Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have known each other for a long time, and have become established actors in the industry. As one of the most famous on-screen duos in the industry, they have also collaborated on several projects, with the biographical sports drama, Air, being the latest. One such project also includes Gus Van Sant’s 1997 film Good Will Hunting. The psychological drama was a hit at the box office and among critics as well.
Good Will Hunting went on to win several accolades, including Academy Awards for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. Affleck and Damon, who worked on the film’s screenplay, won their first Oscar for the 1997 film. However, the earlier director had a different vision for the film, and the screenwriters did not believe that it would have had the same reception as the original film.
Director’s Vision For the 1997 Matt Damon Feature
The 1997 film starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Robin Williams follows a genius Will Hunting who relies on a psychiatrist for emotional crisis. The film was highly praised for its direction and writing, along with the cast’s performance. Critics described the film as a “crowd-pleaser,” which had become one of the best works of both Affleck and Damon.
And the process to attain such a result was also very tiring. The Oscar-winning actors reportedly wrote the film as more of an action feature initially. “It had a very Beverly Hills Cop, Midnight Run sensibility, where the kids from Boston were giving the NSA the slip all the time,” Affleck once shared during an interview.
After going through several drafts, directors like Mel Gibson and Michael Mann were considered to direct the film. However, the latter had a version of the film that was completely different from what the School Ties co-stars had planned.
And although Mann was considered to direct the film, his vision regarding it was not what the duo had in mind. The Bourne Identity star later shared his and the Batman actor’s reaction to the film the new version, which also led them to choose Gus Van Sant to make the 1997 psychological drama.
Matt Damon And Ben Affleck Did Not Like the Darker Version
During his appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Matt Damon shared that Michael Mann had his own version of the film, which was much darker than what he and Affleck originally planned. He shared that Mann showed him clips of Mexican gangs and told him, “This is the movie you gotta make.”
“I was like, ‘What??’ These dudes have neck tats; they’re Mexican; that’s not at all what South Boston is, man,” he shared. The Martian star shared that it felt like he had a darker version in his mind for the film. He also shared Ben Affleck’s reaction.
Damon said that the Argo actor walked out of the room after watching the film and said, “What the f*** is going on?” The Air actor shared that Affleck straight of told him that they wrote it and it was their movie. And they dropped the darker version, after which Gus Van Sant joined the project as the director.
Good Will Hunting is available on Prime Video.
Source: Happy Sad Confused Podcast
