10 Intense Performances In Heart-Breaking Movie Scenes
10. Robin Williams Good Will Hunting
The late great Robin Williams was famous for his skill at balancing drama and comedy. One moment he can be loose and spontaneous and the next he can bring a thoughtful weight to his performances. No better example does he have of the latter than his tender and deadpan performance in Good Will Hunting, as Dr. Sean Maguire, for which he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Although the film is full of amusing ad-libs, such as when Williams talks about his dead wifes farting, its at its strongest when it touches its dramatic core. The most heart-breaking scene is where Will, played by Matt Damon, comes to Seans office for his evaluation and they eventually share how their fathers abused them when they were young. Sean tells Will its not your fault in an effort for him to come to terms with what happened, and while Will shakes it off, Sean relents, repeating its not your fault until Will finally breaks down. Damon and Williams work off each other phenomenally, pushing back and forth in a subtle but raw way that truly brings out the characters and their feelings on their trauma. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYa6gbDcx18 Williams was an actor who always gave it his all. Hes equally great in the underrated thriller One Hour Photo, where he plays off-type as a sinister photo technician. Hes also worth watching in dark comedy Worlds Greatest Dad, which tackles the tough themes of teen angst and suicide.
Recently graduated from University of Hertfordshire with a Film & Television Production degree. Usually found watching films, listening to music, writing for whatculture and writing reviews for awardscircuit.com and my blog.
