Home/Episodes/Good Will Hunting
'Good Will Hunting’ With Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey
January 25, 2018 · Good Will Hunting (1997) · Drama · Romance · 1:42:58 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsLeonardo DiCaprio — Discusses Castle Rock wanting Leo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt instead of Damon/Affleck, mentions Mel Gibson as producer/director would be weird, and reveals Michael Mann wanted to direct and make them car thieves while replacing Matt Damon▶ 38:12
Chris RyanJeff Bridges — Williams is more replaceable than Damon/Affleck, suggests Jeff Bridges would have been good alternative, mentions Dustin Hoffman and Judd Hirsch as possibilities, but notes no one else could deliver Williams' comedy classroom scenes▶ 38:38
Sean FennesseyMichael Mann — Questions whether other actors were considered for Sean character, asks if Michael Mann's car thief version related to CIA story, notes Mann's car thief concept would be very characteristic of his style▶ 38:23
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsMultiple elements including the friendship/buddy bonds, Elliott Smith's music, Casey Affleck's 'I Hate LA' shirt, Boston accents (except Robin Williams), 'How about them apples' scene, the ending, and Robin Williams' and Ben Affleck's costume choices▶ 40:15
Chris RyanThe friendship stuff and interpersonal relationships between Damon and Affleck and Damon and Williams - timeless elements that could work in movies from 1940 or 2018▶ 43:13
Sean FennesseyThe dialogue - every line was memorable and burned into your brain in a way most movies can't achieve▶ 44:11
Shea SerranoThe friendships, mainly because of everything that happened afterward with Damon and Affleck staying connected, though could be talked into the 'How about them apples' scene▶ 43:24
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsThe movie is too long, especially the scene where Skyler meets Will's buddies with the two long jokes▶ 48:09
Dion Waiters Award
Chris RyanDiscussed Casey Affleck's nepotistic advantage and praised the screenwriting choice of naming a character Carmine Scarpaglia as a heat check move, but didn't declare a specific winner▶ 55:15
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsCollection of trivia facts including: Boston Public Garden bench is now a Robin Williams memorial, he lived 6 minutes from Bunker Hill Community College, screenplay had a fake gay sex scene to test if people were reading it, Robin Williams ad-libbed the wife farting scene and suggested L Street Bar, 'Son of a bitch he stole my line' was ad-libbed, Robin Williams' character based on mix of Damon's mom and Affleck's dad, Gus Van Sant painted the office painting, Damon and Driver dated during filming and broke up after Oscars▶ 1:03:42
Chris RyanTerrence Malick suggested changing the ending so Will chases after Skylar instead of them leaving together, which became the final ending of the movie▶ 1:08:18
Picking Nits
Bill SimmonsChucky and Cole Hauser would have immediately beat the shit out of Ponytail Guy - in real life that guy has a broken jaw and concussion▶ 1:17:38
Bill SimmonsNobody in the MIT class could figure out either equation - not one of the best people we have was even close▶ 1:17:52
Chris RyanIt's strange that Chucky enables Will's bad behavior but wants him to leave - why drive around and get into gang fights if you want him out of Southie?▶ 1:18:29
Sean FennesseyWhy would the NSA try to convince a felon who's been arrested 15 times in two years to come work for them - it's incredibly unreasonably illogical▶ 1:16:50
Sean FennesseyThe Danny Elfman score sucks and feels like it's from a completely different movie, like Pee-wee's Big Adventure▶ 1:18:52
Shea SerranoWhen Affleck picks up Damon, he brings the coffee to him instead of leaving it in the car - that's not happening, it's weird▶ 1:19:24
Best Quote
Bill SimmonsMultiple quotes including 'Son of a bitch, you stole my line' and 'It's a good engine'▶ 1:19:49
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsWill and Skylar break up within three weeks after Will beats up a Stanford kid who makes fun of his accent, gets arrested, and Skylar bails him out▶ 1:25:45
Chris RyanWill and Skylar last about a semester - three or four good weeks before falling apart when she confronts him about telling her he didn't love her▶ 1:24:40
Sean FennesseyWill becomes a tech billionaire Steve Jobs-type figure in Northern California during the late 90s tech boom▶ 1:26:21
Shea SerranoWill realizes the relationship won't last, returns to Boston after Sean dies of a heart attack, and goes back to construction work - that's just his life▶ 1:27:04
Who Won the Movie
Bill SimmonsMatt Damon — Matt Damon - other people could have played Williams' part well, but no one else could have made Damon's part work the same way▶ 1:39:40
Chris RyanMatt Damon — Matt Damon - he has to do dumb, smart, physical, romantic lead and be believable as both tough guy and genius▶ 1:38:54
