As always, I feel I need to make my excuses for waiting the best part of three decades before finally watching this film. Thing is, though,I don't know what my excuse is. It may have to do with a mild aversion to Robin Williams, but I couldn't swear to it. Regardless, it has been on my radar since it came out.
My image of the film was of something sentimental, warm and whimsical. Only the first two are arguably present, and in smaller quantities than I'd envisaged. I was pleasantly surprised by the grittiness to the film, particularly when it came to Will and his gang. Their bravado, predilection for sometimes violent confrontations and their earthy language reminded me of
Saturday Night Fever (another film where there's more to it than the poster image).
Will's edge in particular was surprising because one looks at the poster image and sees a wholesome-looking all-American boy, so I'd kind of decided the film was about this nice boy forming a friendship with a teacher who is somewhat remote. Instead, Will is the one with the challenging behaviour, and I really like the idea of one damaged person trying to reach another.
Another surprise was the soundtrack of vintage, folksy songs, sometimes at odds with the imagery on screen (as in the scene where Will and his friends get into a bloody fight in the basketball court). They - along with touches such as the ancient car presented to Will - serve as a reminder that this film is not really of its time and place. Instead there's something timeless about it.
Even though I never actually saw it, this film was my first awareness of either Matt Damon or Ben Affleck. Such was the buzz about it. In many ways, they still feel like these hot new kids on the scene, but what an exciting time this would have been, when they actually were these two relative newbies enjoying double duty as leading men and screenwriters. And what a script this is. Peppered in among the naturalistic prose come a series of winning, lengthy monologues as they use language to break someone down or to build them up. Their Academy Award win was thoroughly deserved.
I feel differently about Robin Williams's win, though. Not because it isn't a great performance - it is - but because, despite the film crediting actors in order of appearance, Williams really got top billing as seen on the poster. To nominate him for Best
Supporting Actor is a diabolical cheat. He should have been up against Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman and, yes, even Matt Damon. Williams probably wouldn't have won, but at least it would have been a noble loss rather than a sneaky win.
On the subject of supporting actors, there are so many good turns here, and the chemistry between any combination of actors is off the charts. There's a brilliant scene in a joke shop where Matt Damon and Minnie Driver say their lines while trying on a series of different funny noses and boggle eyes and whatnot, while trying not to corpse. It's very endearing, and feels as though they're simply improvising. Many of Minnie's scenes feel this way. Crucially, it's with her character that Will comes to life and feels complete.
The ending pulls off the combination of satisfying and bittersweet, which works for me.
