Summary
- Many
Good Will Hunting
quotes are impactful and unforgettable, showcasing deep emotional insights and life lessons. - The movie explores themes of intelligence vs education, self-discovery, and the importance of relationships, delivered through compelling dialogues.
- The bond between Will and Sean evolves, culminating in a powerful moment where acceptance and healing pave the way for personal growth.
Good Will Hunting was a hugely acclaimed genre movie that earned Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Oscars for their screenplay thanks in large part to some great Good Will Hunting quotes. When Affleck and Damon were still up-and-coming actors, the two friends wrote the movie that changed their careers forever and earned them their first Oscar wins for their screenplay and a Best Supporting Actor trophy for Robin Williams. Above all else, it is the Good Will Hunting quotes that stayed with audiences for a long time.
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Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s first collaboration as writers showed the world their talents outside of acting. The movie tells the story of a troubled young man in Boston named Will Hunting (Damon) whose talent for mathematics is discovered, leading him on a path to either start a new life and improve his position in life or stay exactly where he is. The movie is filled with beautiful observations about life, compelling monologs, and even some laugh-out-loud moments that make up the best Good Will Hunting quotes.
You are watching: The Best Quotes From Good Will Hunting
“You Wasted $150,000 On An Education You Coulda Got For $1.50 In Late Fees At The Public Library.”
Will (Matt Damon)
One of the core themes of
Good Will Hunting
is the argument about the true value of higher education, and whether a degree (even from an institution as prestigious as MIT) is truly any kind of indication of intelligence. As a self-taught math genius being held back from any kind of qualifications due to his status as a former prison inmate, Will Hunting is understandably bitter when it comes to the importance society places on formal education.< These feelings come to the fore in this
Good Will Hunting
quote.Exasperated by the snobbery shown by a group of graduates while on a night out, Will decides to verbally lay into them. He informs them that, while their qualifications and certificates may open a few professional doors, the actual value of what they learned is (to him, at least) questionable at best.
It’s a debate that still rages on decades after Good Will Hunting was released in 1997, and this quote is perhaps all the more poignant given just how much more expensive formal degrees are in the 2020s.
23 “Well I Think That’s A Wonderful Philosophy, Sean. That Way You Can Go Through The Rest Of Your Life Without Having To Really Know Anyone.”
Will (Matt Damon)
Will Hunting is one of the most complex characters ever to appear in a movie, and is a key reason that Good Will Hunting is still so widely discussed. Many of the finer points of his character emerge during his therapy sessions with Dr. Sean Maguire (Robin Williams). While Sean eventually manages to break down the psychological walls Will builds around himself, it’s not without having to be counter-analyzed by his patient.
Their conversations are a source of many of the best Good Will Hunting quotes, and one that fully shows just how smart Will actually is comes when he manages to turn a key life decision of Sean’s into a scathing criticism. After the death of his wife, Sean decided he would never remarry out of respect for her memory. However, Will turns this seemingly-selfless decision on his head. He points out that, from his perspective, Sean is simply trying to isolate himself from the world and deeper personal relationships, making Sean see that many of the observations he’s made about Will are also true for himself.
“Sometimes I Wish I Had Never Met You, Because Then I Could Go To Sleep At Night Not Knowing There Was Someone Like You Out There.”
Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård)
The incredibly deep dialogue in Good Will Hunting often leads to multiple memorable quotes from a single conversation, sometimes even only a few lines of dialogue apart. This is the case with the conversation Will has with Dr. Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård). It was Lambeau who first recognized Will’s genius when he found him solving a complex equation Lambeau left on the blackboard. However, after getting to know Will Hunting, he realizes that discovering the genius has drummed up many complex emotions and reasons to self-reflect.
This particular Good Will Hunting quote comes from Lambeau’s realization that his years of study to become an expert mathematician will always be trumped by people ilke Will, who are simply gifted with natural intelligence. It’s something Lambeau both admires and laments. On the one hand, he finds Will’s natural gifts to be almost a source of inspiration.
However, on the other hand, being in Will’s presence gives him a significant case of imposter syndrome. It’s another quote that feeds into argument of intelligence vs education that underpins Good Will Hunting, and one that captures the complex views many who are both intelligent and highly educated have on the debate.
