The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 21, 1998, Page 5, Image 5
Wednesday, January 21,1998
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SYNOPSIS Young actor Matt Damon from "The Rain
maker" plays a mathematical genius with a tough-guy im
age and rough life, who works as a janitor at MIT, where
he should really be a star student. A series of therapy ses
sions with an unconventional psychologist (Robin Williams
and an emotional relationship with a strong young womar
^Minnie unver; bring mm out ot his aeiensive shell. Da
mon co-wrote the script with childhood friend, actor Bei
Affleck, who plays his best friend in the movie.
gamecock critic ROB LINP8EY ** /,
With the glut of movies opening in late December hop
ing for last minute Oscar consideration, few rise above the
rest. Good Will Hunting is a glowing exception.
The film is a character driven, powerfully scriptec
study of Will Hunting (Damon), a troubled scientific ge
nius with a penchant for brawling in the street of Soutl
Boston. Drifting from job to job and from court date tc
court date, Will begins to find peace and solace in his girl
friend (Driver) and his psychiatrist (Williams).
Real Genius meets Dead Poets Society? Maybe, bul
Damon and his real life best friend Affleck co-write sue!
a convincingly heartfelt and true-to-life screenplay that
such comparisons ring false. Moreover, Williams, Damor
and Driver each deliver outstanding performances.
The least appealing aspect of the film is the contrast
between Danny Elfman's beautifully orchestrated score
and the brooding folk songs scattered throughout. Also
Van Sanf s direction is much more subdued and seemingl)
uninspired than in his previous outing (To Die For), bul
in a movie such as Good Will Hunting, it's best to let the
script speak for itself.
gamecock critic JENNIFER STANLEY
The thing I hate most about a movie is bad endings
Granted, Good Will Hunting leaves the audience guessing
that everything will be okay, but a bit of closure (a hu?
or a couple of words of encouragement between two characters)
would have left me with a better feeling.
Damon and Affleck's Golden Globe winning script was
the best out of the winter blockbusters with emotional
depth and hilarious one-liners. The film also told th(
story in a realistic, not a melodramatic, way. While mors
dramatic movies, like Titanic, are touching, Good Wih
Hunting draws emotion because it is so realistic. Althougl
not everyone is a mathematical genius, everyone can re
late to true love, confiised futures and a past that jusl
won't die.
On the down side: Williams' character could have beer
more developed. If you're going to have Robin Williams ir
a film, you might as well use him to the fullest.
Despite the ending, Good Will Hunting is uplifting anc
reminds us all to remember the real value of friendship
and to face our fears, whether it be the future, the past
or love.
I
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' Jan 26 GRAND OPENIN
Cowboy Mouth I
Jan 28 Gran Torino
Jan 29 Albert Hill,The (
Love Seed Mam:
Jan 30 Cigar Store Indi
' Jan 31 Cravin Melon
Feb 1 Polvo, Spatula
Feb 2 2 Skinnee J's, S
Feb 3 Spidermonkey,:
Feb 4 Bio Ritmo
, Feb 5 Superchunk, Lac
Feb 6 Jump Little Chil
Feb 7 The Soul Mites
Feb 10 Guster
Feb 13 Sourwood Hone
Feb 14 Sourwood Hone
* Feb 19 Edwin McCain, i
Mar 5 Jason Bonham i
Mar 18 The Space Monl
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The 0
)0D WILL HUNTING
ring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, Robin Williams
illan Skargard. Directed by Gus Van Sant
ing at Carmike Cinema 14 (Columbiana Centre), Carmike
ong 10 (Forest Drive) and Dutch Square Cinema 14 (Bush
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gamecock critic ERIN SHAW ****
5 If Good Will Hunting was a personal ad, it would go
. something like this: "If you are in the mood to see car chas)
es, earth shattering explosions and phasars DO NOT go
t see Good Will Hunting. If you are prepared for a realis.
tic portrayal of friendship a tender exploration of the humi
bleness of self revelation and the change of pace from
movies that eliminate thought, run for the theater."
Affleck and his partner in crime Matt Damon are the
envy of every aspiring screen writer (or slacker) who has
" an idea for a movie. Continuing in the tradition of Affleck
. and his collaborator, Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy,
; Clerks) this film is believable in its portrayal of not just
a genius but the life of 20 somethings coming to terms
I with their individuality. Director Gus Van Sant (My Own
. Private Idaho, Drugstore Cowboy) experience results in a
i beautiful film technically and symbolically.
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. care about... you will by the end. Take a best friend, an
old flame, or a new love. Good Will Hunting skips the
t cheese of instant relationship movies.. .attractive co-stars,
! hollywood cookie cutter script, just add big director,
t The well written script is not the stuff that special
{ effect movies are made of. And while not everyone
knows a prodigy like Will Hunting, the film is crafted so
t anyone can relate to the painful and joyful caring in at
> least one relationship like that of teacher and student,
best friends, or two young people affected irreversibly by
r the responsibility and reward that comes with love,
t
1 guest critic PHILIP BERT
Good Will Hunting is a movie worth seeing. Matt
2 Damon goes from a great performance as rookie lawyer
to a janitor. Once again, he does a terrific job. Although
he is only the janitor at renowned MIT, he turns out as a
bright individual with a natural talent that one of the stur
dents or professors possess. Damon plays the role of a
. rebellious and carefree teenager who wants to hid his
greatness and remain loyal to his gang of loyal friends,
5 including Ben Affleck.
