The Couch Potato's Guide to Hollywood: The Legacy of Matt Damon

nicolas genin from Paris, France, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By Geoff Carter

He is a brilliant actor, writer, and producer whose charming manner and boyish good looks have cemented him as one of the most likable actors working in the cinema today, but that engaging smile and affable manner are often the tools this actor uses to hide layers of darkness and complexity.

Matt Damon sometimes plays characters who are exactly what they seem to be: Private James Ryan in Saving Private Ryan is an Iowa farm boy whose loyalty and sense of duty compels him—and the squad sent to save him—to fight a pitched battle against superior German forces. The scene in which Ryan relates the last night spent with his brothers is priceless; he effortlessly switches gears between poignancy and hilarity. As Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Damon again uses his charm and magnetism for darker and more sinister ends. Despite Ripley’s numerous and horrific crimes, Damon is still able to elicit sympathy for him; we almost find ourselves rooting for Ripley.

In Good Will Hunting, which Damon co-wrote, his portrayal of an angry young orphan from South Boston who has been emotionally and physically abused and who is—incidentally—a mathematical genius, is a difficult and stirring role. In order to stay out of jail, Hunting has to attend psychological counseling sessions with Dr. Maguire, another Southie. Damon’s finely calibrated portrayal of a man caught in the paradox between his desire to exercise his brilliance and his fear of acknowledging his own identity is remarkable.

Many of Damon’s roles are predicated on his nice-guy persona. Like a number of great actors before him, including Jimmy Stewart, Gary Cooper, or Tom Hanks, he often plays the guy next door, or an everyman thrown into an extraordinary situation. And like those other great actors, Damon is a master of revealing the depth and breadth of complexities beneath the cool and smiling exteriors of his characters. That such depths often seem unplumbable, except when revealed through an edgy smile, a prolonged gaze, or an averted gaze is testament to Damon’s ability as one of the great actors of his generation.

The Top Ten Films of Matt Damon

Good Will Hunting: Along with his childhood friend Ben Affleck, Matt Damon wrote and starred in this compelling film about a tough abused Southie kid who happens to be a mathematical genius. Living and working odd jobs, and in and out of trouble with the law, Will Hunting (Matt Damon) secretly solves an incredibly difficult math puzzle posted in the halls of MIT. When his identity is discovered by celebrated math professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard), he bails Will out of prison to work with him provided he see a counselor. After outwitting a number of psychologists, Will runs into Dr. Sean Maguire (Robin Williams), a Southie himself, who is able to penetrate Will’s defenses. Damon’s performance as the angry and brilliant, but fiercely loyal Will Hunting, as he progresses from a seemingly self-assured and brash young genius to a young man coming to terms with his talent and his past, is incredibly well-done. Notable for Williams’ great supporting work.

Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Stellan Skarsgard, Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Minnie Driver, and Cole Hauser. Written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Directed by Gus Van Sant.

Saving Private Ryan: In this Steven Spielberg World War II classic, a platoon of Rangers is assigned to find Private Ryan (Damon), a paratrooper trapped behind enemy lines, to bring him home. Ryan’s three brothers have been killed in combat and the Army brass wants to spare his family another loss. After a few run-ins with the enemy, the squad finds Ryan, who refuses to leave his squad, leading to a climactic battle scene. Even though he has a relatively small parts, Damon’s Ryan is a perfect blend of farm boy naivete, youthful bravado, and down-to-earth charm. The scene where he describes the last time he was with his brothers to Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) is priceless. Notable for a phenomenal supporting cast.

Starring: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Barry Pepper, Giovanni Ribisi, Edward Burns, Adam Goldberg, Jeremy Davies, and a very young Vin Diesel. Written by Robert Rodat. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

The Martian: In this sci-fi thriller, Damon plays Mark Watney, an astronaut who is presumed dead and accidentally left behind on Mars by his crew. With no means of communication, and facing eventual starvation, Watney is forced to employ his education and ingenuity to “science the hell” out of his situation, including turning his space pod into a rudimentary greenhouse. When he eventually establishes rudimentary contact with NASA, the space agency scrambles for a solution to save Watney’s life, but it is his own perseverance and determination that gets our hero home. Since Watney is isolated, most of Damon’s lines are framed by the video diary he keeps for posterity. As Watney is the ultimate underdog, it is hard not to root for him, but Damon brings an extra dimension of optimism and humor to the character. Notable for Jeff Daniel’s performance as the NASA chief, a chilling portrait of corporate America’s lack of common human decency.

Starring: Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Written by Drew Goddard from the novel The Martian by Andy Weir. Directed by Ridley Scott.

The Talented Mr. Ripley: In this twisted psychological thriller, Matt Damon plays Tom Ripley, an aimless musician who is hired by shipping magnate Herbert Greenleaf (James Rebhorn)—mistakenly believing he went to Princeton with his son Tom—to persuade his son to return home for a life of decadance in Europe. Ripley meets Dickie (Jude Law) and his girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow) and soon becomes seduced by their extravagant lifestyle. Ripley becomes obsessed with Dickie, imitating his lifestyle and even pretending to be him. He eventually kills Dickie, takes on his identity, and moves to Rome, where he is forced to take extreme measures in order to preserve his grisly secrets. Tom Ripley is outwardly charming, effusive, and well-meaning, a façade that covers his dark inner self. Damon’s performance as a man whose outward charms and skills of mimicry is harrowing. It’s hard not to like Matt Damon in any role—even as a stone-cold killer.

