--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In 1998, I was screening 'Good Will…" description: "\"In 1998, I was screening 'Good Will Hunting' at Camp David. And I was saying, 'Nice to meet you, Mr. President. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Clinton.' Madele..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/lawrence-bender-27378_camp_in-1998-i-was-screening-good-will-huntin_1485278.png" --- # In 1998, I was screening 'Good Will Hunting' at Camp… ![“In 1998, I was screening 'Good Will Hunting' at Camp David. And I was saying, 'Nice to meet you, Mr. President. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Clinton.' Madeleine Albright, Sandy Berger, Senator Daschle. It was an extraordinary day.” quote by Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/lawrence-bender-27378_camp_in-1998-i-was-screening-good-will-huntin_1485278.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/lawrence-bender-27378_camp_in-1998-i-was-screening-good-will-huntin_1485278.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/lawrence-bender-27378_camp_in-1998-i-was-screening-good-will-huntin_1485278.png) > “In 1998, I was screening 'Good Will Hunting' at Camp David. And I was saying, 'Nice to meet you, Mr. President. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Clinton.' Madeleine Albright, Sandy Berger, Senator Daschle. It was an extraordinary day.” [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The anecdote highlights the surreal mix of pop culture and high-level politics in a private setting. **In simple terms:** Politics meets movies. Key Takeaway Recognize unexpected intersections of worlds. Themes politics culture surrealism celebrity Mood wry amused Type anecdotal historical When to use this quote - film festivals - political gatherings - celebrity encounters Key Concepts media influence power dynamics personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - What does this reveal about power and pop culture? - How do such moments shape public perception? A Different Perspective The story may exaggerate for effect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camp/) [Camps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camps/) [Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton/) [Clinton Madeleine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton-madeleine-5423121/) [David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/david/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Extraordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary/) [Extraordinary Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary-day-4297505/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Hunting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-hunting-398324/) [Good will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-will/) [Hunting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunting/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madeleine-albright/) [Madeleines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madeleines/) [Meet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meet/) [Mr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mr/) [Mrs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mrs/) [Nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice/) [Nice Meet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice-meet-787523/) [Nice to meet you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice-to-meet-you/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Sandy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sandy/) [Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying/) [Screening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screening/) [Screening Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screening-good-2446511/) [Senator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senator/) [Senators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senators/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) [Will hunting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will-hunting/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/with-good-will-hunting-miramax-made-certain-the-recruited-audience/) [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/) > [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/) > [Nobody can walk on a track and beat me unless they have an extraordinary day and I have a bad day, which I keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-moses/nobody-can-walk-on-a-track-and-beat-me-unless-they-have-an/) [Edwin Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-moses/) > [“I think that her life was about finding the extraordinary in every day. It was how she could sit in her garden on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-white/i-think-that-her-life-was-about-finding-the-extraordinary-in-every/) [Karen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-white/) > [It's populated by people who, by and large, have terrific communication skills. Every day is an extraordinary day. For me, it was just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/it-s-populated-by-people-who-by-and-large-have-terrific-communication/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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 Lawrence Bender > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [What I would say to filmmakers, if I may be so bold or so arrogant, is to draw inspiration from other filmmakers, but go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/what-i-would-say-to-filmmakers-if-i-may-be-so-bold-or-so-arrogant-is/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [To be sure, governments will remain critical to any comprehensive effort to save our planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/to-be-sure-governments-will-remain-critical-to-any-comprehensive/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [I am not married yet, but I think ultimately in a good marriage it is the relationship which is the most important thing. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/i-am-not-married-yet-but-i-think-ultimately-in-a-good-marriage-it-is/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [Being scared is really a good thing. It's being scared of being scared that's bad. Being scared of walking through your fear, going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/being-scared-is-really-a-good-thing-it-s-being-scared-of-being-scared/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [Being with Al Gore on the red carpet in Cannes was exciting - he's like a rock star unto himself!