22 “Someone Who Challenges You In Every Way. Who Takes You Places, Opens Things Up For You. A Soul-Mate.”
Sean (Robin Williams)
Dr. Lambeau initially reaches out to Sean to see if he can find out more about Will Hunting’s incredible mathematical abilities and the reasons why Will has no interest in harnessing his full potential. However, the meetings between Will and Sean turn to matters of the heart more often than matters of the head. This leads to some of the most poignant quotes in Good Will Hunting, and one of their conversations that stands out above many others is when Sean and Will discuss the nature of soul-mates.
It’s clear that Will has no belief or interest in the idea. When Sean asks Will if he has a soul-mate, Will quickly rattles off a list of long-dead philosophers and authors. Sean then completely challenges Will’s answer, explaining what a soul-mate is in his view and why they’re so important. It’s one of several Good Will Hunting quotes that could actually be seen as a valuable life-lesson, as Sean’s description of what a soul-mate is and why they’re so significant in a person’s life is incredibly astute.
21 “Why? Because Of The Pain I Feel Now? I Have Regrets Will, But I Don’t Regret A Single Day I Spent With Her.”
Sean (Robin Williams)
By the time their conversations reach their conclusion, Sean has come to realize that Will pushes people away because he’s scared of getting hurt. This is the real reason why Will is so fascinated by Sean’s feelings regarding the death of his wife. He wants to know how Sean can live with and endure such a heavy sense of loss, as the potential for such grief if he allows himself to love is the key reason Will has closed himself off from forming meaningful romantic relationships.
In an incredibly touching Good Will Hunting scene, Sean tells Will the story of how he and his wife met. He caps it off by explaining to Will that yes, the loss that he shoulders is often a lot to bear. However, it’s counterbalanced by the memories of happier times and the fulfilling experience that being married to his wife was, and this is something Sean would never trade away, regardless of how much not having her anymore hurts.
20 “Do You Know How Easy This Is For Me?”
Will (Matt Damon)
There are a lot of movies about an unassuming person with an extraordinary gift being discovered. What is interesting about Will Hunting’s journey in this movie is that he doesn’t see his mathematical skills as a gift and thus can easily push those away who try to encourage that gift. When in a meeting with his professor, Lambeau, Will is in a particularly bad mood and brushes off Lambeau’s attempts to get him a job.
When Lambeau suggests he deserves some appreciation, Will fires back that these formulas and math proofs are so simple to him that there is nothing Lambeau is offering him. It is a fascinating example of more of Will’s self-destructive nature. It shows that he is incredibly gifted, he knows how smart he really is, and deep down, he doesn’t even care if he uses his brain to get ahead in life. He has to overcome this arrogance if he ever wants to achieve anything in life.
19 “I Didn’t Have To Watch You Throw It All Away.”
Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard)
Many of Stellan Skarsgard’s movie and television roles take advantage of his skills at playing villains. However, while his character in Good Will Hunting may be easy to dislike at times, the movie is smart enough to give him a lot of complexities. Lambeau is a man who values intelligence and certainly has insecurities about how his own intelligence is perceived. He sees something special in Will but knows Will could throw it all away, and he doesn’t want to see it.
When he and Will butt heads in a big way, he admits he wishes he had never met Will so that he wouldn’t know there was someone out there who was so much smarter than him. But he also admits that the real pain is seeing how intelligent Will is and how he is just throwing it all away. This is a case of a man who can’t reach his full potential meeting someone who can — but doesn’t seem to care enough to try, which is frustrating.
18 “My Boy’s Wicked Smart.”
Morgan (Casey Affleck)
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Will’s friendship with his neighborhood buddies is very charming. While some think such people hold Will back, he is truly himself around these guys, and they treat him like he’s a normal guy. His friends see how brilliant he is, yet they don’t let it change their perception. The movie is about a prodigy who has a chance to become someone special and achieve something extraordinary, but it is also a film about friendship and how that is just as important when defining who someone is.
After Will embarrasses an arrogant Harvard student in a bar, his friend Morgan turns to the girls and delivers one of the great Good Will Hunting quotes – “My boy’s wicked smart” – showing pride in Will while still seeing him as their same old friend instead of some genius prodigy. While Will needs to step away from his friends somewhat to reach his full potential, he still needs them to keep him grounded, and even lines where they pump him up help him keep his feet planted on solid ground.
