Hudson Valley Astrologer

“You’re not perfect, sport. And let me save you the suspense: this girl you’ve met isn’t perfect either. But the question is whether or not you’re perfect for each other.”

~ Sean Maquire in Good Will Hunting

As a rule, if I watch a series on TV or take in a movie, once is enough. That is if I can get through the entire piece the first time. When Severance first aired for example, and the reception seemed unanimous that we had another award winning series in our queue, I wasn’t able to get down the first sterile white hallway before I had to quit. We’ve been conditioned to not give up on things, even if it is just a movie or a show because perseverance and discipline get drilled into our heads like orders from above — one of the ten commandments. Severance in today’s corporate milieu has ironically come to mean being compensated for your time, but the literal definition is to be separated or cutoff, and watching the show I felt like I wasn’t really getting my money’s worth, or at least enough for my trouble, except boredom. Which might have been the point.

On the other hand Good Will Hunting is one of those movies I could watch a thousand times. Maybe because after I first saw it in theaters I was mesmerized, and so was the entire world apparently, by the extraordinary performance of Robin Williams as Sean Maguire, the unconventional psychologist who “settled” for a community college position to teach, with just a small practice on the side. This was in 1997, Netflix was only just founded but didn’t begin their “subscription” service until the following year after launching their website. Back then streaming wasn’t yet possible so to get a movie required mailing dvd’s back and forth. Blockbuster was the dominant distribution method, which, amazingly, they weren’t able to see the change ahead so barreled forward into bankruptcy. In some ways Blockbuster can be likened to Professor Lambeau in Good Will Hunting, blinded by its own success. Not long ago, television watchers use to “channel surf” just to see what else was on different channels. Maybe people still do this but I don’t. I barely watch TV anymore. But when I did, invariably I stumbled over Good Will Hunting. It seemed to always be on one channel or another and I frequently found it airing by happenstance. When I did, I watched. It didn’t even matter how far along in the movie the action was, O stayed and watched. I am not even sure how many times.

Good Will Hunting touches the heart and celebrates the human spirit in a way that stands in stark contrast to the sterile detachment portrayed in Severance. While Severance critiques a world where corporate control and efficiency can strip away human connection and authenticity, Good Will Hunting reminds us of the transformative power of vulnerability, empathy, and genuine relationships. Perhaps the ultimate tragedy would be a world without “Good Will,” where people lose sight of their inherent worth, chasing external validation instead of embracing their true selves.

What resonated most deeply is the film’s message for me: we need more individuals who embrace their unique path, align with their values, and recognize that their worthiness lies not in external achievements but in the depth of our shared humanity.

Robin Williams’ portrayal of Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting offered audiences a powerful example of healing and self-acceptance, yet the tragic irony is that Williams himself seemed to grapple with the very struggles Sean helped Will overcome. Williams immense talent and humanity were undeniable, but his own battles remind us that even those who inspire others can fall victim to the pressures of “musterbation”—the relentless pursuit of “musts” and perfection.

The adaptabilitypractice.com.au has a beautiful write up on Good Will Hunting and quotes Steven Hayes in an effort to sum up Sean’s character mindset and attitude toward life. I’ll close with this because it really hit home.

“You know, there’s many different definitions of (happiness). I think one dangerous definition of it is to think of happiness as kind of a warm, joyful feeling in your heart that you have to pursue and grab and hold onto for fear that it’ll go away. I mean, it’s fun when you have those feelings, but we know, and the evidence shows, the more intent you are on having those feelings and chasing those feelings, that’s a butterfly that flies away the more you chase it. A better way to think about happiness that actually is something that I think you can reach towards is … living in accord with your values and in a way that is more open and accepting of your history as it echoes into the present, that’s more self-affirming, self-validating and values-based. The Greeks had a word for it; they called it eudaimonia, and it’s not a bad definition.”

HVA

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