History YMMV / GoodWillHunting

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Will tends to came off as unlikable, because he tends to behave like a jerk throughout the film.

* {{Narm}}: The scene where Chuckie poses as Will in the meeting. The rest of the movie had its humorous moments, but this felt like something out of ''AmericanPie''.

* TearJerker: "It's not your fault."
** "I want to hear you say you don't love me..." "I don't love you." When [[spoiler: Skyler breaks down weeping after Will says he doesn't love her]], it's devastating.

* TomHanksSyndrome: RobinWilliams won Best Supporting Actor for his role. However, he didn't abandon comedic roles completely after this, despite his success.

* OlderThanTheyThink: "How do you like ''them'' apples?" was first used in film in Film/RioBravo after Walter Brennan's character throws a stick of dynamite and his partner shoots it in the air. The expression reputedly comes from a trench mortar grenade called a "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-inch_Medium_Mortar toffee apple]]" used in UsefulNotes/TheGreatWar.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Elliott Smith's "Miss Misery"
** Similarly his performance of the song at the Oscars, just before it inevitably [[AwardSnub lost]] to "[[{{Titanic}} My Heart Will Go On]]"

** A BigLippedAlligatorMoment, maybe?
*** Uh, no, it's clearly explained a couple of scenes later when Lambeau asks how the meeting went and Will says he sent "his associate." The tension here is that Lambeau wants Will to be a "math rock star" and that's not necessarily what Will wants.

** Similarly his performance of the song at the Oscars, just before it inevitably lost to "[[{{Titanic}} My Heart Will Go On]]"

** BigLippedAlligatorMoment?
* TearJerker: "It's not Your Fault"

* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: Creator/BenAffleck, a retroactive example. Although he would go on to be known for schlock like ''{{Gigli}}'' and ''Film/PearlHarbor'', his DareToBeBadass speech is one of the most bitter, poignant moments of the film.

* JerkassWoobie: Will.

* TearJerker: "Its not Your Fault"

** Applies for Robin Williams acting in a serious role as well.

* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: Creator/BenAffleck, a retroactive example. Although he would go on to be known for schlock like ''{{Gigli}}'' and ''PearlHarbor'', his DareToBeBadass speech is one of the most bitter, poignant moments of the film.

* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: BenAffleck, a retroactive example. Although he would go on to be known for schlock like ''{{Gigli}}'' and ''PearlHarbor'', his DareToBeBadass speech is one of the most bitter, poignant moments of the film.

* TomHanksSyndrome: RobinWilliams won Best Supporting Actor for his role.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Lambeau is viewed as wrong for wanting Will to use his brilliance for a great purpose rather than get drunk and fuck Minnie Driver.
** However, it could be seen that what Maguire really objects to is Lambeau trying to choose Will's path for him. It's also heavily implied that Lambeau believes Maguire wasted his talents as much as Will.
** Thats a fair point. I guess it's a case of DontShootTheMessage. Lambeau was a {{Jerkass}}, but he was thinking of a bigger picture

* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: Ben Affleck, a retroactive example. Although he would go on to be known for schlock like ''Gigli'' and ''Pearl Harbor'', his DareToBeBadass speech is one of the most bitter, poignant moments of the film.

** Thats a fair point.I guess its a case of ''{{Don'tShootTheMessage}}''.Lambeau was an Asshole but He was thinking of a bigger picture

* TomHanksSyndrome: RobinWilliams won Best Supporting Actor for his role.