VIDEO : SUMMING UP `GOOD WILL' GUYS.

Byline: Randy Myers Knight Ridder Tribune News Wire

Their story reads like a feel-good movie, complete with a happy ending. Two childhood chums, both actors, concoct a script about a troubled college janitor with a skyrocketing IQ, and the psychiatrist who chips away at the young man's toughened exterior.

In between writing and rewriting, the two fledgling writers appear in small roles in generally small movies. Undaunted, the determined duo try to get their script off the page and on the screen. Flash-forward to the Oscar ceremony in '97: The two good-looking pals woo the crowd with their enthusiastic acceptance speech for best screenplay. Two stars are born. Fade to black.

Hey, not so fast there. This story's deserving of a sequel. Certainly, it's only the beginning, by no means the end, for two of today's hottest actors - and screenwriters - Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. After their ``Good Will Hunting'' win, the casting doors have flung open, and the demands for more scripts are coming in. And the two are taking full advantage of it.

Affleck recently opened in his biggest Hollywood project, ``Armageddon''; Damon follows up his Oscar-nominated ``Will'' role in Steven Spielberg's ``Saving Private Ryan'' on July 24. They'll get even more exposure with the video release of ``Good Will Hunting,'' now in stores. The two reteam again, a la ``Good Will,'' for director Kevin (``Clerks,'' ``Chasing Amy'') Smith's ``Dogma.'' Considering their celestial rise, it's only fitting that Damon and Affleck play angels in that film.

Before ``Good Will,'' this talented duo starred in a number of movies together and apart. Here's a look at some of their work available on video.

Matt Damon:

School Ties: More than a few good hunks pop up and even take a shower (flashing buns alert!) in this thoughtful and impressive drama about a high school quarterback (Brendan Fraser) dodging anti-Semitism and snotty attitudes in a hoity-toity private high school circa 1950. ``Ties'' slipped by critics and audiences alike when it was released in 1992 because of poor marketing. If you're a fan of either Fraser or Damon, don't miss it.

Courage Under Fire: Damon took his supporting role as a guilt-plagued Desert Storm soldier a little too seriously, and wound up with an eating disorder after filming was done. His suffering translated into a solid performance in a movie filled with great performances. Denzel Washington tries to root out the truth in the death of a captain (Meg Ryan) in a Desert Storm mission, and gets an earful of conflicting info from survivors on that fateful mission.

The Good Old Boys: What a cast! What a long-winded movie. This TNT film directed, co-written by and starring Tommy Lee Jones is as slow as a cross-country cattle drive. Damon, looking a bit like Brad Pitt minus the goldilocks from ``Legends of the Fall,'' plays the ambitious son of Frances McDormand (very good as usual). When his ne'r-do-well uncle (Jones) comes back to town, the family tensions flare again.

The Rainmaker: Damon aces his first major starring role in Francis Ford Coppola's well-made adaptation of the John Grisham novel. Rudy Baylor (Damon) is a recent law-school grad hired by an ambulance-chasing firm. ``Rainmaker'' is strong - the acting, writing and directing.

Good Will Hunting: They deserved that Oscar. The Affleck-Damon screenplay in this Gus Van Sant movie hits just the right notes, never too sweet or too sour. Damon's outstanding as a janitor with as much brains as problems. Oscar winner Robin Williams convincingly plays a psychiatrist who tries to get Damon to confront and slay his inner demons. Affleck and Minnie Driver are both good in supporting roles.

Ben Affleck:

Chasing Amy: Every character, from the supporting cast to the two leads (Joey Lauren Adams and Affleck), is vividly brought to life in an unconventional romance between two comic book artists. The hitch in the relationship is that she's gay and he's not. Very funny and touching.

Going All the Way: A meandering coming-of-age flick based on a Dan Wakefield novel. As its title suggests, much of ``Going All the Way'' pertains to sex. Unfortunately, the film never establishes a tone, trying for comedy but failing, then trying for drama and failing again.

Glory Daze: As college graduation nears, four roomies at UC Santa Cruz perform stupid boy tricks to mask the fact that the future spooks them. Affleck is enormously appealing, even if his character isn't.

Phantoms: A slew of characters gathers in a deserted town to figure out what happened to the vanished townsfolk. It's all a bunch of smoke and mirrors in a movie that's chilling at first, but disintegrates into hokum. Affleck's wasted in the nothing role of the town sheriff, as is Peter O'Toole as an editor of a tabloid rag.

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Photo: Actors Matt Damon, left, and Ben Affleck can add ``Oscar-winning screenwriters'' to their resumes, which already include some fine work on-screen.