--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With 'Good Will Hunting,' Miramax made…" description: "\"With 'Good Will Hunting,' Miramax made certain the recruited audience wasn't expecting to laugh at Robin Williams like they normally do. From my limite..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/gus-van-sant-5023_audience_with-good-will-hunting-miramax-made-cert_3203663.png" --- # With 'Good Will Hunting,' Miramax made certain the… ![“With 'Good Will Hunting,' Miramax made certain the recruited audience wasn't expecting to laugh at Robin Williams like they normally do. From my limited experience, you can really blow test screenings by conducting them in the wrong way.” quote by Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/gus-van-sant-5023_audience_with-good-will-hunting-miramax-made-cert_3203663.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/gus-van-sant-5023_audience_with-good-will-hunting-miramax-made-cert_3203663.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/gus-van-sant-5023_audience_with-good-will-hunting-miramax-made-cert_3203663.png) > “With 'Good Will Hunting,' Miramax made certain the recruited audience wasn't expecting to laugh at Robin Williams like they normally do. From my limited experience, you can really blow test screenings by conducting them in the wrong way.” [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A studio can misjudge audience expectations and sabotage a film by mishandling test screenings. **In simple terms:** Wrong test screenings can ruin a movie. Key Takeaway Align screenings with target audience expectations. Themes film production audience perception marketing testing Mood cautious analytical Type industry insight critical When to use this quote - studio executives - film festivals - independent releases - marketing teams Key Concepts expectation management feedback loops Questions to Reflect On - How can studios better gauge authentic audience response? - What alternative testing methods could preserve a film’s intent? A Different Perspective Audience reactions may differ from assumed norms, risking misinterpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Hunting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunting/) [Robins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robins/) [Tests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tests/) [Will hunting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will-hunting/) ## Related quotes > [In rare cases, I've had music before I shot the movie. I think that for 'Good Will Hunting' I had an Elliot Smith record…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/in-rare-cases-i-ve-had-music-before-i-shot-the-movie-i-think-that-for/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [What I might do is watch Mrs Doubtfire. Or Dead Poets Society or Good Will Hunting and I might be nice to people, mindful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/what-i-might-do-is-watch-mrs-doubtfire-or-dead-poets-society-or-good/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [I had one of those light bulb 'a ha' moments while screening 'Good Will Hunting' in Camp David in 1998 - Madeleine Albright and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/i-had-one-of-those-light-bulb-a-ha-moments-while-screening-good-will/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [In 1998, I was screening 'Good Will Hunting' at Camp David. And I was saying, 'Nice to meet you, Mr. President. Nice to meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/in-1998-i-was-screening-good-will-hunting-at-camp-david-and-i-was/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [I'd come into filmmaking as a painter so, for me, making 'Good Will Hunting' was experimental because I didn't know how to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-d-come-into-filmmaking-as-a-painter-so-for-me-making-good-will/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has found his niche in making the sound of solitude a triumphant experience, like Good Will Hunting: The Musical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-martin/coldplay-frontman-chris-martin-has-found-his-niche-in-making-the/) [Chris Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-martin/) > [If you look at what Ben Affleck has gone on to do, as an actor and as a director, it's extraordinary. But if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mcginty-nichol/if-you-look-at-what-ben-affleck-has-gone-on-to-do-as-an-actor-and-as/) [Joseph McGinty Nichol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mcginty-nichol/) > [Then, there was Greenpeace, I remember that when they first started out with the boats in the waters, and the guys in the boats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-danko/then-there-was-greenpeace-i-remember-that-when-they-first-started-out/) [Rick Danko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-danko/) > [It's not hard to understand why an accomplished director like Gus Van Sant (whose most recent success, Good Will Hunting, gave him mainstream clout)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/it-s-not-hard-to-understand-why-an-accomplished-director-like-gus-van/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [“May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter when you sleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-hunter/may-you-find-good-hunting-swift-running-and-shelter-when-you-sleep-2/) [Erin Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-hunter/) > [“Last night I went and saw Good Will Hunting, which takes place not exactly where I used to live, in Boston, but pretty darn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/last-night-i-went-and-saw-good-will-hunting-which-takes-place-not/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [You can tell by the way the girls whisper about him when he walks by in school that they want him. It makes me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/you-can-tell-by-the-way-the-girls-whisper-about-him-when-he-walks-by/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [I love my hunting dog. I loved my hunting dog - I'm not very good at hunting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-mcfarlane/i-love-my-hunting-dog-i-loved-my-hunting-dog-i-m-not-very-good-at/) [Bonnie McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-mcfarlane/) > [May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter when you sleep. (Leafpool to Ashfur, page 1)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-hunter/may-you-find-good-hunting-swift-running-and-shelter-when-you-sleep/) [Erin Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-hunter/) > [“Good hunting partners are hard to find.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/good-hunting-partners-are-hard-to-find/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) ## More by Gus Van Sant > [The things that inform student culture are created and controlled by the unseen culture, the sociological aspects of our climbing culture, our 'me' generation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/the-things-that-inform-student-culture-are-created-and-controlled-by/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [I mean, I think I'm pretty sentimental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-mean-i-think-i-m-pretty-sentimental/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [Usually people just hire me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/usually-people-just-hire-me/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [My family moved a lot as a kid. We started in Colorado, where I lived for five years. We moved to Chicago for two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/my-family-moved-a-lot-as-a-kid-we-started-in-colorado-where-i-lived/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [No construction stiff working overtime takes more stress and straining than we did just to stay high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/no-construction-stiff-working-overtime-takes-more-stress-and/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [I've told people who have just started to make a film that the one thing you might experience is this feeling that everybody is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-ve-told-people-who-have-just-started-to-make-a-film-that-the-one/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [A lot of times, I relied on connections through my agency, just for financing and things like that. Even when I'm looking for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/a-lot-of-times-i-relied-on-connections-through-my-agency-just-for/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [I'm a junkie. I like drugs, I like the whole lifestyle, but it just didn't pay off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-m-a-junkie-i-like-drugs-i-like-the-whole-lifestyle-but-it-just-didn/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [There are all kinds of ways that people present their films, but that's kind of a good feeling, if you can make it seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/there-are-all-kinds-of-ways-that-people-present-their-films-but-that/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [I find it interesting, the different rules that apply to journalism and drama, even though journalism has become more and more about entertainment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-find-it-interesting-the-different-rules-that-apply-to-journalism/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [As I do with most films, I try and find some music that you could use throughout, not just a sampling of lots of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/as-i-do-with-most-films-i-try-and-find-some-music-that-you-could-use/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [When you're on a film and you're doubting something, it's usually because you don't think the audience is going to like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/when-you-re-on-a-film-and-you-re-doubting-something-it-s-usually/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [I don't usually direct actors in the classic sense of that word. Instead, I try to remind the characters before the shoot what's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-don-t-usually-direct-actors-in-the-classic-sense-of-that-word/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [When you get to be 23, 24 or 25, you start to freeze up and become an adult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/when-you-get-to-be-23-24-or-25-you-start-to-freeze-up-and-become-an/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [The artist himself is actually the subject in everything after, say, 1900. Eventually, art becomes so removed from the community that you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/the-artist-himself-is-actually-the-subject-in-everything-after-say/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) [Explore all 102 Gus Van Sant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "With 'Good Will Hunting,' Miramax made certain the recruited audience wasn't expecting to laugh at Robin Williams like they normally do. 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