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The classic 1997 movie Ben Stiller refused to direct: “No, thank you!”
Ben Stiller has said he turned down the chance to direct the 1997 drama Good Will Hunting, initially questioning why its then little-known writers, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, were attached to the project. The decision is notable because the film became a major critical and commercial success, winning two Academy Awards and receiving seven further nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Director.
Stiller had recently directed The Cable Guy and was still relatively inexperienced as a filmmaker when his agent sent him the screenplay. He later suggested he might reconsider the decision in hindsight; other possible directors included Mel Gibson and Michael Mann before Gus Van Sant took the role. Damon and Affleck had insisted on playing significant parts in the film they wrote, which helped shape the eventual production.
In short
- Stiller declined to direct Good Will Hunting.
- The film later won two Oscars.
- Gus Van Sant eventually directed it.
Explained simply
Good Will Hunting is a drama about Will, a young man from Boston with an exceptional ability in mathematics, and the people who try to help him make choices about his future. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote the screenplay and also wanted significant roles in the film.
The project was considered by several directors before Gus Van Sant took charge. Its eventual success made it a prominent film of the late 1990s: it won two Academy Awards and received seven more nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Director.