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Good Will Hunting

Great movie. Though I’m certain an experienced, uncredited writer helped Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

• The end, Little thing

There’s a great sandwich in the movie, a sandwich being something- a line of dialogue, an action- that is set-up and then later delivered for comedic or dramatic effect. Many writers know this as planting a seed. I like sandwiches!

In the second half of the story, Ben tells Will (something like), “You know what’s the best part of my day? The ten seconds when I’m walking up to your door and I’m thinking you won’t be there when I knock. That you’ll be gone without a word.” Great set-up. Problem is, when Ben comes knocking on Will’s door at the end of the movie, we have already seen that Will is not there- he’s delivering the letter to Sean. So now the dramatic effect is just learning that he’s completely gone. Why not do those scenes one after the other instead of intercutting? First show Ben knocking and realizing that Will has left for good. Then show Will dropping off the letter and driving into the sunset.

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