Good Will Hunting Page #25

LAMBEAU:

You're here quite a bit, then.

SEAN:

I live right around the corner.

LAMBEAU:

You moved?

SEAN:

I been here a couple years.

There is an awkward moment.

SEAN:

You wanted to talk about Will?

LAMBEAU:

Seems like it's going well.

SEAN:

I think so.

LAMBEAU:

Well, have you talked to him at all

about his future?

SEAN:

We haven't really gotten into it.

LAMBEAU:

Maybe you should. My phone's been

ringing off the hook with job offers.

SEAN:

Jobs doing what?

LAMBEAU:

Cutting edge mathematics. Think tanks.

The kind of place where a mind like

Will's is given free reign.

SEAN:

That's great, Gerry, that there's

interest -- But I'm not sure he's

ready for that.

LAMBEAU:

Sean, I really don't think you

understand--

SEAN:

What don't I understand?

Timmy comes over with the sandwiches.

SEAN:

Thanks, Timmy.

LAMBEAU:

Excuse me, Timmy. Could you help us?

We're trying to settle a bet.

TIMMY:

Uh-oh.

LAMBEAU:

Have you heard of Jonas Salk?

TIMMY:

Yeah, cured polio.

LAMBEAU:

You've heard of Albert Einstein?

Timmy smiles. Gives him a look.

LAMBEAU:

How about Gerald Lambeau? Ever heard

of him?

TIMMY:

No.

LAMBEAU:

Okay thank you, Timmy.

TIMMY:

So who won the bet?

LAMBEAU:

I did.

A beat. Timmy leaves.

LAMBEAU:

This isn't about me. I'm nothing

compared to this young man.

(beat)

Sean, in 1905 there were hundreds of

Professors who were renowned for

their study of the universe. But it

was a 26-year-old Swiss Patent clerk,

doing physics in his spare time, who

changed the world, Sean. Can you

imagine if Einstein had given that

up? Or gotten drunk with his buddies

in Vienna every night? All of us

would have lost something. And I'm

quite sure Timmy never would have

heard of him.

SEAN:

Isn't that a little dramatic, Gerry?

LAMBEAU:

No, Sean. This boy has that gift. He

just hasn't got the direction. We

can give that to him.

A beat.

SEAN:

He married his cousin.

LAMBEAU:

Who?

SEAN:

Einstein. Had two marriages, both

trainwrecks. The guy never saw his

kids, one of whom, I think, ended up

in an asylum- possible Unabomber

addition--

LAMBEAU:

You see, Sean? That's exactly not

the point. No one remembers that.

They--

SEAN:

I do.

LAMBEAU:

Well, you're the only one.

Beat.

LAMBEAU:

This boy can make contributions to

the world. We can help him do that.

SEAN:

Just... take it easy, Gerry.

LAMBEAU:

Look, I don't know what else I can

say. I'm not sitting at home every

night, twisting my mustache and

hatching a plan to ruin the boy's

life. But it's important to start

early. I was doing advanced

mathematics at eighteen and it still

took me twenty-three years to do

something worthy of a Field's medal.

SEAN:

Maybe he doesn't care about that.

A beat.

LAMBEAU:

Sean, this is important. And it's

above personal rivalry--

SEAN:

Now wait a minute, Gerry--

LAMBEAU:

No, no you hear me out, Sean. This

young man is a true prodigy--

SEAN:

Personal rivalry? I'm not getting

back at you.

LAMBEAU:

Look, you took one road and I took

another. That's fine.

SEAN:

Is it Gerry? 'Cause I don't think

it's fine with you. Give him time to

figure out what he wants.

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