Good Will Hunting/Trivia

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• Actor Allusion: At one point in the movie, Sean says, "If they don't trust you then you're never gonna get them to sleep with you and that should be the goal of every good therapist." In Dead Again, Robin Williams plays an ex-psychiatrist who was forced out of the job for sleeping with his patients.
• Dawson Casting: Damon was 26, but his character was 20.
• Fake Nationality: Swedish Stellan Skarsgard portraying a French(?) professor named Lambeau.
• Mid-Development Genre Shift: It was originally conceived of by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as a thriller, before the Weinsteins encouraged them to instead emphasize the relationship between Will and his psychologist.
• Real Life Relative: Brothers Ben and Casey Affleck as Chuckie and Morgan.
• Romance on the Set: Matt Damon and Minnie Driver dated briefly. Unbeknownst to Driver, Damon famously announced the relationship was over during an TV interview with Oprah Winfrey.
• Star-Making Role: For both Affleck and Damon, as well as a dramatic one for Robin Williams, who had primarily been known for his comedy work up to that point.
• Throw It In: Maguire's final line, "Son of a bitch...he stole my line," was ad-libbed by Robin Williams, and was kept as the second-last shot of the film.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Ben Affleck and Matt Damon first asked Kevin Smith to Direct. He declined because he felt the script deserved a better Director, and served as a Producer instead.
  • Michael Mann, Steven Soderbergh and Mel Gibson were also considered before Gus Van Sant was hired on.
  • Damon and Affleck's original idea for the film was more along the lines of a thriller, with the CIA endeavoring to use Will's math talents for their own ends. The Weinstein brothers encouraged them instead to focus on the relationship between Will and Maguire.
  • According to the DVD Commentary for Mallrats, the movie was to initially be produced by Castle Rock Entertainment, but this fell through and Kevin Smith helped bring it to Miramax.
• Written by Cast Member: Damon and Affleck's Oscar-winning screenplay.