Natey & Katy: At the Movies
Natey & Katy are two friends who love movies and love talking about them. Join them on their cinematic journey!
Natey & Katy: At the Movies
Layers of Genius and Emotional Depth in a Cinematic Classic
Join us for an engaging conversation with Connor, our spirited Australian movie enthusiast and fellow podcaster, as we unravel the many layers of "Good Will Hunting." We explore the film's unforgettable journey of Will Hunting—played by Matt Damon—a janitor with extraordinary mathematical talents who's guided toward self-discovery by a compassionate psychologist, played by the inimitable Robin Williams. Connor shares his admiration for the film's portrayal of hidden talents and the pivotal role emotional support plays, while we dive deep into the intricacies of the heartfelt connection between Williams' and Damon's characters. Together, we celebrate relatable moments, the power of friendship, and the Oscar-winning performance that has left an indelible mark on the film industry.
As we navigate the emotional depth of "Good Will Hunting," we reflect on the universal themes of friendship and mentorship, drawing parallels with personal anecdotes and real-life experiences of counseling and emotional growth. This episode highlights the importance of having a support system, with nods to the unforgettable characters portrayed by Ben Affleck and Robin Williams. We touch upon Connor's podcast (The Media Magpie), entertain the humorous notion of renaming it "Moonpie," and tease upcoming topics like a feature on Billie Eilish. As is tradition, we close with a memorable quote from the film, encapsulating its lasting emotional impact.
Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new episode of Nadie and Katie at the Movies. I'm your host, nathan, aka Nadie, of course, and with me today is two special guests. Well, katie's not, I mean, katie's always here, so I mean sorry. So, katie, you're here. Hi, katie, how?
Speaker 2:are you? I'm here. I finally decided on my snack while we are eating Colorful goldfish full of every artificial coloring you could desire good times and our special guest.
Speaker 1:Go ahead, introduce yourself, please hi, my name's connor.
Speaker 3:Uh, I'm a movie lover and I also have my own uh podcast as well oh that, oh, that's a lovely accent you have there.
Speaker 1:What is it?
Speaker 3:New Jersey no, it's Australian. I'm from Australia.
Speaker 2:See, I was going to guess Boston, but that was wrong too.
Speaker 1:Ah, I see what you did there. That was nice. That was nice. It's a nice segue to the movie we're going to be talking about today. We're talking about Good Will Hunting. Before we can talk about our likes and dislikes, I have to go over the synopsis. Will Hunting, a janitor at MIT, has a gift for mathematics but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life. Good Will Hunting stars Robin Williams, matt Damon, ben Affleck and Stellan Skarsgård, so let's just dive right into this. We've talked about it, I think a little bit. Our last episode. We kind of gave a hint of what my thoughts are going to be about this movie. So, connor, since you are our special guest, why did you pick this movie out of all the movies I sent you? Why was this one the one you're like? Why did you pick this movie out of all the movies I sent you? What? Why was this one the one you're like?
Speaker 3:let's talk about this movie well, I remember first watching this movie and it was just a very interesting, intriguing movie, how, like a janitor um played by which matt damon amazing like actor, like oh god, I love his work. He's just in the background, you know, he's living sort of the poor life but he's, he's very gifted and people wouldn't people, I guess, wouldn't perceive that and see that as him, as a gifted person, and he comes out and then draws on the chalkboard and they're all in shock that this janitor's sort of done this. But it's also so. It's a story of someone who's just showing off their talents. But it's also a story of just someone you know getting help and getting the support they need because he's broken as much as he wants to. You know he looks like he's fine and he's living his life. He's a broken guy and he shuts people off without you know giving them a chance to you know sort of learn who he is.
Speaker 3:It a very interesting like movie and it was even made by matt damon as well. It was written by him. So he yeah, it was, I don't know. It was just a very intriguing movie and I definitely wanted to talk about it yeah, it's.
Speaker 1:It's definitely one of my favorite robin william movies, because you have robin williams who's known for, you know, aladdin birdcage, mrs doubtfire, all these out there comedies, and then he does this film and he just brings it.
Speaker 1:Yes, there's still some humor in there, including the scene with him and Matt Damon where he talks about how his wife farted in her sleep. Apparently that was improv and it was brilliant and it just fit the moment. But then he also gives these heart wrenching speeches to Matt Damon's character and, like you said, really reaches out to him in a way that probably no one has ever done before. But he doesn't have that parent system, he doesn't have that support system. He has his friends, like Ben Affleck's character, which Ben Affleck and Matt Damon wrote this movie together, and it's just a brilliant performance by robin williams and that's the number one reason why I think it's so high on the imdb uh movie list that we're going with this season is because of just that standout performance, and I believe he even won the oscar for best supporting actor, which was obviously deserved. So, katie, what were things about this movie that you were like? This movie deserves to be this high up on the list.
