Positive And Negative Impacts On Relationships And Personal Growth In Good Will Hunting And The Freedom Writers Diary

Good Will Hunting, directed by Gus Van Sant and released in March 1998, has earned over 10 awards since film was released. One being Academy Award for ‘Best Original Screenplay’ which was won shortly after being released. This film tells the story of a young man, Will Hunting (played by Matt Damon) who struggles to discover and embrace his genius-level IQ, the disadvantages that was faced as a child has affected the way Will forms and perceives relationships. This film is a journay through the mind of Will Hunting, with the help of a psychologist (played by Robin Williams), Will is forced to endure therapy to understand what value he is to the world. The Freedom Writers Diary is an autobiography novel that convey the similar themes of positive and negative impacts on relationships and personal growth. With individual diary entries from each student

In both the film Good Will Hunting, and novel The Freedom Writers Diary different language features are used to effective demonstrate the impact that positive and negative relationships have on a human’s personal growth. In the film Good Will Hunting, Will struggles to accept any positive relationship in which will help change his future. He allows the negative relationships which have been created in the past by a mistreated childhood influence the situations that he has to face as an adult. The message that the director is trying to get across is done by the use of cinematography techniques such as different camera angles that are utilized throughout the film. The different camera angles are used to capture and display the different emotions and relationships between two characters, it also brings the audience into the scene. For example throughout the film most shot with Will and Sean are medium angle shot but both characters are in different frames

Lighting is an effective technique that the director used during the film. The lighting in this film is used to create a certain mood or feeling that the director is trying to get across to the audience. The use of warm lighting was used to create a sense of empathy and humanity for young Will, warm lighting is also used whenever Will may be in a safe environment and feels comfortable. An example of this is in Sean’s office, the lighting is amber which establishes a warmth for the viewer and during these therapy times Will is vulnerable.