17 “Yeah, Maybe, But At Least I Won’t Be Unoriginal.”
Will (Matt Damon)
Though Will is happy sticking to his more working-class life and hiding his amazing genius from the world, these Good Will Hunting quotes show just how extraordinary he is while sticking up for one of his friends. After calling out the Harvard student for quoting someone else’s work, the pompous young man attempts to insult Will by claiming he’ll be rich while Will will probably be serving fast food. Will takes that in stride, taking comfort in the fact that his thoughts will be his own.
While Will is a genius, and he likely knows more than the Harvard student that he puts in his place, this quote shows that he is more original than the snobby ivy leaguer. This is also yet another Good Will Hunting quote that shows that he won’t just stand up for his friends, but he is smart enough and quick enough to do it without even missing a beat. Will is deadly when it comes to his words if he knows he is standing up for those that he holds dear.
16 “If You Disrespect My Wife Again I Will End You.”
Sean (Robin Williams)
The mentor relationship Will finds with Sean Maguire is very much at the heart of Good Will Hunting. While his friends support him and his girlfriend loves him, Sean is the only one who truly knows what Will has been through and helps him address his trauma. Though their initial meeting gets tense, it speaks to the connection these two have. Like with the other therapists he speaks with, Will immediately tries to get under Sean’s skin by insulting whatever he can spot.
While Sean brushes most of these off with ease, when Will mentions his late wife, Sean shows his own dark side and how he also has pain not easily healed. This is a huge moment in the movie. Sean is the one person who will be brutally honest with Will about everything, knowing that he can’t BS this young man if he wants to reach him. However, this also shows that Sean has the same darkness in him that Will has, and this is likely why the two men can connect so strongly by the movie’s end.
15 “You Think I Know The First Thing About How Hard Your Life Has Been, How You Feel, Who You Are, Because I Read Oliver Twist?”
Sean (Robin Williams)
The par scene in Good Will Hunting is iconic and adds to the movie’s autumn vibes. Will’s first meeting with Sean doesn’t go well as Will presumes too much about Sean’s wife, which enrages him. However, Sean gives the boy another shot but still decides to put him in his place with these Good Will Hunting quotes. Sean points out how Will has read a lot about life in books, but there’s so much he doesn’t know about life’s actual experiences.
He reasons that, as Will is an orphan, Sean couldn’t understand what he went through just because he read Oliver Twist. It is a thought-provoking glimpse at the movie’s theme of what true intelligence is. Sean uses a lot of these references when talking to Will, figuring that he needs to use examples to connect with Will and cut through the emotional baggage that is weighing the young man down. Sean knows what he is doing, and while he won’t keep pushing, he will prod at Will, hoping to break through.
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14 “You Don’t Know About Real Loss”
Sean (Robin Williams)
Sean is a tragic character himself as his life was torn apart when he lost his wife to cancer years ago. Will’s insensitive comment triggers those feelings again, but he then realizes that it is simply Will’s own ignorance that is the problem. Robin Williams’ Sean is able to turn Will’s insult around on him with these Good Will Hunting quotes and make him realize that the only reason he could possibly make a comment like that is that he hasn’t experienced loss in his life because he hasn’t experienced love.
As Sean said in full, “it only occurs when you’ve loved something more than you love yourself.” Sean knows that Will has his own demons, and that comes from being an orphan. However, this means that Will has a sense of never having something others around him have experienced. On the other hand, Sean has found that deep love and lost it. These are two different feelings, and Will not understanding the difference is holding him back from accepting the help that Sean knows he can offer.
13 “He Pushes People Away Before They Get A Chance To Leave Him.”
Sean (Robin Williams)
As part of Will Hunting’s work agreement, he is required to see a psychiatrist but it proves to be more difficult than it seems as Will insults and ridicules all the potential candidates who are brought in to see him. It finally takes a psychiatrist like Sean Maguire, who is from the same neighborhood as Will, to see past all of his nonsense. Sean can recognize that Will doesn’t trust people and pushes them away to protect himself.
