by Heath Lynch, Contributing Writer

A long time ago, Roger Ebert spoke about the power of film, and he put forth one of my favorite quotes of all time: “The purpose of civilization is to be able to empathize with other people, and for me, the movies are like a machine that generates empathy. It lets you understand a little bit more about different hopes, aspirations, dreams, and fears.” It’s a remarkable sentiment that rings true to this day. However, Ebert seems to fall a bit short of the true understanding that I believe he was aiming for with his quote. While film does grant us the opportunity to build empathy and compassion for other people when walking a mile in their shoes, contradictory films grant us the added opportunity to be reflective on the tough social and societal choices. Because not all films have the same message. Some artists have a different story that they want to get across. They have different meanings behind their words. This is the case with the two amazing films, Good Will Hunting and In the Heights.

Have you ever wanted to leave your hometown and boldly step forward to discover something new in the world around you? Conversely, have you ever recognized that it’s not what’s out in the world that’s important to you, but it’s the relationships and community you have developed at home that make the world a special place? This is the main crux of juxtaposition between these two films. What’s even more interesting is that almost everyone has had to confront this dilemma at some point in their life. This is a highly relatable conundrum that we all go through. Usually, we experience this when we contemplate college and where we want to take our lives after the fact, although the question can rear its head at any stage of our lives. One of the most interesting aspects of this contradiction is that these movies beautifully showcase exactly why both options are entirely valid choices. I find both paths at this fork in the road to be credible in the pursuit of a happier life.

Good Will Hunting was a breakout success from, at the time, Hollywood newcomers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. They even took home Oscars for their original screenplay. It was directed by Gus Van Sant and the movie starred Damon and Affleck, as well as Robin Williams, Minnie Driver, and Stellan Skarsgård. It tells the story of a young man named Will Hunting (Damon) who is intellectually gifted with a photographic memory and a larger-than-life understanding of advanced mathematics. Unfortunately, Will has no goals or ambitions in life. He’s more than content to run in and out of prison, bounce from job to job, drink with his friends, and get into street fights in south Boston. The comfort level he has built in his daily routine, as well as the support system he has fostered with his friends, leaves him content to live an unfulfilled life. He is enabled by his own lack of ambition to never accomplish anything for himself.

In the battle of nature versus nurture, nurture has won out. I don’t even blame Will. Life is fun for him. He has a relaxed schedule because he’s not tied down by a job or financial responsibility. He can virtually live the life that he wants, free of charge. I certainly remember being in my late teens and early 20s. I didn’t have a care in the world, and why would I? I was invincible! What could possibly go wrong with just hanging out with my friends night in and night out? I don’t know a single person on this planet who wouldn’t understand Will’s point of view. We were all young and foolhardy once. Why would you leave a comforting nest egg without any incentive to do so?

Conversely, there’s In the Heights. A brand new release from the mind of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton. I say new, yet the film is based off a Broadway musical that has been around for more than a decade. But the film adaptation just released this past month. It was directed by Jon M. Chu and stars Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, and Corey Hawkins. It tells a tale that’s quite the opposite of Good Will Hunting. It’s all about Usnavi de la Vega, a man in his mid-20s who wants nothing more than to escape Washington Heights, a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. He owns and operates a small bodega where he does nothing but slave away to make coffee all day for a meager profit at best. He scrapes by in a perpetual state of financial ineptitude, ever dreaming about returning to his childhood homeland of the Dominican Republic, which he hasn’t seen in almost 20 years. The resentment he feels towards his community of Washington Heights grows at an exponential rate as the community seemingly loses more and more of its culture every day. Businesses are being bought out by outsiders, rent is being jacked up so that people can’t afford it and have to move away, and the people themselves are losing faith and hope in the very community that they helped foster. In the battle of nature versus nurture, nature is winning. There’s something universally relatable about childhood nostalgia. 

