Re: Similarities between Catcher' and Good Will Hunting
Brendan McKennedy (the.tourist@mailexcite.com)
Sun, 04 Jan 1998 23:25:50 -0700
>Hello All:
>
>I'm wondering if any of you have had the chance to see the film "Good Will
>Hunting". It's been open here in the NYC area for a few months now, but I
>think it opens nationally on the 9th.
>
>When I left the theater, I had the same feeling as when I first read
>"Catcher..." X number of years ago. Then I began to analyze the movie a
>bit, and saw that there were a number of things about Will Hunting
>that are very similar to Holden.
>
>Just curious if anyone had the same feelings or had anything to share
>about it.
>
>BTW - see the movie. It is definitely one of the best released in '97.
>
>Wishing everyone a happy new year....
>
>Chris
GUS VAN SANT (director "Good Will Hunting") is an absolute genius. "My Own Private
Idaho" is my
very favorite film of all time. "To Die For",
"Even Cowgirls Get the Blues", and of course
"Drugstore Cowboy" are cinematic masterpieces as
well, but all of them were adapted from prewritten
material. "My Own Private Idaho" was written
by Van Sant (with a bit of help from what's-his-
name...uh, Shakespeare?), and it is simply beautiful.
There a few similarities to Catcher in that movie
as well, though strictly interpretational
similarities. The main character, Mike (River
Phoenix's best work ever) is a lonely, depressed,
lost, and confused Holden kinda character--
throughout the whole movie searching for his source
(there is repetitive, seemingly arbitrary footage
of salmon jumping up-river, and Mike wears a
salmon-colored jacket throughout the movie...)
I haven't seen "Good Will Hunting" yet, but I
wait with bated breath. (Ooh, the gushing cliches
I can compose after reading 100 bananafish posts...
you people steal my fire. I don't mind.)
Brendan
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