1997 American drama film directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The film follows 20-year-old South Boston janitor Will Hunting, an unrecognized genius who, as part of a deferred prosecution agreement after assaulting a police officer, becomes a client of a therapist and studies advanced mathematics with a renowned professor. Through his therapy sessions, Will re-evaluates his relationships with his best friend, his girlfriend, and himself, facing the significant task of confronting his past and thinking about his future. Here are 20 of the most popular quotes from the film:
- “It’s not your fault.” – Sean
- “I’d ask you about love, you’d probably quote me a sonnet. But you’ve never looked at a woman and been totally vulnerable.” – Sean
- “Your move, chief.” – Sean
- “I gotta see about a girl.” – Will
- “You’re not perfect, sport. And let me save you the suspense. This girl you met, she isn’t perfect either. But the question is whether or not you are perfect for each other.” – Sean
- “Real loss is only possible when you love something more than you love yourself.” – Sean
- “Some people can’t believe in themselves until someone else believes in them first.” – Sean
- “I’m not a lab rat!” – Will
- “Sometimes I wish I had never met you because then I could go to sleep at night not knowing there was someone like you out there.” – Gerald
- “Time’s the most precious thing we have, no matter how much we make, we can’t manufacture time.” – Chuckie
- “I don’t fuckin’ care. It falls on you all the same. Who should I help?” – Will
- “You can do anything you want, you are bound by nothing.” – Sean
- “What’re you so scared of? What, you think I’m gonna put you in a room with a bunch of students who think they’re smarter than you?” – Prof. Gerald Lambeau
- “I think that’s a super philosophy, Will. That way you can go through your entire life without ever having to really know anybody.” – Sean
- “I just don’t wanna do that, living under a bridge, scrounging for scraps. Your boy’s wicked smart.” – Sean
- “You don’t know about real loss, because it only occurs when you’ve loved something more than you love yourself.” – Sean
- “He pushes people away before they get a chance to leave him. It’s a defense mechanism.” – Skylar
- “You wasted $150,000 on an education you coulda got for $1.50 in late fees at the public library.” – Will
- “Most days I wish I never met you ’cause then I could sleep at night. I didn’t have to walk around with the knowledge that there was someone like you out there.” – Gerald
- “See, the sad thing about a guy like you is in 50 years you’re gonna start doing some thinking on your own and you’re gonna come up with the fact that there are two certainties in life. One, don’t do that. And Two, you dropped 150 grand on a fuckin’ education you coulda got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library. ” – Will
“Good Will Hunting” managed to convey complex themes of love, friendship, and self-worth in a memorable and touching way, as evidenced by these quotes. Its exquisite dialogue earned it the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, written by stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.