MovieChat Forums > Good Will Hunting (1998) Discussion > Why do posters say "Michael Bolton clone...

Why do posters say "Michael Bolton clone" for that flawed scene?

posted 9 years ago by brokedickdog7
20 replies | jump to latest

Scott William Winters-

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0936001/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t22

does not resemble Michael Bolton.

I agree with the posters that state the Harvard student won the bar scene. Will scored some points but did not respond well to his commenting "Yeah but I will have a degree. And you'll be serving my kids fries on our way to a skiing trip."

Just because he wouldn't step outside for a fistfight does not mean Will won.

Another problem I had with the scene is Will knowing about a very esoteric book on economics and had read it and could even state the page number of the relevant information.

First- why would he read such a book?

Second- remember the page number?

That scene was flawed.

[–] azelx7 9 years ago

I really don't think the scene was flawed. He could remember the page number because he has an exceptional memory. He could probably rehearse the entire book verbatim including all of the citations if he wanted to. As for reading an obscure book on economics - Will is a voracious reader. Given his reading speed, he probably reads hundreds of books per week on a multitude of different subjects.

[–] brokedickdog7 9 years ago

"Will is a voracious reader. Given his reading speed, he probably reads hundreds of books per week on a multitude of different subjects."

Hundreds of books per week? I think I took that course on how to do that and I remember that class. It was just between recess and lunch.

Who reads "hundreds of books per week on a multitude of different subjects"?

Plus the arrogant Harvard student did not lose the exchange in the bar. At best Will got a draw and that is being generous.

Also he does not look like Michael Bolton.

So the scene (and some of the comments on this board) are flawed.

[–] azelx7 9 years ago

Your insult doesn't even make sense. Did you not watch the movie? He was literally reading like a page a second. He had tons of books stacked all around his place. The obscure economics text you're referencing is actually a history text. In fact, almost all of the history references in the scene are accurate. Will was pointing out that the guy was simply regurgitating the information, rather than presenting his own argument. He thus undermined him intellectually. Once again, he has an EIDETIC memory. He could memorize the entire damn book if he wanted to, and he probably did in that specific instance. I fail to see how the scene is flawed in any respect, besides with respect to your attention span.

[–] brokedickdog7 9 years ago

"Your insult doesn't even make sense. Did you not watch the movie?"

Yes. A long time ago. I didn't like it very much.

It is not an "insult" just an observation.

"Once again, he has an EIDETIC memory."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eidetic_memory

https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200603/the-truth-about-photographic-memory

"The obscure economics text you're referencing is actually a history text."

Well he was talking about the economics of the colonies. If they were history texts he was talking in the bar specifically about economics.

"He had tons of books stacked all around his place...He could memorize the entire damn book if he wanted to, and he probably did in that specific instance."

And quote the page number immediately of the relevant book? Come on.

"I fail to see how the scene is flawed in any respect, besides with respect to your attention span."

There is nothing wrong with my attention span. That is an ad hominem. Do you you understand what that means genius?

Girlyman.

[–] Theshornwonder 9 years ago

So because Wikipedia says it doesn't exist it can't in a movie, you know, a fictional story? You either went to Harvard or wish you did and probably act a lot like that Michael Bolton look alike in life. Let it go already.

[–] mail-924 8 years ago

You're regurgitating information just like the loser in the movie... can you even appreciate the irony?

Cardboard Box is the Future.

[–] brokedickdog7 8 years ago

You're regurgitating information just like the loser in the movie... can you even appreciate the irony?

Speaking of losers I just checked out your IMDB profile. Here is what it says at this time:

"I was homeless for years after being a successful DJ. I have since cleaned up my act (in more ways than one) and now am a film and media expert with decades of professional experience. Look upon all my works, all ye mighty, and despair!"

What "professional experience"?

Who is a loser now jackass?

You do not have the intellect to understand this scene. Maybe your eyesight is good enough to see that Scott William Winters looks nothing like Michael Bolton.

This is the lowest I.Q. post I have seen this week.

[–] brokedickdog7 9 years ago

"He looks kind of like JFK...must be a Mick."

"Mick" huh?

Do you realize that word is a slur? Like using the N-word.

Like you would say that word to a Kennedy if you were not hiding anonymously behind your keyboard.

Wuss.

[–] Redart27 9 years ago

what does it matter? Will got her numba. How'd ya like them apples?
---
toh devres tseb hsid a si msacras

[–] brokedickdog7 9 years ago

"what does it matter? Will got her numba. How'd ya like them apples?"

You did not attend Harvard, correct?

