Brook Elaine (Matt5verse6)

Goodwill Hunting
Originally, I chose As Good As It Gets but then after I started reviewing Goodwill
Hunting I changed my mind. Although, for me, I feel the disorder for the Jack Nicholson
character is easier to identify than the one for the Matt Damon character.
Will Hunting is a young adult plagued by a dark past and a brilliant mind. He lives in a
rundown house in South Boston and works low paying jobs. He is only close to his three friends.
After solving a complex math equation at MIT, while he worked there as a janitor, he is sought
after by a well-known and accomplished professor. After Will is incarcerated for hitting a police
officer, the professor convinces the judge to release Will under his supervision. The terms are
Will is to spend a certain amount of time, each day, with the professor completing math
equations and he has to attend counseling sessions. Will is adamant he does not need therapy
and tries to chase off each therapist he sees. That is, until he meets Sean Maguire (Good Will
Hunting).
Sean does not pull any punches with Will. He challenges him. He gets him thinking and
asks him the tough questions. He also makes strong statements like Will does not initiate or
engage too deeply in things or with people because he always looks to the negative that he feels
will come down the road. A relationship that begins with animosity, hostility, and bitterness
turns into one of trust, dependence, and understanding (Good Will Hunting).
All of the main characters in this movie seem to have issues. Sean might struggle with
some depression following the death of his wife. Professor Gerald Lambeau looks to exhibit
some symptoms of narcissism. But this paper is mainly about the character Will Hunting. In the
movie, Sean expresses to Lambeau he should not put pressure on Will regarding his future
because Will is still trying to overcome his past and the issues, such as abandonment, that stem

Brook Elaine (Matt5verse6)

from it. Sean submits the reason why Will sticks with his four buddies is because they exhibit
loyalty and he trusts them, completely. Sean also expresses Wills defense mechanism is to
push people away and he has been all by himself, for many years, because of it. The dialog
mentions attachment disorder and fear of abandonment (Good Will Hunting).
Aggression. Although there are plenty of parts in the movie where Will is very calm,
there are also the ones where he is either fighting or ready to brawl. In one scene, he and his
buddies are cruising down the street in their car and stop to jump another group of guys. It is
Wills character who tells the driver, Chuckie, to slow down and it appears to be him who
initiates the beat down of the other group. Morgan, in the back seat, tries to talk Will down a
little bit. Chuckie tells Morgan he is going to go with them whether he wants to or not. Chuckie
pulls the car over and all four guys get out and attack the ones walking down the street. Will
walks up to one of guys saying, Hey, remember me? We were in Kindergarten together. He
then sucker punches the guy in the side of the head and starts the altercation. Will gets the guy
on the ground and is punching him relentlessly even though the other man looks to be
unconscious and his buddies are calling him off. His friends finally pull him off of the other guy.
The police show up and take Will into custody but Will strikes one of them. There is also a
scene later where Will is in a Harvard bar and tells another man there they can step outside to
settle a disagreement. The Harvard student backs down (Good Will Hunting).
Lack of empathy. Will looks to be stand offish with each person he meets throughout
the course of the movie. He does not feel bad about the fight mentioned above. Hes curt with
the Harvard guy in the bar. He is rude to Professor Gerald Lambeau when Lambeau comes to
the detention facility to get Will released. He is unfeeling toward Professor Lambeau near the
end of the movie when Will completes a proof Lambeau cannot finish and sets the papers on fire.

Brook Elaine (Matt5verse6)

His words toward Professor Lambeau are cutting, unkind, and unsympathetic. He is cold to
Skylar when she professes her love to him and asks him to go with her to California when she
has to leave for Stanford. And, he rips Seans life apart in one of the more memorable scenes of
the movie. After Will has been to and offended five other therapists, Prof. Lambeau takes Will
to meet with Sean for the first time. Right from the beginning of this moment Will is impolite,
insulting, and insensitive. He even goes so low as to attack the memory of Seans wife (Good
Will Hunting). He obviously has no regard for the feelings of others.
Survivor of child abuse. Wills character is an orphan and was placed in foster care. In
one scene, toward the end of the movie, Will and Sean are comparing abuse stories. Sean
describes how his father was a mean drunk. Will talks about his foster father making him
choose the weapon with which he was going to be beaten. There are also pictures in Wills file
of him with countless bruises and long deep cuts (Good Will Hunting). In one portion of the
film, a judge tells us Will has been in and out of many foster homes. From three he was removed
because of serious physical abuse (Good Will Hunting).
Pushes the buttons of others to provoke them. Regardless of the character opposite
Will, he always seems to know exactly what to say to provoke them or chase them off. We see
this many times throughout the flick. He does this with the guy in the Harvard bar, insulting his
intelligence to try and spark a fight. He is snide with the prison guard as if he has to have the last
word and to see if he can get a rise out of the guard. He reads the books of each potential
therapist before he meets with them and then messes with them. He toys with their sexual
orientation, their practices, etc. And, as mentioned before, he uses this same tactic against Sean
resulting in Sean grabbing Will by the throat and threating him. It seems Will takes great joy in

