There are several things that contribute to Will’s problems, including a lack of money. However, as the college student in the bar points out, without the benefit of a formal degree recognizing his knowledge, he will still be reduced to menial labor, particularly since he has a criminal record. While he has obviously not benefited from formal education, Will is very well educated from his own efforts within the county library.
His status is defined by his job as a janitor and his activities, such as sitting in the upper bleachers of the local baseball game, riding around in his friend’s car, discussing issues of money such as not having more than 16 cents for a fast-food sandwich, getting into street fights and being arrested. His ability to solve the problem illustrates the way in which his economic position has limited his opportunities as he should have been earmarked for higher education from grade school. Will himself is present in the halls as a janitor who cannot resist the challenge of a math problem he sees in the hall. These shifts to an Ivy League scene complete with rowers on the seemingly private river and the somewhat smug discussion of the teacher and reactions of the student. The soundtrack album also features a handful of pop songs by other artists, some of which blend in well ( the Waterboys, Luscious Jackson) and some of which don't ( Andru Donalds, the Dandy Warhols).Poor socio-economic conditions are obvious within the lives of the main characters from the very beginning of the film as Will is picked up in an old car from a dilapidated house with a great deal of junk in front of it. His whispered vocals and quietly nimble fingerstyle are perfect for the film's exploration of intimacy and underambition. While "Miss Misery" recalls the bouncy harmonies of Queen, most of Smith's contributions owe more to the mellow influence of Simon & Garfunkel. That honor is almost exclusively reserved for Broadway-style musical numbers and adult contemporary superstars. Six Smith songs appear here, including one new tune, "Miss Misery," which stunned observers by pulling in an Oscar nomination for Best Song. He had only three independent albums to his name before Van Sant (a fellow Portland native) chose his songs for this movie. However, the most impressive success story of all may belong to Elliott Smith. His use of acoustic guitars is a particularly fresh choice, lending humility and mobility to the sweeping string arrangements. The Elfman tracks on this CD borrow liberally from other composers ( Randy Newman, Ennio Morricone), but they also break the melodic mold of Elfman's Batman score, which has constrained most of his work since 1989. In 1998, he finally received his first two Oscar nominations, for Good Will Hunting and Men in Black. Elfman had already become one of Hollywood's most popular and prolific composers, but until 1997 he never seemed to be fully accepted by his peers in the clique-ish world of film music. But Van Sant made room for two talented musicians in his pumpkin ride to the Oscar ball: little-known folk popster Elliott Smith and film scorer Danny Elfman. Most of the headlines went to the film's young screenwriter/stars, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and director Gus Van Sant. The entertainment press loves unlikely princesses, but Good Will Hunting had so many Cinderella stories that one of them got lost in the shuffle: that of the soundtrack album.