By seeing this, Sean is able to gradually break through and reach Will when no one else could. Sean grew up where Will lives, and he understands the kids who live there. He knows how hard it is for them to trust anybody outside of their small social circle. Sean is also someone who knows what it is like to be alone and feel like he has no one in the world. He lost his wife, and he knows that it is hard to let anyone else in. He sees himself in Will, and that makes him the perfect man to help Will find who he is supposed to be.
12 “Allegedly, Your Situation, For You, Would Be Concurrently Improved If I Had $200 In My Back Pocket Right Now.”
Chuckie (Ben Affleck)
Though he doesn’t take a starring role alongside Will, Chuckie (Ben Affleck) adds a nice comedic relief to the movie, especially in the scene where Will sends Chuckie in his place to a job interview. Chuckie is completely unintimidated in the room of professionals while posing as Will and even works the situation to his advantage. In this moment, he not so subtly hints that a bride would help to convince him to take the job on the table. Ben Affleck gives a terrific supporting performance as Will’s best friend.
It is also a nice moment to show the difference between Will and Chuckie, which is important when breaking down why Will is unable to really accept who he is or what he needs to do if he wants happiness in his life. Chuckie is self-assured and has no fear. He will do anything and say anything to get what he wants. Will, on the other hand, is scared of the possibilities he sees ahead of him in life and seems scared to take that first step. If Chuckie had Will’s talents, there would be no limits to his success.
11 “Well, You Found Me.”
Will (Matt Damon)
The romance between Will and Skylar is another interesting relationship in the movie. As they get to know each other and fall in love, they find that they share a connection neither of them seemed to expect. During one of their dates, Skylar laments that it had taken her so long to find Will, and he simply responds, “Well, you found me.” These Good Will Hunting quotes speak to how their relationship has its struggles, but that their being together is all that matters.
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This is a small moment for Will and one that shows that he is willing to accept happiness when the time is right. In this case, it is a romance that provides his happiness, and later he will finally accept that he can achieve so much more if he applies himself to his academic progress. However, in both instances, he makes a lot of mistakes and almost loses in love and his future success. Luckily, there are moments like this one where he is able to finally accept that maybe he does deserve to be happy.
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10 “Why Shouldn’t I Work For The NSA?”
Will (Matt Damon)
One of the most fascinating things about the character of Will is how his intelligence clashes with the way he was brought up. He has a brilliant mind, yet he also has all these defense mechanisms that cause him to push back. This makes for a hilarious sequence in which Will interviews for a job at the NSA. When told by the recruiter that it is a question of why he wouldn’t take the job, Will delivers some Good Will Hunting quotes about how his code breaking could have various disastrous effects.
Will is someone who self-destructs at the worst moments. As an orphan, he grew up believing that he didn’t deserve anything. When someone offers him something, he immediately begins to think that there is an ulterior motive behind it and he can’t trust anyone — not even himself when it comes to achieving anything in the world. He has a chance at a fantastic job, but when he sits down and has a chance to win it, he sees all the bad things that could go wrong and ruins everything in that moment.
9 “People Call These Things Imperfections, But They’re Not.”
Sean (Robin Williams)
Once Sean and Will become friends, their Good Will Hunting quotes become much more open. Sean opens up about his wife, including a story about how she farted in her sleep. Williams’ performance shows the actor’s dramatic and comedic skills at the same time. After the two men share a laugh, Sean points out that those are the things he remembers. Something that might seem strange to others becomes endearing between couples. It is an important lesson for Will to learn as he tries to open his heart.
The full Robin Williams quote is, “People call these things imperfections, but they’re not, that’s the good stuff. And then we get to choose who we let into our weird little worlds.” This is hugely important and one of the biggest lessons that Sean can teach Will about life and its idiosyncrasies. It is okay to be weird, and it is okay to not be like anyone else. There are things that Sean and Will might do that other people could look down on, but it is no one’s business because that is who they are.
8 “You’re Just A Kid, You Don’t Have The Faintest Idea What You’re Talkin’ About.”
