Starting strong on my list, I want to introduce one of my favorite movies, Good Will Hunting. I am sure you are all confused by the title, but this is one of my favorite lines and scenes from the entire movie, and I suggest if you don’t watch the whole film, you at least look up this scene. Anyway, this classic Matt Damon film is one that I can repeatedly watch, no matter how many times I’ve seen it.

Now for some background, it takes place in Boston, Massachusets. This young adult was abandoned as a kid but now lives all alone. While he has had a rough upbringing and isn’t from a lovely part of town, he is unique. Will has a genius-level IQ, but because of his behavior with the law, he lands a job as a janitor at MIT. This is where his life changes completely. One professor gives his students a challenging graduate-level math problem and leaves it on the board in the hallway, waiting to see if someone can solve it. To his surprise, someone does, not just one of his students, but someone that he will be very close to shortly, Will. When Will is arrested for attacking a police officer, Professor Lambeau makes a deal to get leniency if he gets treatment from a therapist. The only one that can stand him ends up being Sean Maguire (Robin Williams). They become very close. He is a mentor and friend to Will and grew up in the same neighborhood.

This movie is so amazing because it gives you hope for others who aren’t raised the same traditionally. Not only does it have a love story, but it also shows how a highly intelligent, misunderstood kid can evolve and have a better life than working a blue-collar job. Which is the mobile his best friends would hang out with. All know he’s too intelligent to work around them and that he was made for the better. How even though he didn’t pay for a 90,000 education, he understands many of the same things because he’s read the same books at the public library, which brings me to a saying I often think this movie reminds me of, which is where there’s a will there’s a way. Instead of falling victim to how things are or were, it reminds you of the importance of thinking for yourself and taking responsibility for your life, learning, and relationships because if you don’t, no one else will.

This 90s film has classic sarcasm and fun humor built into it, which makes it playful and fun to watch, and the part that gets me the most (every time, actually, and like I previously stated, I’ve seen this movie 100 times) is that it ends with a major cliffhanger, which for a while I thought was dumb because everyone loves a happy ending. Still, the more I watched it and thought about it, I realized it shouldn’t end any other way. I’m not going to spoil it for you because I recommend you all take the time to watch this film, but what I will say is that the ending captures the message of Will going for what he wants and you, as the watch get to interpret and make up what he did after and how he ended his story. This story and film are powerful, and often, when I am down or think nothing is going right for me, this is the movie I turn to to help me realize I need to stop feeling bad for myself and change something because If I don’t, nothing will ever change, teaching me and everyone else to take charge in their future and even if you think you can’t overcome a setback, you can because Will did.