Milk

Once again, it’s like my giant excel spreadsheet randomize button I hit months ago was a mystic fortune teller.  Here I am reviewing Milk days before Wear Purple Day, where I and thousands more will honor the memory of six young boys who took their own lives after persecution against their sexuality.

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected into any political office.  The film shows us the last eight years of his life, from a realization at forty that he had done nothing he was proud of, witnessing the homophobic San Francisco police brutalize his friends and neighbors, through his campaign struggles and his success at election.  But ultimately, he became a symbol and driving force behind the gay rights movement.

Sean Penn does not portray Harvey as some daring, flaming hero, but rather a man who saw what needed to be done.  He witnessed first hand the persecutions the gay community endured and simply realized that they needed one of their own looking out for them.  It happened to be him and soon he was able to rally angry mobs together for one purpose, even when they were on the brink of a riot.  Penn does not mold Harvey around stereotypes, but gives us a smart, kind, funny and quirky person we would all like to know.  His romantic relationships are sprinkled in, but do not define him.

We are shown, sometimes though old bits of news footage, Harvey’s biggest opponents.  There is Anita Bryant, a ignorant religious conservative usually interviewed with a church in the background and validates herself with phrases like “laws of God” and “normal majority.”  She actually becomes a catalyst fueling anger and rallying the community further.  Harvey’s closest enemy is Dan White (Josh Brolin) a fellow Supervisor who ends up assassinating Harvey and the mayor.  Harvey keeps Dan close, trying to make an allay out of him and believes that Dan is a closeted homosexual himself.

One of the most moving scenes in the film is where a teenager from Minnesota calls Harvey. The call is very brief and commotion is all around Harvey, but the boy says that his parents are going to take him to a hospital to fix his homosexuality and he’s thinking about killing himself.  Harvey tells him to get away, run before this gets to him.  Only problem is that that boy is in a wheelchair.  We’re sure the boy is a goner, until he calls again over a year later, thanking Harvey for saving him.

I’ll admit, ever since his remake of Psycho, I have not been able to be a fan of Gus Van Sant.  But what he has done here with the story of Harvey Milk is wonderful and is needed in our society.  Those who feel lost or bullied because of their sexuality need to see this film.  They’re not the first to feel like this and need to know that people are and have been fighting for them.  And we’re not going to stop.

Harvey Milk is just one of countless casualties over the gay rights movement, but how many more will we let die with him?  How many more teenagers will we hear about committing suicide to escape a world where they are only bullied?  Parents, students and all citizens of the world need to take notice, stop the persecution and have respect.

“All men are created equal. No matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words.”

Good Will Hunting

Will (Matt Damon) is a young man with hidden genius, but no motivation or direction in life.  He grew up as an orphan in southern Boston, works as a janitor at MIT and hangs around with a gang of punk Boston boys (including Ben Affleck) who beat up their old kindergarten bullies.  Their most intelligent conversation contains about five profanities within it over a few pints.  It’s easy to see where he’s held back.

One day at work, moping the hallway, Will spies an equation on a chalkboard and nonchalantly solves it.  Professor Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård) displayed it hoping that one of his students would be able to solve it by the end of the term.  Lambeau tracks down Will and takes it upon himself to help him reach his genius potential.

But there’s more to Will than hidden genius, he’s got some deep psychological issues that keep him in a dead end job and getting into trouble with his friends.  He finds holding a blue collar job honorable, even romantic, and who’s to say that’s wrong?  After a few fun scenes messing with some therapists, Lambeau sends Will to Sean Maguire (Robin Williams), his close friend and great therapist.  Right away, Sean realizes Will is a tough egg to crack and nearly loses his cool at first.

Their second encounter is where we find the meat of the story.  Sean elegantly rips Will apart alongside a lake watching swans, “You’re just a kid, you’ve never even been out of Boston.”  It’s the first time Will realizes that he’s just book smart with no experience.  And it’s not practical experience Sean brings up, but experiencing culture, beauty, love and life in general.  Will has never taken a chance to do something positive with his life, but in which direction is it?

Trying to help Will is like that thing about a horse and water, you can’t make him drink.  The harder Lambeau pushes, the more Will resists and Sean knows that Will might be seeking more than Lambeau’s definition of success.  It nearly feels like Will has closed his ears to the world until his buddy Chuckie tells him, “You’re sitting on the winning lottery ticket and too much of a pussy to cash it in.”

Is there a right and wrong path for Will?  Is it his duty to use his gift of intelligence or does he simply need to find meaning in life?  Director Guss Van Sant has a way to be preachy while lacking general opinion.  The film can argue and preach the opposing view points over and over, but a strong conclusion is never fully revieled.  For some viewers, that’s a good thing, keeps everything subjective.  Others may get confused or angry wanting a clear answer with no conflict with Will’s end decision.
Good Will Hunting went to the Oscars nominated for nine awards and came back with the best original screenplay (written by Damon and Affleck) and Robin Williams winning best supporting actor.  Not bad against the unsinkable, but I’ve never cared for Matt Damon’s acting anyway.

I would say that Good Will Hunting is inspired in an uninspiring way.  It’s roots are smart and dwell deep under every characters exposed skin, yet leaves me wanting more.  There seems to be an extra mile that lies beneith I can only imagine, yet I have no idea where it could lead.  I guess the unanswered questions nagging me at the end are just a matter of unresolved philosophy and an elegant way of keeping their amazing Will an enigma.  Everyone is more interesting when they’re an enigma.