Good Will Hunting [Blu-Ray]

I can remember quite clearly what it was like the first time I saw Gus Van Sant's Good Will Hunting. It was a particularly snowy winter day, which seemingly kept the crowds away from the theatre. It was before Matt Damon and Ben Affleck had become the stuff of Hollywood legend. And while the story of two friends writing themselves a screenplay that would defy all odds and go on and win the Academy Award and make their careers is a story well worth celebrating, it did take away from the film. Fifteen years later, the hype has subsided, which allows Good Will Hunting to shine brighter than it ever has. Damon plays Will Hunting, a genius who also just happens to have come from an abusive childhood as an orphan shuffled around from one foster home to the next. After he solves an equation on a chalkboard at M.I.T., he runs into more trouble with the law. To avoid jail time, he must meet with an M.I.T. professor weekly to study advanced math, as well as a therapist to deal with his emotional issues. Enter Robin Williams, in an Oscar-winning turn, as the only therapist Hunting will work with. This is where the film truly takes on its own life and director Gus Van Sant just drives it home. Good Will Hunting makes its first appearance on Blu-Ray with a 15-year anniversary edition. Previous DVD features, likes audio commentary from Van Sant, Damon and Affleck, for instance, make repeat appearances. A reflection featurette contains all new interviews with the majority of the cast, revealing much insight into the making of the film. As Damon and Affleck look back, their appreciation for that moment in time is abundantly obvious, making this anniversary edition well worth celebrating.