PHOTOS10 Best Matt Damon Movies: 'Good Will Hunting,' 'Air' and More
Good Will Hunting
Matt Damon raked in several awards after appearing in the film Good Will Hunting, including the Academy Awards’ Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen with Ben Affleck and Critics’ Choice Awards’ Breakthrough Artist Award.
The 1997 Gus Van Sant-directed film tells the story of a self-taught math genius named Will Hunting who works as a janitor at MIT after getting out of jail. A professor discovers his intellectual talent and tries to help him.
However, the 20-year-old faces a problem with the law after attacking a police officer — and only the professor offers him a deal in return for leniency.
Oppenheimer
Damon’s portrayal of General Leslie Groves is crucial to Oppenheimer’s plot, which is about the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team as they spend years developing and creating the atomic bomb. Their creation shows the fierceness of the weapon during the first nuclear explosion on July 16, 1945.
Cillian Murphy plays the titular role of the physicist, while Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh and Josh Hartnett — among others — support the main character.
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan follows the story of a group of soldiers on their journey to find Private James Francis Ryan and save him amid World War II in France.
The flick also features Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Vin Diesel, Adam Goldberg, Barry Pepper and Giovanni Ribisi.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel of the same name, The Talented Mr. Ripley explores the life of a con artist sent to Italy to meet a wealthy playboy and encourage him to come home to the U.S.
The psychological thriller film, released in 1999, won several accolades, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the BAFTA Awards, Best Composer at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards and Best Director and Best Supporting Actor at the National Board of Review Awards.
Air
Hollywood best friends Damon and Affleck reunite in the 2023 biographical sports drama film Air, which is about the story of Sonny Vaccaro and Michael Jordan as they attempt to create the Air Jordan shoeline.
Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Matthew Maher, Marlon Wayans, Jay Mohr and more celebrities appear in the flick.
Invictus
Directed by Clint Eastwood, Damon and Morgan Freeman lead Invictus, which focuses on the 1995 Rugby World Cup. In the film, Nelson Mandela needs to unify South Africa after it gets divided by race.
Freeman’s performance earned him the NBR Award for Best Actor at the National Board of Review and Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards. Damon also received several nominations as well.
The Martian
Based on the screenplay adapted from the 2011 novel of the same name by Andy Weir, The Martian stars Damon as Dr. Mark Watney in the film The Martian. The botanist and mechanical engineer joins the Ares III team for a crewed mission to Mars in 2035. Due to a dust storm, he loses the other crew members and their Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV).
Due to the low-oxygen warning, he challenges himself to survive on the planet until the next Mars mission, Ares IV, arrives in four years.
The Informant!
The Informant! focuses on an executive as he becomes a whistleblower in the 2009 film, based on Kurt Eichenwald’s nonfiction book of the same name. Damon’s character starts investigating his employers on the FBI’s behalf as they assume that Archer Daniels Midland is involved in a price-fixing conspiracy that causes a massive amount of damage.
The Bourne Ultimatum
Following the first two installments in the Jason Bourne film series, The Bourne Ultimatum focuses on Jason Bourne’s journey to remember the things he lost while avoiding a terrifying C.I.A. official.
Aside from Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Daniel Brühl, Joan Allen, Albert Finney, Paddy Considine and Édgar Ramírez also appear as supporting cast members.
The Departed
Martin Scorsese’s The Departed chronicles the mission of a South Boston cop, who goes undercover, to take down an organization. He soon faces a career criminal who reports the police to his bosses.
