It is nearly unfathomable to comprehend that today is the second anniversary of the death of Robin Williams. What's clear is that, even two years later, people are still talking about the way he touched their lives. One of those is his Good Will Hunting co-star, Matt Damon. The actor recently found himself on Boston Commons with his family, where they all sat together on the bench where he and Williams filmed their most famous scene from Good Will Hunting.
Good Will Hunting was the film that introduced much of the world to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Since the two were mostly unknown, it was a big deal to get Robin Williams to sign on to do the film with them, as it was his star power that drew many to the theater. The role is one of Williams greatest and the one that finally earned him a well-deserved Academy Award. One of the film's greatest moments was when Williams character speaks to Damon about life while sitting on a bench in Boston Commons. Matt Damon recently spoke with website JOE about a recent trip back to that spot.
I was back there recently and I went back to that bench. It's right there in Boston Commons and I walked over there with my family and we sat on the bench. The kids didn't know, they've never seen the movie, they're too young but it was nice to go back and think about him there.
In the film, Matt Damon's character of Will Hunting is forced to attend therapy as an alternative to going to jail. Robin Williams plays Sean Maguire, the therapist who tries to get through to the genius mathematician. The scene on the park bench is the breakthrough moment. Damon has almost no lines, he just sits and listens as Maguire explains to Will Hunting that while he may know everything that he's ever read in a book, there's an entire world of experiences that he's never had, and as such, can't truly understand. If there's a single scene that is the reason this role won Williams an Oscar, this is it.
While the performance is all Robin Williams, the words he's speaking are also brilliant, and the reason that the other Oscar Good Will Hunting received was for its screenplay, written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
We can only imagine what it was like for Matt Damon to sit on that bench and remember filming that scene. That movie was a major moment for his career in so many ways. The loss of Robin Williams simply compounds it all. Remembering this scene, and having it on film forever, is as good a tribute to the late Robin Williams as we can think of. Let us know what your favorite Robin Williams scene is in the comments below.
