Good Will Hunting

     

  Recently, we watched the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, written by now-famous actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. The film was very interesting in how it utilized mise en scene to tell its story. Good Will Hunting uses Mise En Scene to contrast Will’s world and the academic world. In scenes that revolve around Will’s world, there is always movement in the background, while in scenes that take place in the academic world, there is little to no movement in the background.

Note, for example, this scene where Will (Matt Damon) is talking to his friend Chuckie (Ben Affleck). There is always something going on in the background, even when not much is happening. 

 And note how in this scene, there is nothing happening in the background.

This helps contrast the tumultuous nature of Will's personal life and the sterile nature of his academic life. This contrast can be further shown in how the resplendent colors in the bar scene contrast with the muted colors of Professor Lambeau's classroom. The use of mise en scene to differentiate between these two things helps establish a dichotomy between Will's reality, and the academic world he finds himself thrust into.