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/being-with-al-gore-on-the-red-carpet-in-cannes-was-exciting-he-s-like/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [It became my first passion, the first thing I really fell in love with. I joined the Ralph Robinson Ballet company, and then went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/it-became-my-first-passion-the-first-thing-i-really-fell-in-love-with/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [I was with - he wasn't the president then, but - Barack Obama, when he was running, in Washington, during Black Congressional Caucus Weekend,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/i-was-with-he-wasn-t-the-president-then-but-barack-obama-when-he-was/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [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/) > [Making movies is my profession. I like doing it a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/making-movies-is-my-profession-i-like-doing-it-a-lot/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [You know, people have actually changed the way they think about nuclear weapons now, post-Cold War, post-9/11. The threat of nuclear weapons is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/you-know-people-have-actually-changed-the-way-they-think-about/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [After 'An Inconvenient Truth' came out, a lot of people came to me with their causes, and there are a lot - water, poverty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/after-an-inconvenient-truth-came-out-a-lot-of-people-came-to-me-with/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [I think politics is really important to our lives. At its best and highest form, it can make the biggest difference in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/i-think-politics-is-really-important-to-our-lives-at-its-best-and/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [Sure, 'An Inconvenient Truth' was my first documentary. What a wonderful experience. I saw Al Gore doing his slideshow presentation, and had this nutty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/sure-an-inconvenient-truth-was-my-first-documentary-what-a-wonderful/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [Film is a very collaborative medium. If you're smart enough, you learn how to maintain your vision while drawing resourcefully from all the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/film-is-a-very-collaborative-medium-if-you-re-smart-enough-you-learn/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) [Explore all 20 Lawrence Bender quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) ## More Camp quotes > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [In my camp, we have Minotoro Noguiera and Lyoto Machida.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-silva/in-my-camp-we-have-minotoro-noguiera-and-lyoto-machida/) [Anderson Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-silva/) > [My training camp has always been been something I have looked forward to every year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harley-race/my-training-camp-has-always-been-been-something-i-have-looked-forward/) [Harley Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harley-race/) > [In my head, at least, the business of spinning stories has no closing time. Twists in my characters' lives, glimpses of their secrets, obstacles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/in-my-head-at-least-the-business-of-spinning-stories-has-no-closing/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [Kerri and I met at theatre camp when were 16 years old, which is pretty lame. The rest of us met when we founded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/kerri-and-i-met-at-theatre-camp-when-were-16-years-old-which-is/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [People can say what they want. It is the people inside the camp who count to me. The people around me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/people-can-say-what-they-want-it-is-the-people-inside-the-camp-who/) [Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/) > [The activities that went on at Camp King between 1946 and the late 1950s have never been fully accounted for by either the Department…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/the-activities-that-went-on-at-camp-king-between-1946-and-the-late/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [My first paying job, when I was 15, I was a day camp counselor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-pratt/my-first-paying-job-when-i-was-15-i-was-a-day-camp-counselor/) [Victoria Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-pratt/) > [I didn't like books where people played on a sports team and won a bunch of games, or went to summer camp and had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-didn-t-like-books-where-people-played-on-a-sports-team-and-won-a/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [Yeah, I like going away for camp. It brings out the savagery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashad-evans/yeah-i-like-going-away-for-camp-it-brings-out-the-savagery/) [Rashad Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashad-evans/) > [“I will go with you, and when you make your camp, I will cook your meat, and when you wish to sleep, I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/i-will-go-with-you-and-when-you-make-your-camp-i-will-cook-your-meat/) [Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/) > [One of my favorite albums is Bob Gibson and Bob Camp, 'At the Gate of Horn.' It was a really dynamic album, almost like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-mcguinn/one-of-my-favorite-albums-is-bob-gibson-and-bob-camp-at-the-gate-of/) [Roger McGuinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-mcguinn/) > [Summer camp: the second worst camp for Jews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-silverman/summer-camp-the-second-worst-camp-for-jews/) [Sarah Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-silverman/) > [There's kind of a summer camp aspect of filming on location.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-powell/there-s-kind-of-a-summer-camp-aspect-of-filming-on-location/) [Glen Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-powell/) > [As we were leaving the Huron camp, it was awkward filming. I think that the Huron watching us was there to create tension -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-stowe/as-we-were-leaving-the-huron-camp-it-was-awkward-filming-i-think-that/) [Madeleine Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-stowe/) [Browse all 355 Camp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camp/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In 1998, I was screening 'Good Will Hunting' at Camp David. And I was saying, 'Nice to meet you, Mr. President. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Clinton.' Madeleine Albright, Sandy Berger, Senator Daschle. It was an extraordinary day.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lawrence Bender" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/in-1998-i-was-screening-good-will-hunting-at-camp-david-and-i-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Camp" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/in-1998-i-was-screening-good-will-hunting-at-camp-david-and-i-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/lawrence-bender-27378_camp_in-1998-i-was-screening-good-will-huntin_1485278.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/lawrence-bender-27378_camp_in-1998-i-was-screening-good-will-huntin_1485278.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/lawrence-bender-27378_camp_in-1998-i-was-screening-good-will-huntin_1485278.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In 1998, I was screening 'Good Will Hunting' at Camp David. 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