Good Will Hunting

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Gifted and talented learners are often a misunderstood group within society and particularly education. The intention of this assignment is to utilise Good Will Hunting as a vehicle to remove some conjecture around gifted and talented leaners. Porter, (2005) defines giftedness as significantly advanced development or learning. Porter, (2005) expands on this definition by clarifying that these learners operate in the top 3-5% of the population. These skills can be relevant to a number of domains including emotional intelligence, intellectual, physical or academic. In relation to Will Hunting he is a complex man that displays gifted characteristics specifically related to mathematics. Throughout the film Will struggles with the pressures and …show more content…
Will’s social group understands that Will possesses a high level of intelligence but doesn’t fully understand the nature of Will’s giftedness; this is exemplified when the extent of their description of Will’s ability is confined to “my boy is wicked smart” (Affleck, et al. 1997). However, how truly miss understood Will’s ability is made apparent when his then girlfriend asks how he with minimal experience can complete work in a quarter of the time it takes the average person. This interaction not only establishes that Skylar is perplexed by Will’s ability, but most intriguing is Will’s answer. Will states that “when it comes to that kind of stuff I could always just play” (Affleck, et al. 1997), this establishes that Will doesn’t not fully understand his own ability. The implications this has on Will is that he becomes increasingly frustrated at peoples lack of cognitive ability, which becomes apparent with his interaction with professor Lambeau. Will becomes frustrated by Lambeau questions, which results in a heated interaction between the two. Therefore, the film states that without the right stimulus and understanding gifted leaners can become disengaged with the relevant …show more content…
However, in terms of the myth that gifted students will succeed on their own is neither dispelled or reaffirmed; although there is evidence presented that supports both arguments. It is apparent in the initial interactions with Will, that he has acquired a high level of knowledge and developed his gifts to a degree, without the assistance of formal education or a mentoring figure. This is represented through Will’s ability to solve complex mathematical equations that even students who have undertaken a traditional education cannot comprehend. This evidence supports the notion that gifted students can succeed on their own, however Will is still living in squalor and working in an occupation that offers very little intellectual stimulus. Therefore, it can be counter argued that Will despite his ability to conceptualize complex equations is not succeeding. Furthermore, when Will is introduced to opportunity and guidance it becomes apparent that his ability to reach his potential is dramatically increased. Therefore whether or not he myth was dispelled or reaffirmed is dependent on the interpretation of success; is success purely academically
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