"It’s Not Your Fault" — The Psychology of Good Will Hunting | Cinemental Podcast

In this episode of Cinemental, we go deep on the modern classic Good Will Hunting — a film that doesn’t just tug at your heartstrings but rips them clean out.

We explore the powerful depiction of Reactive Attachment Disorder and how childhood trauma shapes Will’s identity, relationships, and resistance to vulnerability. Why does someone so brilliant push people away? Why does he sabotage every opportunity for connection? We break down how abandonment issues, emotional detachment, and unresolved trauma show up in real life — and how this movie nails it.

We also ask:
– Are Will's friends, especially Chuckie, helping him grow… or holding him back?
– Do screenwriters know when they’ve written an iconic line like “It’s not your fault”?
– And the big one: Should everyone be in therapy?

If you’ve ever asked yourself “Do I need therapy?”, or wondered how to find the right therapist, this episode is a great starting point. We talk about the barriers to starting therapy, what mental health in movies can teach us, and why therapy isn’t just for people in crisis — it’s for anyone who wants to grow, heal, and show up better in the world.

Whether you're looking for signs you need therapy, tips on finding a therapist, or you're just a fan of movies about mental health, this conversation will hit home.

🧠 Subscribe to Cinemental for more deep dives into how mental health is portrayed in cinema and television. And let us know in the comments: What moment in Good Will Hunting hit you the hardest?

0:00 Introduction
3:30 Topics of the Day
4:30 Were Will’s friendships good for him?
6:30 Reactive Attachment Disorder
11:55 The Perfect Person FOR YOU
13:00 Should every person be in therapy? –
16:20 Was Will Hunting a Super Hero?
19:30 Josh is SO Wrong About Batman
20:20 Did Robin Williams Offer Good Therapy?
29:10 Do Writers Know they’re writing an iconic line?

Follow Filmmaker Jeffrey Jones on Instagram @hugemanmissing
Follow Dr. Joshua Jones on BlueSky @usapsychiatrist

You can also email us at [email protected].

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