This psychological drama marks an early point in Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s careers; they both appear in it—Damon as the central character—and wrote the screenplay together. Gus Van Sant, known for *Drugstore Cowboy*, directed. The story follows a young man of Irish heritage living in Boston who works as a janitor at a mathematics department. He's a self-taught mathematical genius with a difficult history. The head of the department (Skarsgård) leaves puzzling mathematical problems, which are mysteriously solved overnight. Damon’s character, Will, has a chance to be released from parole if he can find employment and see a psychiatrist—a process that proves more challenging than anticipated. The film garnered favorable responses from critics and earned over $225 million at the box office with a $10 million budget. It also received nominations in nine categories, including Best Picture and Best Director, ultimately winning two: Best Supporting Actor for Williams and Best Original Screenplay for Affleck and Damon. It's quite an achievement for someone fresh out of Harvard. Interestingly, the character Skylar shares the same name and background as Matt Damon’s girlfriend at the time. Robin Williams portrays the psychiatrist who manages to connect with this troubled young man, delivering a strong performance. It was enjoyable to see Matt Damon in dramatic scenes rather than his usual action roles. Stellan Skarsgård also appears; he's the father of four sons, one of whom is Bill, famous for *It*. It’s a genuinely touching film, with a well-crafted script. I would rate it an 8.0 out of 10 or a B+. It’s odd that this movie didn't come to mind earlier, but I recall being in my third year of medical school in 1997, so there wasn't much time for movies then.

Source on TMDB