Will Hunting (Matt Damon, who also co-scripts) is a teenage tearaway who works as a janitor at America's top university. He writes the solution to a maths problem on a classroom blackboard, so impressing Professor Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard) that when Will is arrested for brawling, the professor arranges to have his sentence suspended if Will agrees to study with him. Will begins dating Skylar (Minnie Driver), a medical student, while also attending therapy sessions with Sean McGuire (Robin Williams). Despite his genius, Will rails against both Lambeau and McGuire's attempts to help him.