[ Damon acquires incite from Robin Williams who help
3 him find himself. There were many dramatic scenes in
? Damon's quest to overcome his fears. These moments
I express the pain that has been inside' him. In order for
! him to conquer his fears, Damon has to open up and im.
prove his self image. Williams does a great job of helping
t him find a sense of direction in his hunt for good will.
1 i Tell us what you think. Here's how::
watch SPICE WORLD
write your review
' 'bring it to The Gamecock, Russelt
111 House 333, before Tuesday. |#
; Igy It's that easy, pi
mm
G Elbow Room Music Hall
& Blue Moutain
aoodies,
a Jump
ans & Bottle Rockets
pidermonkey
I Skinnee J's
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Angie Aparo
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keys, Ivy
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Timbaland,
face success
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staff writer DEREK SCOTT ?Qre
WELCOME TO OUR WORLD fact
Timbaland and Magoo ru fr
(out of four stars) he SJ
acne
Before producer extraordinaire Tim- "Lifo
baland and his hard working but nev- Stril
erthefess unheralded sidekick Magoo 1
elbowed their way inside the rap world base
like Portland Trailblazer Rasheed Wal- beat
lace does night after night, R&B des- they
perado EfAngelo, the metaphorical freak nitel;
Mad Skillz, and the supa dupa fly Mis- ifesfc
sy "Misdemeanor" Elliott were the hand- U (R
fhl of performers representing the beau- - albu]
tiful state of Virginia. "droj
In many people's mind the success cued
of the "boot boy" and the "cartoon char- beat,
acter" would begin to open more doors
for emcee's outside of the metropolitan j00k
area. Unfortunately the project by Tim- an
baland and Magoo entitled "Welcome WQUj
To Our World" does nothing more than ^ ?
put emcee's from the "old dominion"
and outside of New York in between
good and evil, J. J. from Good Times ver- ^
sus Eddielrom Family Matters, Pera- ,
suco jeans versus a Wal-mart brand, 311.
and plagiarizing freshmen from butt- ^u11
kissing grad-students. ^
The problem with "Welcome To Our Pe.?f
World" is the thin line between ge- Irunc
nine onri inoonifrr TimKnlon^ man Ugly
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behind Aaliyah's "One In A Million," g*vei
Genuwine's "Pony," Missy "Misde- C^111
meanor" Elliott's "The Rain," SWVs on "1
"Can We," Total's "What About Us" from twos
the Soul Food soundtrack, and Til Kim's Worl
"Money Talks" from the Money Talks 1
soundtrack, definitely found the for- for 1
mula for hits with his innovative drum fully
beats. the <
Unfortunately, Timbaland's skill as from
a madd verbalist is pretty much miss- "dov,
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Magoo !
sful year >
d action with lines such as: "Tim- C
id, the funky beat maker/1 be rock- f
J.S., and all of Jamaica/1 can make 2
dance, and shake your butt and (
1 e/ When it's hot outside, I eat pop- |
3" (from the cut "Peepin' My Style"),
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that having a dope voice like Gu- |
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d on Timbaland's banging drum
s and the "different" kind of flow {
've brought to the rap world-defi- I
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pmiyf the seennd sin crip from the
m personifies the duo's inability to
3 science" and subsequently is res- '
by another dynamic Timbaland ^
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projects' full of native-Virgin)oems,
"Welcome To Our World" '
d be classic material. However, in )
real world with Puck," beats alone |
not make the grade. Songs like j
p In Your Memory," "Smoke In Da' .
featuring Playa, "Writing Rhymes,"
the remix to "Clock Strikes" fea- ?
lg a headbanging sample of the ?
fit Rider theme, are going to make 1
>le move, but could have made j
1's move as well if emcee's like The (
People, DMX, or Method Man were ^
1 the ability to shine like Aaliyah,
lwine, and Playa were able to shine
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vian undercover ana uoy - tne ?
slow jams on the "Welcome To Our S
Id" project. j
998 should be a prosperous year j
"imBaland and Magoo and hope- .
their inability to rhyme won't halt
discovery of more hip-hop artists I
i Virginia or any place considered *
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Page 5
The Crude Earles, Jan.
21, Sundance Grill
Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Jan.
13, Koger Center. Tickets
:ost $13 for the public, $4
or students and are available
it the Carolina Coliseum box
office or bv calling 251-2222.
Cowboy Mouth and
Slue Mountain, Jan. 26,
ilbow Room.
Gran Torino, 10 p.m.,
an. 28, Elbow Room
Aerosmith w/ Kenny
B'ayne Shepherd, 7:30 p.m.,
an. 29, Carolina, Coliseum
^ Albert Hill w/ The
hoodies and Love Seed
dama Jump, Jan. 29,
-<11 T\
11 DOW KOOm
Cravin Melon, Jan. 31,
ilbow Room
Spidermonkey w/ 2
ikinnee J's, Feb. 3, Elbow
loom
Ringling Bros, and
iarnum & Bailey Circus,
7eb. 6-8, Carolina
Coliseum. Tickets available
it the Coliseum Box Office
ind all Capital Tickets outets,
or else purchase by
)hone (251-2222)
Coliseum box office and all
Capital Tickets outlets. To
:harge,< call 251-2222.
Muses Night Out presents
Fiction Reading, 7-9
D.m., Feb. 11, McKissick
vluseum.
Berlin Symphony, 7:30
D.m., Feb. 23, Koger
Center. For more informa:ion,
call 777-5400.
Gianni Versace fashion
memorial.
http//www.metropolitanmus.org
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