By Tim Mountain and Kevin O’Malley

Welcome to the fifth edition of “Is It Better Than Good Will Hunting?,” the weekly culture review column where Kevin O’Malley and Tim Mountain compare food, media, experiences and more against the world of art that produced the Oscar-winning film Good Will Hunting.

Good Will Hunting (GWH) is a 1997 coming-of-age drama starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver and Robin Williams. It was directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Damon and Affleck. It currently holds a 97 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

This week, we compare GWH to that one friend who always had a stocked fridge growing up.

Tim: Kevin, this week’s topic is really fun. I think this one is relatable for a lot of people – we all had that one friend growing up whose fridge was stocked to the brim with ice cold beverages.

Kevin: And we all know who it was too. For me it was James Sullivan. He had Capri Suns and Dr. Peppers stocked all the way to the back of the fridge.

Tim: In my friend group, it was Kieve Colligan. His basement fridge was affectionately named the “Fridge of Many Beverages.” Water bottles, Cokes, Frescas and lemonades were never in shortage.

Kevin: That’s important to note: it was rarely the main fridge in the household. Whether it was in the basement or the garage, these stocked fridges were hidden gems somewhere outside the kitchen.

Tim: For those of us who were privileged enough to grow up with a friend whose fridge was always full, it was one of the most important parts of our childhood. But how does it all stack up against one of the greatest movies ever?

Kevin: Always so tough to see two things I love in combat against one another, but it’s what I signed up for. I just never knew GWH would be coming after my childhood. I relied upon these fridges as much then as I do on GWH now.

Tim: I agree. Kieve’s fridge got me through some tough times. And drinking the caffeinated beverages is probably the origin of my debilitating caffeine dependency. My debilitating GWH dependency didn’t start until I was in college.

Kevin: I’d say canned Hawaiian Punch was one of the highlights for me in James’ fridge. But do I really value that above the scene in GWH when Professor Lambeau finally convinces Sean to take on Will as a patient? I mean, that is such a powerful moment of two dynamics clashing over someone they barely know.

Tim: When I think of the best qualities of Kieve’s fridge, a couple virtues come to mind: convenience, deliciousness and comfort. GWH doesn’t even provide deliciousness. I’m in a bit of a bind here, Kevin.

Kevin: Tim, stay strong. We’ve faced deliciousness once before with the “Hashtag” review. We overcame it then, and we can now. For inspiration, just think of the willpower it took Chuckie to let Will move away.

Tim: You’re right. I need to channel Chuckie’s strength and folksy, blue-collar Bostonian wisdom. Which is to say, Chuckie would’ve grabbed a soda from his childhood best friend’s fridge, but he never would’ve chosen it over a feel-good family drama. I’m leaning towards GWH on this one.

Kevin: Maybe my bark is bigger than my bite. The more and more I think about seeing tri-colored Gatorades filled to the brim in the bottom draw of James’ fridge after some driveway basketball, the harder it is for me to choose GWH. Tim, I need your help here.

Tim: Well, Kevin, it’s not my job to convince you of anything. But it comes down to a simple dichotomy that appeals to our most basic human faculties: warm vs. cold. Cold drinks are going to cool you down in the summer, but it will never come close to warming you up the way GWH does both physically and emotionally.

Kevin: I guess that’s true. I could have all the MUG Root Beer I wanted, but at the end of the day, I needed to go home for dinner. The fridges were clearly important to us, but it doesn’t quite cover the floor like GWH does.

Tim: You’re absolutely right, Kev-o. Soda delays the inevitable. It’s delicious, it’ll hold you over and it’s awesome to have a friend who has a full spread of it, but like you said, it’s not nourishment.

Kevin: I feel like I just flatlined and was defibrillated. I’m back, baby. I would kill for soda from James’ ever-repopulating refrigerator, but I would die for GWH. Case Closed.