We’re counting down some of the most perfect awards season pairings of all time. We kicked things off last time with Denzel and Halle’s history making wins in 2002. Click here if you missed that post. This time, well, it would be impossible to list off award pairings without mentioning Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, right?

December 2017 will mark the 20th anniversary of the release of Good Will Hunting. Two best friends from the Boston area who gave up everything to follow their dreams – a total Cinderella story, at least that’s how it was presented. They originally intended for GWH to be a thriller. It was recommended to them that they turn it into a drama, with the Will-Sean (Robin Williams) relationship as a centrepiece. Still, almost all the studios that were interested insisted that they didn’t want to make the movie if Matt and Ben were the stars, preferring Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio instead. It was apparently Kevin Smith who promised to help them, putting the script in front of Harvey Weinstein, who loved it and who agreed to let Matt and Ben play their own characters. And now we know the rest.

Matt and Ben went on to win the Best Original Screenplay Oscar a few months later. Robin Williams was named Best Supporting Actor. That night, their moms were their dates. They were the darlings of Hollywood – smart, young, cute, talented, and, back then, seemingly unspoiled. Remember their acceptance speech? Ben’s voice kept cracking on him. It was all Matt could do to not jump up and down, with that hair he combed straight down over his forehead.

By the following year, they were dating Winona Ryder and Gwyneth Paltrow. Now they’re Jason Bourne and Bruce Wayne and will likely never be told they can’t have a part if they want that part, even when, sometimes, they shouldn’t, especially when Justin Timberlake is one of the co-stars.

Are you hosting a viewing party? Cracker Barrel Special Reserve can help you put together your own perfect pairing on red carpet night. As I mentioned last time, Cracker Barrel has three premium dinner party cheeses that pair perfectly with a variety of snacks and wines including One Year Cheddar, Havarti, and Swiss. 

I’m all about ports. I love to cap a good meal with one and they also work great as platter companions.  Havarti is the perfect cheese to compliment a port, and Cracker Barrel Special Reserve Havarti serves up a creamy, buttery taste that goes perfectly with one. Pair it with some crackers, pepperoni and some classic pesto and you’re set.

Click here to view the selections and for recipe ideas.