Comments on: Math in the Movies: Good Will Hunting http://www.mathgoespop.com/2008/08/math-in-the-movies-good-will-hunting.html Ruminations on the Intersection Between Mathematics and Popular Culture Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:07:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Matt http://www.mathgoespop.com/2008/08/math-in-the-movies-good-will-hunting.html/comment-page-1#comment-18 Matt Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:46:00 +0000 http://www.mathgoespop.com/2008/08/math-in-the-movies-good-will-hunting.html#comment-18 thanks for pointing out that oversight on my part, patrick. looks like the net score for this film is only 1, not 2. thanks for pointing out that oversight on my part, patrick. looks like the net score for this film is only 1, not 2.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.mathgoespop.com/2008/08/math-in-the-movies-good-will-hunting.html/comment-page-1#comment-17 Patrick Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:08:00 +0000 http://www.mathgoespop.com/2008/08/math-in-the-movies-good-will-hunting.html#comment-17 I think there is one more negative stereotype about mathematics that this movie perpetuates. Namely that only certain naturally gifted people can be good at math.<br/><br/>While there certainly have been examples of people simply picking up books and making brilliant contributions to the field (Ramanujan is the first that comes to mind), this is not the general case. An understanding of math does have to be nurtured to a certain extent.<br/><br/>By portraying brilliant mathematicians as some natural abnormality this allows people to believe that they "can't do math." People defeat themselves without really trying because they think that mathematical ability is something you either have or you don't. I think there is one more negative stereotype about mathematics that this movie perpetuates. Namely that only certain naturally gifted people can be good at math.

While there certainly have been examples of people simply picking up books and making brilliant contributions to the field (Ramanujan is the first that comes to mind), this is not the general case. An understanding of math does have to be nurtured to a certain extent.

By portraying brilliant mathematicians as some natural abnormality this allows people to believe that they “can’t do math.” People defeat themselves without really trying because they think that mathematical ability is something you either have or you don’t.

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