Foil

Character Role Analysis

Sean Maguire/Gerald Lambeau

When it comes to their approaches to life, Maguire and Lambeau are polar opposites. You can see this difference of opinion in the way they treat Will Hunting. Maguire, for example, wants Will to figure out for himself what life choices will make him happy. Lambeau, on the other hand, draws a stark line between failure and success, and he thinks that the only way for Will to move forward is to use his gifts to become famous and contribute to the world of mathematics.

Whenever Maguire disagrees with this view, Lambeau basically calls him a failure and says he doesn't want the same thing to happen to Will. Maguire's only answer is to call Lambeau arrogant. But Maguire also seems to get the last laugh, because in the end, Will Hunting leaves Boston to see his girlfriend, Skylar, instead of working for a prestigious think tank. You can go ahead and put that one in Maguire's win column.