Brook Elaine (Matt5verse6)

distressing and tormenting others to the point they respond either by fighting him or walking
away. He does not consider anything off limits.
Struggles with relationships. Will uses or exhibits the characteristics mentioned above
as he drives people away. The aggression is used, as one example, near the end of the movie,
when Sean tells Will, Its not your fault. Will displays this aggression after Sean repeats
himself eight times. At first Will shakes it off and says, Yeah, I know. By the eighth time he
looks as though he is being backed into a corner and pushes Sean. By the ninth time, Will breaks
down crying. Another illustration of this is when Skylar tells Will he is afraid of their
relationship. An argument ensues and he goes to leave. Skylar blocks the door and Will starts
yelling. Skylar goes to hug him and he pushes her away. He pushes her against the door and
punches the wall right next to her. She cries and still tries to hug him but he continues to push
her away (Good Will Hunting). He uses aggression when he feels uncomfortable.
Will also uses a lack of empathy to keep people at a distance. When they get too close he
says or does something to get them to give up completely and retreat. One case of this is, again
as mentioned above, when Skylar asks him to come with her to California. She professes her
love for him but he tells her, I dont love you, and leaves her there, crying. He does not
display any feelings of remorse (Good Will Hunting).
It is said in the script a few times that Chuckie, Morgan, and Billy are Wills only friends
and close relationships.
Types of therapy represented in the movie. Professor Lambeaus character tells us
Will is presented to five therapists before Sean. Only two of those are shown and they depict
certain features of therapy in dramatic, as only Hollywood can, ways. The second, clearly tries
to use hypnotherapy to get to the bottom of Wills poor impulse control. Hypnotherapy falls

Brook Elaine (Matt5verse6)

under Psychotherapy (WebMD) and in this case was being used for analysis (WebMD)
purposes. Once the root of the problem surfaces, a therapist can use psychotherapy to deal with
it further (WebMD).
The first mental health professional strikes me as using more of the behavioral model.
His book that Will reads is entitled Help Yourself: An Everyday Guide to Personal Growth. He
also listens as Will talks about things he likes to do, go to clubs, which Will is only saying to
badger the therapist. Further, the counselor says to Will, The pressuresare destroying your
potential. No more shenanigans, no more tomfoolery, no more ballyhoo. (Good Will Hunting).
He focuses mainly on behavior.
Though the movie shows psychotherapy in a positive way, Psychiatry and the Cinema
states it is pure Hollywood fiction in this film (Pg. 144). Sean is portrayed as taking a Sandor
Ferenczi (Psychiatry, pg. 144) type method one step further in his approach with Will. In an
effort to earn the trust of this young adult with an attachment disorder, Sean shares as much
about himself as he asks Will to share with him. The two begin to enjoy each others company
and seemingly save each other.
Is Seans approach a wise idea in therapy? I have to think there are some risks
involved with Seans mental health practices. The first that comes to mind is manipulation.
Sure, he detects it and dodges it when Professor Lambeau tries it on him but he knows his friend
very well. In a real life situation, with a new client, how is he to know what he says will not be
used against him? What if Will was narcissistic instead of struggling with relationships? Seans
beyond Ferenczi tactics would not work. Further, there is something to be said about Sean
grabbing Will by the throat and threatening him. According to the Ethical Principles of
Psychologists and Code of Conduct manual, Human Relations section, 3.04 states a

Brook Elaine (Matt5verse6)

psychologist is to avoid harming his or her client, and anyone else with whom he or she is
working, and to do everything in his or her power to reduce any sort of harm that is expected and
inevitable. Also, a psychologist is not to have more than one type of relationship with his or her
client (3.05-A). Sean is there to maintain a professional, doctor - patient relationship. He is not
there to be Wills friend and close companion. Arguably, Sean acts as more of a mentor than a
licensed mental health professional. And, what about confidentiality? Sean discusses Wills
case openly with Professor Lambeau. Section 4.01 of the code specifically addresses
maintaining confidentiality. But, this storyline worked for Hollywood and the movie was a big
hit with audiences, despite Seans disregard of the code of conduct.
Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders in the DSM-5. (pg. 265) When Will was a
child, he might have shown signs of Reactive Attachment Disorder (DSM-5, pgs. 265-268). It
is mentioned Will is an orphan and was physically abused in three of his foster homes. As a
child, he might not have sought comfort from adults around him. However, the film does not say
when Will was orphaned, for how long he remained in foster care, and for how long he sustained
physical abuse.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (DSM-5, pgs. 271-272). Will was physically abused by
his foster father. There is a flashback in the movie, toward the end, when Will is talking to Sean
about the abuse he endured. Will could have memories of this abuse which keep it fresh in his
mind. Again, the death of Wills parents is not discussed in detail so there is no way of knowing
if he saw their death, remembers their death, or at times reacts to stimuli that resemble or remind
him of their death. If Will remembers the love he felt for his parents, it would not be
unreasonable to make the jump that Will might avoid heartfelt relationships because he does not
want to experience the pain of losing someone, again. Will does not appreciate it when Sean

