At the end of 1997, two South Boston natives released a film that romanticized college academia and all things fall. These two Bostonians would later become Massachusetts’s most recognizable celebs, and the minds behind the film that is credited as a ‘fall staple.’
Good Will Hunting, directed by Gus Van Sant, follows a young MIT janitor named Will Hunting, played by Matt Damon, who is secretly a mathematical genius who can solve any problem a MIT professor, Stallon Skargard, crafts on a chalkboard. The one problem Will could never solve is how he is going to spend the rest of his life and his impressive abilities. Charged to help him is his psychologist Sean, played by Robin Williams, who attempts to help Will breakaway from his loyal-since-birth friends, (Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck and Cole Hauser), and to help chase the woman of his dreams, Skylar, played by Minnie Driver.
So what does a young, stubborn and cocky genius falling in love with a Harvard student have to do with fall? And no, it is not the infamous “do you like apples line,” but instead it is the cinematography, color scheme, and of course, the underlying theme of new beginnings and second chances.
Fall is the time of year when the leaves begin to fall off the trees and everyday people begin to settle back into their routine. After an exciting and adventurous summer, the setting of fall helps establish a basis for switching out the swimsuits and lemonade for back to school supplies and Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes. By doing this, people around the world are beginning new regimens and getting excited for what the next four “-ber” months have in store.
Good Will Hunting, believe it or not, supplies people with the same dopamine hit others get from the first sip of that Pumpkin Spice Latte. Danny Elfman’s light, flutish score begins, and the titles roll in front of blurred math equations and opened books. And then – sigh – the viewers get lost in Matt Damon’s eyes as the excitement for fall creeps in, but before the audience can get another deep sigh of cinnamon and foliage, a light blue Chevrolet pulls up, and a young Ben Affleck makes his through the yard, surrounded by a few bare trees and walking through dirt as he makes his way up the steps to meet Matt Damon for their long day of work.
That was only a brief three minute glimpse of the autumn beauty of the film, but the movie’s cinematography and color schemes add a whole layer to the fallish vibes. Cinematographer Jean-Yves Escoffier focuses on outdoorsy, barren trees and fallen leaves camera shots, as well as adds a soft orange tint to indoor scenes that exemplify the colors and seasonal highlights of fall. The costume team also made sure to add browns, denim and jackets to all of the characters’ looks, which is similar to what people are wearing now in the “-ber” months.
In short, Good Will Hunting may not have the same supernatural vibes as Twilight, Harry Potter, and other more watched fall flicks, but the film’s plot, cinematography and soft, underlying theme of new beginnings, incorporates the overall essence of fall and helps people of all ages, all over the world prepare for the golden, cozy scenic season.