Speaker 2:As I've said before, most of the movies on the IMDb list tend to favor male audience. I would say you know there's one female character in this movie, but this is one. I think anyone watching this movie can relate to a character. I mean there are so many dynamic characters happening, even some of the smaller roles you could go as small as to say their buddy that they just rag on all the time and he just never. He wants to fit in with them but he's just always getting ragged on and that he wants to belong so badly that he's willing to take that Even a small character like that there are many times in my life I've had a lot of relationships with people, whether friendships or maybe dating in younger years, where I identified with even the girlfriend in terms of being with somebody, realizing that you can only change so much. I cannot fix broken wounds. I cannot fix things that are innate to you and how you look at life. There's no way I'm going to love you into that necessarily. It really had to come from within himself, which is why I think, as you said, robin Williams gets an Oscar for his portrayal of the person that brings that out of Matt Damon's character, will Hunting.
Speaker 2:I made sure my husband watched this with me because his favorite movie is, I think, cinderella man still, but this is probably in the top three for him. And I have to say, after watching it again, a movie that makes me laugh and a movie that makes me cry. I cried about it, thinking about it today. I watched it a few days ago and I just started thinking about how powerful the movie this was and I started crying again. Um, thinking about, like you said, all those dynamic monologues, even the smaller monologue, like Ben Affleck's character at the end, and kind of giving Will Hunting that opening and piece to say, actually I don't want you to stay here, like you're doing us a disservice by not leaving. Um, that just holds your heartstrings too. So I love how they developed every character and, as it goes back to what both of you said, I think we're all in agreement here. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's writing was absolutely incredible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's just. I mean, yeah, the performances, the writing, just everything. I mean everything about this film. I think there's really nothing negative to say, but I think we're going to try to find something negative. Maybe, I don't know, connor, was there anything about this film that you're like this? Something needed work.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's a that's a good question. Honestly, I don't really think there really is anything that I can think of off the top of my head because, like, as you guys said, yeah, they really developed a lot of the characters, and especially with Ben Affleck's character. With that speech that you said, katie, that yeah, he wanted Will to go. Well, he didn't want him to stay, he wanted. He said he was basically telling Will, I don't want you here, like I want to see you do well, go off, like, go flourish, like, yeah, I don't know, I'm trying to think of something bad here. It's a bit tough.
Speaker 2:I'm with Connor. I'm having a hard time but I thought of kind of a cop-out answer I wish it had. It would not actually make it as good of a film because you need this part of it, but I wish there was less crassness and cursing only because I wish more people would watch it. Like if that was going to be a limiting factor to more people seeing it, they might get offended by the F-bombs. Like I said, I don't think it would be the same movie. You need that there to truly make it the movie. But that could be my negative. I don't know. I'm not going to show my in-law like, say, encourage my in-laws to go watch it because they might find it too crass yeah, that's a silly.
Speaker 1:That's a silly.
Speaker 2:Negative katie, that was ridiculous that's all I could come up with. Um, I I think, maybe, maybe I needed like a kiss at the end. You know, I like they leave you with a great quote at the end, but I don't know, maybe just the romantic in me needed there to be some more closure there.
Speaker 3:And I mean again with that ending like line where he says the same thing that Robin Williams said, that you know I had to go see the girl. Then Robin Williams does another improv and says the swear where he goes stole my line. So that was improv as well. He wasn't supposed to say that, which I feel like robin williams just improvving was just amazing as well, doing all that type stuff I would love to know the percentage of what his lines were versus improv.
Speaker 2:I'll say is there anything else? I didn't do a ton of research on this movie because I just loved it so much. I feel like I research movies that I don't like because I'm looking for something to like. Did y'all have any any fun facts you looked up? I mean this movie set in Boston. I don't recall our Matt and Ben from there. Like what made them write this so well? Do you feel like we saw any of their real life personalities in these characters?
Speaker 1:Well, I think, I mean, I think Ben Affleck basically grew up in that sort of environment. From what I know about Ben Affleck and I think Matt Damon too, they basically, I mean, they seem like they've grown up together. They've been in a lot of films together, they've worked together a lot, they're basically like brothers. So I think they just use their life experiences. Um, from what I, again, from what I know of them, um, but one, one cool thing about it is on uh. On imdb actually, it says that the bench that they used um was actually uh became an impromptu memorial site after robin williams died and people would leave flowers there and um, apparently there was a petition to make a statue in williams's memory near the bench because, again, it's just such an iconic role for him. It's just really good. It's just a really good film. It's, there's really it's. You know, there's always those movies that you can't, you can't really find much to say about it, because all you can really say is how good it was.