Brook Elaine (Matt5verse6)

keeps telling him, Its not your fault regarding the child abuse he survived. Further, Will
exhibits anger and a detachment from others, except for Chuckie, Morgan, and Billy. He
displays irritable, physically aggressive, outbursts and self-destructive behavior (DSM-5, pg.
272) as described by a judge, reading off Wills rap sheet, in the courtroom scene. Will is
obviously unable to function in a healthy manner. He has a hard time keeping a job and when he
does have one it is a low paying, manual labor position as opposed to one that matches his
intellect and potential.
Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders in the DSM-5 (pg. 461). The
only category of these disorders I feel Will could possibly fall into is Conduct Disorder. In the
part of the movie, as mentioned above, where Will is standing before a judge, he is defending
himself. The judge then lists a rap sheet of all the crimes Will has committed and each of them
he represented himself and got the charge overturned or thrown out. The charges include
assaults, grand theft auto, impersonating an officer, mayhem, theft, and resisting arrest. He
seems to have no regard for the law, the property of others, the rights of others, nor their
wellbeing.
Substance Related and Addictive Disorders in the DSM-5 (pg. 481). Throughout
the movie, Will smokes cigarettes and, despite the fact he is not yet 21, drinks beer. Both of
these are regular occurrences for Will and his small group of friends. They drink beer at the job
site, at a little league baseball game, in the car, they go to bars frequently and drink beer, they go
to Chuckies parents house and drink beer, etc. At no point in the movie does Will attempt to
stop consuming beer so it is impossible to say whether or not he really has a substance related
and addictive disorder. It is worth mentioning, however, in most scenes where Will has a drink
in his hand, it is generally a beer or coffee.

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Relational Problems in the DSM-5 (pg. 715). V61.10 (Z63.0) Relationship Distress
with Spouse or Intimate Partner might apply to Will being he has a difficult time in
relationships with women. He makes a reference to getting laid while in counseling which
suggests he is sexually active, yet the only interest of his we get to see is Skylar and how he
behaves with her. They appear to have a nice time together, go out on a few dates, and end up at
her place a couple of times but his indifference and lack of depth in the relationship causes
issues. It is obvious he is unable to maintain a romantic relationship.
Past History of Child Physical Abuse in the DSM-5 (pg. 717). Wills character has
a past history of child physical abuse, psychological abuse, and possibly even neglect. We know
he is an orphan, was placed in several foster homes, and was removed from three of those
because of severe physical abuse. The script does not say, however I do not feel it is
unreasonable to assume, Will also suffers from psychological abuse. In the conclusion of the
movie, when Will has his breakthrough, we get the idea he blamed himself for the abuse he
had to withstand while growing up.
The accuracy of the disorder portrayed in the movie. The general public obviously
loves this movie. I do feel, however, the character of Will is not fully developed. I had to rewatch the movie a few times to catch all of the items I listed above. Sure, his behavioral issues
are either shown, discussed, or implied in the movie and the viewer can tell they affect his life
but I think there is so much more we could get from Wills character and his struggles.
Possible treatments. I believe in a situation such as that of the character of Will, one
would have to work very hard at relearning how to behave differently and how to manage ones
anger and impulses. I think there would be a lot of counseling, far more than shown in the
movie. Will would possibly benefit from some group classes. And, as depicted in the movie, a

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mentor to assist him with healthy choices. He would have to learn how to respect himself,
others, the property of others, etc. He would have to be placed into situations and social circles
where he could practice his new conduct regularly. His move to California with Skylar might
assist with that. But, above all, Will would have to want to change. He would first have to see
how his current attitude and actions negatively affect his life and his future. Which, at the end of
the movie, he seems to want to take a chance and make a change.

Brook Elaine (Matt5verse6)

References
Good Will Hunting. 9 January 1998 (USA). Written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
Directed by Gus Van Sant. Produced by Be Gentlemen Limited Partnership, Lawrence
Bender Productions, Miramax.
Psychiatry and the Cinema. Gabbard, Glenn O., Gabbard, Krin, Gabbard, 1999. Washington,
D.C. https://books.google.com/books?id=D42m3IIrEDoC&pg=PA145&source=gbs_
selected_pages&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false
WebMD. Mental Health Center. 2015. WebMD, LLC. http://www.webmd.com/mentalhealth/default.htm.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5e: DSM-5. American Psychiatric
Association. 2013. Washington, DC. London, England.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwD-YtZFWfxMbWs2UC1WdWJzZTQ/edit?pli=1
Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. American Psychological
Association. 2015. Washington DC. http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/