By Tim Mountain and Kevin O’Malley
Welcome to the third 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 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% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
This week we will be comparing GWH to Friendship – a state of strong mutual affection between two or more people.
Kevin: Well Tim, things are getting personal with this week’s review.
Tim: Personal indeed, Kevin. We’re comparing our favorite movie to friendship this week, which is probably my other favorite thing.
K: Oh, me too. Friendship is a unique thing that only those lucky enough to experience it can truly speak toward. Not to brag, but I’d say we’re experts.
T: And we’re experts because-well, let’s address the elephant in the room-we’re friends. With each other.
K: Every day.
T: Friendship is really special. Few things make me feel as happy as friendship does. Making a new friend is a rush of gratifying euphoria, and seeing an old friend is a feeling of fuzzy, comforting warmth.
K: Moreover, friends are people who you can consistently rely on for a positive source of company and camaraderie.
T: I think this issue may be illuminated by bringing in a case study. I propose that of Erin Kiernan, somebody with whom we are both close friends.
K: I think Erin is a good example here. Really a textbook friend. We share common interests, grade level, have comparable attractiveness and have exchanged secrets; so this will have stakes.
T: Erin’s friendship checks all the boxes, but it doesn’t just meet the minimum. You, Erin and I are engaged in a mutual web of support. We are loyal to each other, honest with each other, and our relationship is characterized more by respect than anything else.
K: I’d say being friends with someone like Erin is nice. She certainly fits a lot of qualities of a person I would normally categorize as a friend. She is willing to help me out in a variety of both serious and recreational situations, and is certainly capable of making me laugh as well as being responsive to the humor which I project.
T: I agree. Being friends with Erin has been nothing short of a joy, but there are material benefits to being her friend, too. For example, sometimes, she takes cool photos of us.
K: True. Erin certainly allows for lasting memories of us to exist in photo form. GWH is definitely more of a one-way receptor of media.
T: Yeah, Erin is very interactive, and I think that’s true of most friends. You can have a conversation with her, which is more than can be said for GWH.
K: Yes, but as someone with a need for consistency and familiarity, sometimes a friendship is too malleable of structure. Sometimes, for example, Erin is not available to hang out with or talk to because she is in class or asleep. GWH is constantly at the ready on my laptop and a perfect fit for any of my problems or celebrations.
T: Not to mention the fact that I can be certain GWH will never betray me. I’m pretty sure Erin will never betray me, but with GWH, it’s impossible. Erin and I have a special bond–a sibling-like one, to be sure–but siblings are less permanent than movies.
K: Will Hunting would agree, as someone who grew up with a plethora of “brothers,” but only maintains consistent relations with three of them.
T: I’ll be honest, I’m on the fence for this one.
K: Not me. I’m going GWH all the way. I definitely rely on friendship for my own well-being and social status, but in a perfect world, none of that would matter and I could be at peace with who I am as an individual. And as an individual, I love this movie.
T: Gun to my head, if I had to choose between friendship and GWH, I’d give it to GWH. Friendship provides that human connection that everyone needs in their lives, but ultimately, GWH is always going to be there for me.
K: And me!
T: All of us. Some people have a tough time making friends, but nobody has a tough time enjoying GWH.
