Q 01/05

Who wrote the screenplay for Good Will Hunting?

A) Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

B) Gus Van Sant and Chris Moore

C) Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier

D) Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian

Answer · why

A) Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

They won the Oscar for it; Affleck at 25 became the youngest screenwriting winner ever, Damon at 27 the second youngest.

Q 02/05

Who directed Good Will Hunting?

A) Kevin Smith

B) Mel Gibson

C) Rob Reiner

D) Gus Van Sant

Answer · why

D) Gus Van Sant

Affleck and Damon wanted him from the start; Miramax also met with Michael Mann, Ben Stiller, Mel Gibson and Chris Columbus first.

Q 03/05

How did the script begin life?

A) A late Harvard playwriting assignment of Damon's

B) A short film Affleck shot in Cambridge

C) A comic strip written for Kevin Smith

D) A one-act play staged in Boston

Answer · why

A) A late Harvard playwriting assignment of Damon's

He turned in about 40 pages instead of the one-act play requested; only the first Will-and-Sean scene survived verbatim.

Q 04/05

What was Will Hunting's job at MIT?

A) Lab assistant

B) Janitor

C) Security guard

D) Cafeteria cook

Answer · why

B) Janitor

He was placed there through a programme for parolees; Affleck's father and his girlfriend had worked as janitors at Harvard.

Q 05/05

Which star plays the therapist Sean Maguire, in what many consider his finest dramatic role?

A) Morgan Freeman

B) Harvey Keitel

C) Robert De Niro

D) Robin Williams

Answer · why

D) Robin Williams

Affleck and Damon wrote the part as 'the Harvey Keitel part' and had improvised it on tape imitating Morgan Freeman.