Good Will Hunting

I just rewatched this classic from ten years ago.  And yes, it’s rated R.  Still, I’ve got to say that I loved the movie and found it very uplifting.  The movie, however, is filled with a bunch of f-bombs.  My question though, is: All are f-bombs and other swear words created equal.  Are the words that have been designated swear words inherently bad, or have they been categorized as swear words because of their offensive meanings?  Does the context have anything to do with it?  For example, does the F-word remain equally as vulgar when it’s not used in relation to sex?  What if it’s just a verbal tick, like when people say something was f-ing stupid?

 In this movie, the F-word is used a lot.  Some people would say that they should have just taken it out and made the movie a pg-13.  But I think you have to differentiate how words are used, taking into account the context and meaning.  Like in the post on this blog about the Movie Hoax, the offensive word in question seemed to be gratuitous, and therefore could and maybe should have been deleted.  But if you’re making a movie about a bunch of low class kids from Boston, I think you have to acknowledge that they’re going to use swear words in their conversations.  That’s just how they talk.  It’s not only not gratuitous to include it, it would be robbing the movie of a truthful element if you had Matt Damon and Ben Affleck saying ”fudge” instead. 

The real value of art is to teach us lessons about human nature.  If you’re dishonest about that nature, how can you expect any art to be worthwhile or valuable?