A review by Mike Shea Movie Rating: ( * * * * * ) DVD Rating: ( * * * * * )
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Note: This review was based off of the Canadian DVD release NOT the cut down US release.In my opinion this is the best movie of 1997 and one of the best movies of all time. Good Will Hunting is a story done entirely with conversations between the main characters of the film. It breaks many molds of movies and is never stereotypical. There are no good guys or bad guys. There are no spectacular events, or great adventure. We have real people with real relationships dealing with real subjects. This movie has about four of the most powerful scenes I have ever seen. The movie is just perfect. It is produced by one of the most talented directors I have seen recently, Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy) and was written by the two main stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon who got an Oscar for the picture. This is also the defining movie for Robin Williams as a true master actor (he also got an Oscar for his role). This DVD was the Canadian special edition. It is anamorphic and Dolby Digital 5.1 and allows audio track switching on the fly (which Disney has made a policy of removing for the US version). It includes the full directors commentary with Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Gus Van Saint (the director). It also has 13 deleted scenes, a few of which are not available on the US version. If you are a fan of the film, definitely get this version (which is available on DVD-Depot for $35 shipped) and not the stripped down for your safety Disney-policy one.