After recently seeing the brilliant film ‘Five Easy Pieces’ again, directed by Bob Rafelson and starring Jack Nicholson, I couldn’t help but noticing the many similarities between this film and ‘Good Will Hunting’, directed by Gus van Sant, starring Matt Damon.
What do you think?
- Both films deal with a prodigal child-turned-man who is not using his remarkable talents, (music and math).
- Both lead characters are working in construction, together with their best friend, with whom they like to spend the evenings drinking beer.
- Both movies have a scene that shows the lead character telling off a person that is behaving in an intellectual superior way, (GWH: bar scene with a ponytail guy, FEP: the debating evening with friends).
- In FEP Jack Nicholson reveals his remarkable talent at an odd moment, by climbing in the back of a moving truck during rush hour, playing the piano that stands there. In GWH Matt Damon cleans the university as the janitor and solves a complicated mathemathical problem on a blackboard.
- Both characters find a girl that matches wits and although they feel attracted to the girl, they are compelled to argue with her and reject her.
- In both movies the man has trouble saying ‘I love you’, several times.
- Both men have ran away from their family.
- In the end of both movies tears are being shed with a father figure about the way things have worked out in their lives. They both cry and say ‘I’m sorry’.
- In the end both characters take a car and leave.
Both screenplays were nominated for an Academy Award. When Matt Damon and Ben Affleck won and were handed the award, Damon smugly declared on stage:
“Dad, I got better seats than Jack Nicholson!”
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