Speaker 2:Go see it, yeah, go see it, it's not your fault, will. It's not your fault. It's not your fault. How does it make you cry?
Speaker 3:Yeah, honestly, even just thinking about it makes me want to cry, like that scene in particular Like I've seen this movie like probably I don't know how many times and even that scene in particular, like where he's saying it's not your fault and he slowly builds up and Will's, you know, sort of pushing him off and ignoring him, going. Yeah, you know, I know, like you know he doesn't want to admit it and then he just breaks down and that's when you see that this Will start. You know he's starting to get through and he's starting to open himself up and it's oh, it's just beautiful I think it really speaks to.
Speaker 2:You know, I've gotten I've been fortunate, I've gotten to go and like, participate in counseling, like in various forms, and it really does speak to I. I felt like this movie meant more to me, having gone through that, because you really do understand this is very accurate as to what has to happen, that there's oftentimes a disconnect between the brain and the heart. You know, sometimes like I get onto my husband a little bit, he's very cerebral so he can speak about sad things and very he can tell you everything about cerebrally. But it's like you almost have to keep talking about it to say like, oh, actually, like there's an emotion there that's hiding and sometimes folks that maybe are very intelligent are able to compensate for that emotion with their intelligence. So, yeah, I love that, you really do.
Speaker 2:He had to break down and in counseling they talk often about the little boy and little girl inside you. Right, it's like we're speaking to that person because you can't find healing until you heal that person. And I loved again that you got to watch how that affects his professional life and how it affects his relationship with the girl that he's lashing out, and just the idea of someone loving him just like, blew his mind and he creates these delusions of well, she's not really with me, she doesn't really like me. None of it's based in reality. It's all based on his feeling. So, again, this is not a big plug for counseling, but I would say I think it's helpful. A lot of times we are not aware, we're so able to live in the brain part space that we're not aware of what's going on down underneath and we're able to fool others if we are highly intelligent.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I also think I mean as a teacher it really speaks to you know, obviously, the counseling side of it.
Speaker 1:But as teachers I consider what I do as a Christian, I consider what I do as a ministry, and I'm reaching out to these kids, not just teaching them about theater, which is in a way kind of allowing kids to break out of their shell and becoming more of who they may really be, but also like just speaking into their lives and reaching those kids that sometimes the kids that are the toughest and the roughest are, like Matt Damon's character, the ones that should be able to shine the brightest if they, if they, were just given the opportunity to, and so I think that speaks volumes to not just the counseling side of it but also the teacher side. If Bill Skarsgård's character, who is the professor in this film, was more of a lighthearted character and didn't become somewhat jealous of Robin Williams' character, I think he could have done a lot more good for Matt Damon's character as well. So I think it speaks to a lot of people's situations connor or you nathan?
Speaker 2:do you feel like you guys have people in your lives that you could name as your ben affleck or your robin williams from this movie?
Speaker 3:yeah, I think I say I can like maybe I'm not sure so much my robin william. I mean, that guy is just a guy of his own?
Speaker 3:I don't think I can find anyone like him. God rest his soul. But I've definitely got my Ben Affleck guy Like he would want to see me do well and push me to my limits and just be there for me as well, like he'd be there for me pretty thick and thin. So 100. I definitely have one of those which I'm lucky to have, but I'm not sure about my the. Yeah, ron williams, no wish that's fair.
Speaker 1:I don't know that there's many of those that exist no, no I mean, I would probably say for my mom, rob will Williams, uh, probably my dad, who you know, pushes me and you know, uh, typical dad stuff you know, tells you, tells you what you need to hear, even when you don't want to hear it.
Speaker 1:And, um, also, I mean, I had my theater professor in college. Uh, ironically his name was Mr Pierce, my last name's Pierce spelled, spelled the correct way though Um, and, and he was kind of like that too, that teacher who, who saw the potential in you and even when you didn't see it in yourself, uh, and then the ben affleck character, who wants to the best for you and and you know, may hound you a little bit, I mean my, my, my wife would, I guess could be my ben Affleck, you know, who wants to support me, even when I don't see. Again, kind of like a mixture of Ben Affleck slash, robin Williams, you know, sees that potential in me and wants to support me, even if it means, you know, letting me do my own thing. And then Katie, I think would be my Ben Affleck as well.