Starring: Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and James Rebhorn. Written and directed by Anthony Minghella.

Dogma: In this tongue-in-cheek religious fantasy, two fallen angels, Bartelby (Ben Affleck) and the Angel of Death Loki (Matt Damon) have been banished from Heaven but after discovering that Cardinal Glick (George Carlin) is offering to remit all sins for those who enter his church during a rededication. Realizing that this indulgence would allow them to return to Heaven through a rather complicated loophole in Catholic dogma, the two make their to Jersey, but Metatron (Alan Rickman) a seraph, persuades Bethany Sloane, a lost descendant of Christ, to help intercede. Damon’s portrayal of Loke, a dumb and somewhat gullible angel who is constantly manipulated and misled by his best friend Bartleby, is simultaneously hilarious and pathetic. Notable for Alanis Morrissette’s performance as God.

Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Linda Fiorentino, George Carlin, Salma Hayak, Jason Lee, Alan Rick, and Jay and Silent Bob. Written and directed by Kevin Smith.

Syriana: An espionage thriller that uses three converging storylines to depict the political convolutions involved in supporting the oil industry in the Middle East. Bob Barnes, (Clooney) is a CIA agent caught in the middle during an arms deal gone awry. While attempting to report irregularities with the incident, Barnes finds himself targeted as a “rogue agent” the scapegoat in an international plot gone awry. In a parallel story line, Bryan Woodman (Damon) a trader who is attempting to consummate a deal with wealthy oil baron, attends a party at the home of the oil tycoon in which his son accidentally dies. Possibly—as a result of the accident—Woodman closes the deal. Damon’s portrayal of a grieving father caught between his anger and his greed is remarkable. Clooney won the Academy Award for his performance as Barnes.

Starring: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Amanda Peete, Christopher Plummer, Jeffrey Wright, and Chris Cooper. Written and directed by Stephen Gaghan.

Invictus: A sports drama based on true events. After Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) was elected as the first Black president of South Africa, he sought to unite a racially divided nation through support of the South African rugby team, the Springboks. Mandela persuades the predominantly Black Sports Committee to support the team and informs team captain Francois Peinaar (Matt Damon) that he believes a victory in the World Cup—to be hosted in South Africa—would unite the nation. As Mandela and the team reach out to the people—and the Springboks start to accumulate victories—the slow process of unification, and healing, begins. Damon’s performance as the determined Peinaar is exceptional. Also notable for Morgan Freeman’s outstanding portrayal of Mandela.

Starring: Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Tony Kgorge, Adjoa Andoh, Julian Lewis Jones, Matt Stern, and McNeil Hendricks. Written by Anthony Peckham. Directed by Clint Eastwood.

The Departed: A gripping tale of double and triple betrayals. A young cop, Billy Costigan, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) is persuaded by the brass to go deep undercover into the Boston mob. Another cop, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), who is beholden to the mob boss Franke Costello (Jack Nicholson), becomes his source in the Boston Police Department. As each of the moles dives more deeply into their false personas, subsequently losing grip on their own identities, the lines between good and evil, right and wrong, and personal loyalties become blurred. Damon’s portrayal as Sullivan, Nicholson’s inside man, is remarkable for the utter believability with which he portrays a man balancing on a razor-thin wire between two lives, good and evil, loyalty and duty. The earnestness of his lies—and his ability to believe them—is remarkable. Also notable for the DiCaprio’s great performance.

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, Jack Nicholson, and Vera Farmiga. Written by William Monahan. Directed by Martin Scorsese.

Behind the Candelabra: In this stirring HBO biopic, Michael Douglas portrays the effervescently talented pianist—and fashionista—Liberace. At a time when homosexuality was considered taboo in our society, Liberace flaunted it, even as some of his most devoted fans refused to recognize it. Scott Thorson (Damon), a handsome young veterinary assistant, is introduced to Liberace by a mutual friend, who hires him as a chauffeur. Thorson eventually becomes the older man’s lover and moves in. Liberace becomes obsessed with the idea of transforming Thorson into a version of himself, even resorting to plastic surgery. When Liberace’s reckless behavior starts spiraling out of control, Thorson leaves him and sues for palimony. Damon’s performance as the opportunistic and naïve Thorson is simultaneously pathetic and creepy. Notable for Michael Douglas’s excellent portrayal of Liberace.

Starring: Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Rob Lowe, Scott Bakula, Dan Aykroyd, Debbie Reynolds, and Boyd Holbrook. Written by Richard LaGrevenese. Directed by Steven Soderbergh.

True Grit: In this remake of the classic Western by Joel and Ethan Coen, Damon plays the Texas ranger LaBoeuf who joins young Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) and Sheriff Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) in their quest to apprehend Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the man who murdered Mattie’s father. Laboeuf is hunting down Chaney on a separate murder he is wanted for in Texas and, over Mattie’s objections, throws in with Cogburn. This unusual posse discovers their quarry hanging with Lucky Ned Pepper’s (Barry Pepper) gang and wreaks their own brand of justice. Damon portrays LaBoeuf as not the courageous and exceptional Texas Ranger he makes himself out to be, but as something of a bumbler and a hard luck case. Still, for all his pretensions and arrogance, he does come through in the end. Notable for the great cinematography and direction.

Starring: Haillee Steinfeld, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Barry Pepper, Josh Brolin, Domhnall Gleeson, Bruce Green, and Elizabeth Marvell. Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.