Fast Forward
Damon-Affleck video collection more than just ‘Hunting’
By Randy Myers
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Before teaming up in the Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting, actor-screenwriters and longtime pals Matt Damon and Ben Affleck starred in a number of movies together and apart. Here is some of their work available on video.
MATT DAMON
School Ties: This thoughtful and impressive drama is about a high-school quarterback (Brendan Fraser) dodging anti-Semitism and snotty attitudes in a hoity-toity private school circa 1950. In addition to Damon (very good as a rich brat and eventual adversary of Fraser), are Chris O’Donnell and, in a small role, Affleck. Because of poor marketing, Ties slipped by critics and audiences when it was released in 1992. If you’re a fan of either Fraser or Damon, don’t miss it. (Rated PG-13 for shower nudity, language and bad behavior by rich boys.) *** (out of four)
Courage Under Fire: Damon took his supporting role as a guilt-plagued Desert Storm soldier a little too seriously and wound up with an eating disorder after filming this gem. Denzel Washington tries to root out the truth in the death of a captain (Meg Ryan) in a Desert Storm mission. (Rated R for violence and language.) ****
The Good Old Boys: Tommy Lee Jones co-wrote, directed and starred in this TNT film that’s as slow as a cross-country cattle drive. Damon plays the ambitious son of Frances McDormand. When his ne’re-do-well uncle (Jones) comes back to town, the family tensions flare up again. A noble film, illustrating the demise of the wandering cowboy. (Not rated; has some shaky language and violence.) **1/2
The Rainmaker: Damon aces his first major starring role in Francis Ford Coppola’s well-made adaption of the John Grisham novel. Damon plays Rudy Baylor, a recent law-school grad hired by an ambulance-chasing firm. When a no-win insurance case lands on his lap, he jumps at the chance to take it. Little does the idealistic lawyer know he has cast himself as David against the insurance company’s Goliath. Claire Danes plays Damon’s love interest. (Rated RG-13 for language.) ***
Good Will Hunting: The Affleck-Damon screenplay in this Gus Van Sant movie hits just the right notes, never too sweet or sour. Damon is outstanding as a janitor with as many brains as problems. Robin Williams convincingly plays a psychiatrist who tries to get Damon to confront and slay his inner demons. Affleck and Minnie Driver are good in supporting roles. (Rated R for graphic language.) ***1/2
BEN AFFLECK
Chasing Amy: Gen-X filmmaker Kevin Smith’s movie vividly brings to life every character, from the supporting cast to the two leads (Joey Lauren Adams and Affleck), in an unconventional romance between two comic-book artists. The hitch is that she’s gay and he’s not. Damon has a cameo as a squidly agent. (Rated R for frank language and sexuality.) ****
Going All the Way: Affleck’s good; this coming-of-age movie isn’t. It plods along without a purpose or a likeable lead character. (Rated R for nudity, sexual situations and language.) **
Glory Daze: As college graduation nears, four roomies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, perform stupid-boy tricks to mask the fact that the future spooks them. Affleck is enormously appealing, even if his character isn’t. (Rated R for language and nudity.) **1/2
Phantoms: Dean Koontz grabs us with a crackerjack set-up and then fails to deliver the goods in this dumb horror flick, based on one of his numerous best sellers. A slew of characters gather in a deserted town to figure out what happened to the vanished townsfolk. Affleck is wasted in the nothing role of the town sheriff. (Rated R for gore and language.) *
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