Across all generations, we yearn for the safety, comfort, and the childlike wonder of our past. When there are daily poisons like the structures of adulthood, economic inequality, fiscal responsibility, and emotional loneliness that can cripple you, why would you want to continue to subjugate yourself to such torture when there are means of escaping it? I know there are many of us who ask ourselves this every day. So what’s the reason for Usnavi to stay in America when he has a better opportunity for a happier life in the Dominican Republic? He has no family ties that compel him to stay. He’s not in a committed relationship. In fact, there are perks to leaving, like his childhood home that his father once owned down in the D.R. that he could refurbish and live in. Or the much cheaper cost of living to have spare change and time to enjoy life on the beach. I can understand Usnavi’s position. I think we all could. Why would you stay in an uncomfortable home life without any incentives when you could leave and build a new nest egg that already has perks?

The parallels between Will and Usnavi’s lives speak for themselves. However, what’s more fascinating about Good Will Hunting and In the Heights is not the foundation of their story, but the resolutions that they both come to in their respective journeys. Both pictures categorically state that the trappings of foundational ideals are meant to be challenged. However, both movies challenge these ideals in completely contradictory fashion.

After experiencing an emotional breakthrough with his long-time therapist and friend, Will sets off to actually challenge his life‘s perspective. He recognizes the reality in which he is gifted with a greater opportunity in life than most people could ever dream of having. He abandons the comforts of south Boston and his friends to pursue life in new ways. Unshackled by the resentment of his childhood, he pursues love. Once Will was able to see how much he could grow as a person and enrich himself through life’s experiences, how could he possibly stay? He decides to open himself up to feeling compassion and empathy towards others. It’s a terrific message about breaking beyond the limited constraints that the world has unjustly forced upon you. We are all capable of accomplishing so many things once we allow ourselves to feel confident in who we are and what we deserve in life. Some are more privileged than others, surely; but bettering your life is never out of reach. That often means leaving your comfort zone and challenging yourself to pursue something new. Will’s path is something a lot of people experience when they leave for college. It’s a journey of self exploration and growth.

Usnavi experiences something entirely different. After packing up his belongings, shutting down his bodega, and saying goodbye to the community, he comes to realize that the little dream that he has been searching for his whole life has been in front of him this entire time. It was never about leaving Washington Heights to move to the Dominican Republic. It was always about finding purpose in your life through the joy and inspiration you cultivate in others. Once Usnavi was able to see how impactful he was at galvanizing his own community to feel hope, pride, and love, how could he possibly leave? He was the star attraction in the world around him and he didn’t even know it. Not until it was right in front of his eyes could he see how special he was to the people in his life. There’s something honorable about remaining a part of your community. Standing firm and resolute against the changing of the wind to proudly and defiantly state that you will defend a culture, community, and its people for the uniquely beautiful masterpiece that it is. This is something a lot of people experience when they contemplate returning from college, recognizing that they have the ability to bring about positive change to the community that they have known and loved their whole life.

Foundational ideas are meant to be challenged. It’s only when we take the time to look in the mirror at who we have become that we can take stock in who we want to be. And whether that is taking action and moving on from the life that we’ve always known or staying put and defending the life that we have created, it’s potentially correct either way. Good Will Hunting and In the Heights could not have more diametrically opposed points of view on how we should handle some of life‘s greatest challenges. Obviously, no two scenarios are the same. It’s up to each and everyone of us to analyze and assess each situation to identify the correct course of action. But it is genuinely fascinating to study and analyze two films that I love, even though they conflict with one another. I consider both of them to be tremendous works of art. Completely different and unique in their own way, they explore a dynamic range of characters that generate empathy from the audience. That empathy channels itself into compassionate relatability with our own life‘s experiences as we allow ourselves to objectively understand both contradictory points of view. Good Will Hunting, and In the Heights are terrific works of art that are always deserving of recognition. I hope you will be able to see the juxtapositions and their resolutions as beautifully as I do.

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