In our normal day-to-day lives, we encounter a number of obstacles as we try to pursue and achieve our goals. In the movie, Good Will Hunting, the main characters encounter different kinds of obstacles in the pursuit of their gifts, most of which they manage to address in different ways as discussed in this essay.
Will Hunting, the main figure in the movie is highly gifted with a genius-level intelligence, an intuitive ability to solve complex mathematical theorems. Will Hunting’s troubles trace back to his unhappy and abused childhood, which he blames himself for and ends up sabotaging his professional and emotional life. In his quest to have a steady job or romantic relationship, Will Hunting encounters an obstacle as a result of his adept nature of anticipating future failures in his personal and romantic relationships, something which makes him avoid or end them instantly.
Sean Maguire, Will’s psychologist and a victim of child abuse, also faces a kind of emotional obstacle as a result of the guilt and suppressed feelings emanating from the premature death of his wife, something which makes him unable to consider another romantic relationship. Talking about this makes Sean boil with anger to a point where he threatens to end Will’s recovery process.
The doctor-patient relationship between Sean and Will kick starts the psychological process of overcoming these obstacles. Sean’s story of how he met his wife encourages Will to try out a serious relationship with Skylar. On the other hand, Will challenges Sean to objectively look at himself and his life. Furthermore, the furious quarrel between Lambeau and Sean as well as Chuckie’s honest but brutal opinion encourages Will to see things differently. The therapy sessions finally manage to ease Will’s resentment and convince him to take control of his own life after which he leaves to go find Skylar for a serious romantic relationship. Sean, on the other hand, also leaves to go travel around the world.
Some of the obstacles I think I might face in pursuing my own gifts include being too picky and failing to address my insecurities. I may address these obstacles by speaking to professionals, coming up with resolutions, and being very resilient in a bid to achieve my goal.
