ReviewsNew York Times - ...A smart and touching screenplay....Directed with style, shrewdness and clarity..., BBC - Touching, without being sentimental, and feelgood without appearing contrived, this is one shrink-wrapped drama that's worth unpacking., Sight and Sound - ...Matt Damon proves himself a charismatic and compelling actor..., Time Out - It's acted and directed with care, and Damon is outstanding, his scenes with Driver being especially sparky., Variety - Towering performance by Matt Damon as a troubled working class who needs to address his creative genius elevates this drama way above its therapeutic approach, resulting in a zeitgeist film that may touch chord with young viewers the way The Graduate did., Time Out London - It's acted and directed with care, and Damon is outstanding, his scenes with Driver being especially sparky., USA Today - " ...Matt Damon delivers the movie year's No. 1 breakthrough performance..." -- 3 out of 4 stars
Additional InformationA South Boston whiz kid elects to clean the halls of learning rather than enter them, slumming his way through life as a janitor at MIT. But his natural ability to unravel complex equations attracts the attention of a professor who won't let him quit, a beautiful Harvard student who wants to save him, a sympathetic buddy who wants him to escape South Boston, and a counselor who encourages him. A soundly acclaimed, homegrown effort from lifelong Boston buddies Damon and Affleck, who pushed their script through development by disguising it as a suspense thriller.
AwardsBest Actor In A Supporting Role 1997 - Robin Williams, Best Screenplay Written Directly For The Screen 1998 - Matt Damon, Best Screenplay Written Directly For The Screen 1998 - Ben Affleck
ScreenwriterMatt Damon, Ben Affleck