Speaker 2:That's what I've been searching for this whole time. I just wanted to be my Ben Affleck as well. So, katie, that's what I've been searching for this whole time. I just wanted to be my Ben Affleck. Wait, does that make you Will Hunting the brilliant?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm really good at math.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, I love it. I mean, what a what a funny concept. I mean this is such a good movie. Yeah, I don't. I definitely have those people. I can't name them all off the top of my head. I've got great friends, but yeah, it's having friends that can see things that you can't see, and having friends that are willing to put you above themselves, like that's obviously not ideal. You see that, oh, it just breaks my heart again. Breaks my heart again when Ben Affleck's character walks away from the house and he said he was going to be happy when that happened. But you just see that I mean acting on, it was great. His face it's this conflicted. Like I am devastated because my best friend is gone and yet I'm so happy. Like those are tough feelings to have and that's how you know someone's your best friend that they're willing to take a hit for you. Anyway, this is a great movie. Should we rate it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, let's go ahead and rate this thing. So, connor, the way we do this is our first season. Katie and I went through the whole cinematic universe of Marvel in chronological order, which was crazy but fun, and so we did six Infinity Stones, so like one out of six infinity stones. So we just we've kept that as like a memento. You know these four seasons now, and so we do one through six stars, so what would you give goodwill hunting?
Speaker 3:to be honest, I'd, probably, I'd probably give it a six like it's. It's that good of a movie, and I mean just the cast. Not only did Damon and Affleck wrote it, and originally actually fun fact I do have a fact about it it was originally a playwright. So a script like it wasn't even actually a movie. It was for like a project that Damon did, did in Portland Affleck but yeah, I'd give it a six. Like it, but yeah, I'd give it a six. It's just the character, all the characters coming together and just the chemistry they have. It's just amazing.
Speaker 1:So Katie, what about you?
Speaker 2:I really like what Connor said about. I like the word chemistry that was a good word choice Even just the believable friendship of the four friends and the guys.
Speaker 1:It's so natural. Spoiler alert. Spoiler alert.
Speaker 2:I feel bad that I rated the Dictator a 6, because this one far outweighs that for me. I'm going to give this a 6. 6.0001.
Speaker 1:Well, since the Dictator episode hasn't been released yet, you basically just gave away your score, Katie.
Speaker 2:Oh, geez Okay. Spoiler alert.
Speaker 1:Anyway, the performances alone, I think, yes, Matt Damon, ben Affleck, are great, but I think because I'm such a big Robin Williams fan and when he passed away it was devastating for me as someone who is a theater actor, but still I consider myself an actor, and so when he passed away it was devastating, and so his performance alone gives this movie a perfect six out of six. So that is goodwill hunting. It is our second to last episode of october. This month is going by super quick and I can't believe it's already almost time to vote. So congratulations, connor, you don't have to worry about that. Yeah, that's fair. Good for you, good for you, lucky you, but thank you. Thank you so much, connor, for coming on the show. So how can people find your show on all the platforms?
Speaker 3:yeah, tell us a little bit about it well, so it's called um the meeting make by podcast, and that could be found on, uh, youtube, spotify, apple music and, I believe, amazon music well, so it's a bit of everywhere. And you can also find my instagram, which is again meeting make by podcast, and so that's where you can also find my Instagram, which is again meetingmakebypodcast, and so that's where you can find me, and I've got an episode coming up soon, my Billy Eilish episode coming up, and yeah, and then I'll post that hopefully soon-ish.
Speaker 2:I'll say we'd love to. We'll link that in our bio as well so people can check you out. I think I would like to encourage you.
Speaker 1:Maybe you could change the name to Moon know if you ever get to try one, maybe, maybe, good times. Well, that is our goodwill hunting episode and, like katie just spoiled, I'm still gonna play a clip from the movie. Anyway, I don't even care. This is the uh clip from the movie. Anyway, I don't even care. This is the clip from the Great Dictator, which is the movie that Katie spoiled, that we're going to be talking about next week. Take a listen to this clip.
Speaker 4:Does this remind you of anything? Why, of course you recognize him. It's Adanoid Hinkle, the phooey of Tomania, captain, I bet you recognize him too. It's Charlie the wonderful, the extraordinary Charlie Chaplin. By a strange trick of fate, the ruthless dictator and Charlie resemble each other like two peas in a pod, except that while Ananoid Hinkle makes millions of people tremble, charlie makes them die of laughter.
Speaker 1:Wasn't that fantastic. It would have been more fantastic if Katie Atten spoiled it.
Speaker 2:So let's end this, this listen, I'm feeling a little oppressed right now, like you're you got. You have some dictator vibes is all I'm saying, hey, it goes.
Speaker 1:It goes with the theme of the movie. But speaking of themes, we have to end the way we always end and that is with a quote from goodwill hunting and con. I'm going to let you do the honors. I know you weren't prepared, but the quote that we were going to do was that classic quote that Robin Williams says and then Matt Damon says at the end of the film. And what is that quote, sir? I got to say about a girl. Oh,