[–] Theshornwonder 9 years ago

He didn't need to, he was getting job offers from giants corporations and the NSA. The other guy will be a mediocre MBA or PhD. Having a Harvard degree doesn't guarantee success, in fact many successful people have dropped out of that cesspool including Matt Damon. And that was the point of the scene, that the guy was a nobody (lots of people go to Harvard, lots of them end up being nobodies) who couldn't form original thoughts and just passed off the work of others as his own, you know, someone not likely to be very successful after graduation.

You seem overly impressed that he was a Harvard student. No idea why.

[–] jack-upland 9 years ago

The scene is unbelievable. Sure, they could have had some kind of intellectual argument, but a history showdown citing page numbers of books???

[–] Degree7 9 years ago

The whole point of the scene was that ponytail douche wasn't an intellectual, he was a fraud. Will was just calling him out.

The only intellectuals of his equal were Sean and Lambeau.

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

[–] scuban 8 years ago

Nice profile pic of "Dutch Schafer" and it's the reason I chose to respond to your criticism to my favorite, most quoted scenes of one my favorite movies of all time (along with Predator, of course).

You're right in that Will's threat of violence was weak on his part (and that his intellectual opponent doesn't really resemble Michael Bolton). It's true that although "Will" is a freethinking genius, he may not be get the same kind of job the "Michael Bolton clone" will because he doesn't have a college degree even though he's more qualified. C'est la vie.

[–] brokedickdog7 8 years ago

Thank you scuban.

Scott William Winters-

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Scott+William+Winters&view=detailv2&&id=617E53EC58D596C3C573517321AAC504FC6118EB&selectedIndex=0&ccid=pzssCIyf&simid=607989507044869772&thid=OIP.Ma73b2c088c9f2921d7d236fe44454cb8H1&ajaxhist=0

Michael Bolton-

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Michael+Bolton&view=detailv2&&id=F4DE2CD406015AD115799A3B718F887BB180D29A&selectedIndex=5&ccid=y3UYLG5o&simid=608018184540719027&thid=OIP.Mcb75182c6e689e607bc38ec373457ff9o1&ajaxhist=0

They do not resemble each other.

Not that it is a big deal but I just wanted to clarify they do not look alike.

The fact that Will could name the authors of books about the economies of the early American colonies and quote them verbatim and also name the page number is a hard sell imo.

That was quite an esoteric subject.

I do not think the scene was realistic.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Giwu 8 years ago

Oh for God's sake....

Michael Bolton used to have long, highlighted hair. That is where Will is making the comparison.

I don't have a eidetic memory or a photographic memory, but I'm really good with being able to repeat things verbatim. I have no musical skills, but I can remember song lyrics normally after one hearing. I'm also really good with numbers.

Now I say all that, not to hype myself up, but real people like the fictional Will learn, remember and recall things differently than others. When I was in college as a non traditional student, I may not have been able to quote long passages, but very often I could give page numbers of major points. It's hard to explain how I was/am able to do this. If chapter 3 is 20 pages and covers 6 topics, each topic will be around 3 pages, but it will stick out to me which ones are or aren't.

And where he won the fight was because he was able to bust the clone for....plagiarizing. Clone was trying to appear knowledgable and well-read, but Will was able to quote not just what he had read already, but what he would eventually be reading. Will was ahead of him academically.

All typos are hereby blamed on my iPad.

[–] brokedickdog7 8 years ago

Michael Bolton used to have long, highlighted hair. That is where Will is making the comparison.

Will isn't making the comparison. A poster called him a "Michael Bolton clone" and they look nothing alike.

...to bust the clone for....plagiarizing. Clone was trying to appear knowledgable...

A clone of who? He looks nothing like Michael Bolton.

When I was in college as a non traditional student, I may not have been able to quote long passages, but very often I could give page numbers of major points.

This whole post is a long passage.

Have you been drinking?

You should not drink and post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrRgT6nLKPo

[–] ak47wong (485) 7 months ago

It was Skylar who called Clark a "Michael Bolton clone". It wasn't made up by posters.

"Oh and by the way, that guy over there, Michael Bolton clone? He wasn't sitting with us, so to speak."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gArnm_Uicsw&t=41s

[–] Callahan7 (995) 7 months ago

Another example of poor writing.

The Skylar character called him a "Michael Bolton clone". That doesn't change the fact that he doesn't resemble Bolton. The hairstyle perhaps. Reminds me of a funny credit in Pulp Fiction- "Long Hair Yuppie-Scum".

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004744/

He is still a student so he is not a yuppie yet. It could be applicable in about 5 years.

The scene is not believable. They are drinking in a bar and he quotes some remote economics textbook and cites the page number? I don't buy it.