Sean FennesseyRobin Williams — Robin Williams - because it's his best performance and the 'It's Not Your Fault' scene will be the centerpiece of any posthumous Oscar montage▶ 1:37:52
Shea SerranoRobin Williams — Robin Williams - he was never beaten in any scene and was always the best in a movie full of great actors▶ 1:38:43
Movies Referenced (59)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boogie Nights (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 1:19 |
| Den of Thieves (2018) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 11:43 |
| The Departed (2006) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 46:04 |
| Ocean's Eleven (2001) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano | ▶ 1:30:22 |
| Titanic (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 10:42 |
| Armageddon (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 36:36 |
| As Good as It Gets (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano | ▶ 12:50 |
| Courage Under Fire (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 34:48 |
| Jackie Brown (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 13:22 |
| Saving Private Ryan (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 34:48 |
| Shot Caller (2017) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 1:26:05 |
| The Judge (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 29:03 |
Directors Referenced (10)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Affleck | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Argo, Gone Girl, The Town | ▶ 25:15 |
| Michael Mann | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans | ▶ 39:25 |
| Gus Van Sant | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Shea Serrano | ▶ 29:41 | |
| Kevin Smith | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Clerks, Chasing Amy | ▶ 2:49 |
| Rob Reiner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | This Is Spinal Tap, The Wolf of Wall Street | ▶ 3:41 |
| Terrence Malick | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Days of Heaven, The Tree of Life | ▶ 1:08:31 |
| Mel Gibson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Braveheart, Lethal Weapon 3, Conspiracy Theory | ▶ 6:58 |
| John Woo | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 3:05 | |
| Chris Corner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Saint, Open Your Eyes | ▶ 1:03:42 |
| Sean Penn | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking | ▶ 1:34:32 |
Actors Referenced (73)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Damon | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 97 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Good Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed | ▶ 2:52 |
| Cole Hauser | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 30 | Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Chris Ryan | Dazed and Confused, Good Will Hunting | ▶ 25:53 |
| Robin Williams | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 30 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Mrs. Doubtfire | ▶ 9:10 |
| Casey Affleck | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 21 | Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Sean Fennessey | Manchester by the Sea, Light of My Life | ▶ 25:36 |
| Minnie Driver | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Good Will Hunting | ▶ 9:49 |
| Castle Rock | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 3:41 | |
| Danny Trejo | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano | Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn, Predators | ▶ 1:10:02 |
| Mark Ruffalo | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Chris Ryan | Spotlight, The Kids Are All Right, The Avengers | ▶ 1:11:23 |
| Jack Nicholson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano | Chinatown, As Good as It Gets, The Departed | ▶ 12:50 |
| Brad Pitt | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Mr. & Mrs. Smith | ▶ 5:14 |
| Robert Forster | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Jackie Brown, The Descendants, Mulholland Drive | ▶ 13:22 |
| Amy Ryan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Gone Baby Gone | ▶ 34:59 |
Writers Referenced (6)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey Weinstein | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Shakespeare in Love, The Hateful Eight | ▶ 2:46 |
| William Goldman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Shea Serrano | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride | ▶ 4:04 |
| Patch Adams | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano | Patch Adams | ▶ 13:34 |
| Harold Ramis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Stripes | ▶ 1:01:37 |
| James Cameron | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day | ▶ 13:06 |
| Jon Favreau | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Chef, Iron Man, Swingers | ▶ 1:09:23 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan O'Reilly | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | The Meg | ▶ 1:14:16 |