Sean (Robin Williams)
When it comes to being smart, Will seems to want to have it both ways. He wants to live his normal down-to-earth life with his friends, but he also carries an arrogance in knowing he’s smarter than everyone. However, Sean is the first person who really challenges Will about his view of himself. Though he might be intelligent in a lot of ways, Sean explains to Will that he is still just a young kid, and he has a lot to learn about the world which is not something that Will easily wants to accept.
Since Will grew up living a hard life and becoming self-sufficient in many ways, he feels that he is both street-smart and highly intelligent. However, the truth is that Will’s worldview is extremely limited to what he and his friends have gone through in their small part of the world. Sean knows there is a big world out there and Will doesn’t even know half of what it means to really have to struggle to survive and make it out there. Sean is blunt with Will and doesn’t try to BS him, and this is another case where he just states facts.
7 “I Think, Maybe I’ll Knock On The Door, And You Won’t Be There.”
Chuckie (Ben Affleck)
Though Ben Affleck’s Chuckie is a comedic character, he is also a constant source of support in Will’s life. The two men are inseparable and care for each other. And Chuckie shows how much he cares for Will in this heartbreaking scene. After Will suggests he will stick around their neighborhood his whole life, Chuckie confronts him about it. He admits that, as much as he loves Will, every single day he hopes he will leave without saying goodbye to escape the life Chuckie and the others are unable to.
Chuckie doesn’t want to lose Will as a friend. However, he also wants what is best for his friend and if that means leaving the neighborhood and finding success in the big world, that would make Chuckie happier than anything. Losing a friend, only to see that friend finally find a place in the world that seems impossible for the rest of the neighborhood, means that at least someone made it out. Chuckie sees that as hope for everyone, and Will hasn’t grasped that yet for himself.
6 “You’re Not Perfect, Sport.”
Sean (Robin Williams)
Love is a gamble and relationships aren’t perfect, which is enough for Will to shy away from even trying. If he gave someone a chance, his life would have been so different, but instead his traumatic experiences as a child halt him from having any form of real attachment. Once Will Hunting met someone who gave him a chance, his defenses rose and he backed away. This is what Will is missing, the blind leap of faith of emotionally investing in a relationship that could become something beautiful.
The full quote is: “You’re not perfect, sport, and let me save you the suspense: this girl you’ve met, she’s not perfect either.” A lot is weighing down Will Hunting in this movie. He feels he can’t let his friends down. He feels he can’t let his neighborhood down. He can’t seem to grasp the opportunities he has in front of him, and he is deathly scared of making a mistake. Now, he has a girlfriend he can’t let down. The good news is that this woman knows he isn’t perfect, and she is okay with that.
5 “I Have To Go See About A Girl.”
Will (Matt Damon)
Much of the movie is about what is right for Will. Is staying where he is squandering his potential, or is his intelligence getting in the way of him being happy? Instead of choosing the life he knows or the path of success, Will chooses love. It is a touching moment when Will leaves a note for Sean indicating he is going to be with Skylar. Will allows himself to find love for the first time and makes a decision based on what he wants for himself. It is a message that stands out as a timeless aspect of Good Will Hunting.
This was a huge twist in the movie. The main basis of the plot was Will Hunting having to make a decision between staying in the neighborhood and just drifting along life with his friends by his side or taking the chance to achieve success in the world of academia thanks to his genius-level intelligence. However, Sean foreshadows the real decision when he shares his love and loss with Will concerning his wife’s death. Will learns there was another choice as instead of his friends or a career, he chose Skylar.
4 “Son Of A B****… He Stole My Line.”
Sean (Robin Williams)
Robin Williams plays his role with such subtlety and charm while keeping his comedic energy grounded, something that surprised viewers at the time. But Williams’ amazing skills as an improviser were put to great use in the Good Will Hunting quotes. Sean finds a letter left for him by Will explaining that he “had to see about a girl,” calling back to Sean’s own memory of meeting his wife. His reserved happiness for Will along with jokingly complaining about his line being stolen is a lovely way to end the movie.
What was most impressive about this line, was that Robin Williams ad-libbed in the moment. Sean had lost his love and scolded Will earlier in the movie about not understanding what it was like to lose something. Sean wanted to be with his wife, and he chose her and they had a great life together until her death. He told Will he “had to see about a girl” when referencing his wife, and now Will has used the same line, meaning that he learned the most important lesson of all from his friend.
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