Good Will Hunting

We started watching the movie Good Will Hunting in class this morning. The story focuses on a young man from Boston's poor southside. He has been in trouble with the law repeatedley, mostly for assault. He is close friends will kids from the same neighborhood, and he falls in love with a Harvard student from a different social class background than that of his. He is also required to participate in counseling and advanced math sessions as an alternative to serving jail time. Your task is to interpret this movie as a sociologist, picking up on socialization, social class (stratification), culture, deviance, and group life, leading you to your own critical analysis of the plot. Rather than being passive, you are an active viewer who is equipped with the sociological imagination. Have fun with this exercise!