Robin Williams Won an Oscar Too
The film received nine Academy Award nominations.
Damon and Affleck won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Robin Williams won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Sean Maguire.
It was his first and only competitive acting Oscar.
His acceptance speech became one of the emotional highlights of that year's ceremony.
More Than a Successful Movie
Affleck has spoken about the enormous influence Williams had on his and Damon's careers.
For two young actors trying to break through in Hollywood, having someone of Williams' stature believe in their work could change the way the industry viewed them.
Sometimes a career doesn't change because someone gives you a job.
It changes because someone with influence decides that you are worth believing in.
The Power of One Person's Belief
That's perhaps the most enduring part of the story.
Damon and Affleck already had talent.
They already had ambition.
They already had a screenplay.
But the right person joining the project helped turn their potential into an opportunity that millions of people would eventually see.
Robin Williams didn't write Good Will Hunting.
He didn't create the story.
But his presence helped give the film the credibility and emotional power it needed to become what it ultimately became.
And that raises a question that goes far beyond Hollywood:
Who was the person who believed in you before everyone else did?
