Jeff M
What a fantastic motion picture! What once may have been perceived as overly eccentric now seems wholly plausible and almost prophetic - a sign of the times, as Harry Styles would say. I would dare say that the four performances by the leads are perhaps the best of their careers - although this was a cinematic launching pad for them. Close and Lithgow received Oscar nominations, and I would have included Williams and Hurt in the love fest as well. The comedy seemed richer than the last time I watched it, the drama more heartbreaking and the whole enterprise almost devastating. Williams' later dramatic work often felt a bit maudlin, but he is quite generous with his performance here in that he basically plays the straight man and allows those around him to be the outrageous ones - very rare in his filmography. And Close is simply breathtaking here, one of the great film debuts of the last several decades. This is a marvelous, marvelous motion picture, and this revisit has not only cemented its place among the best of its year right behind SOPHIE'S CHOICE and TOOTSIE.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/21/24
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Robert R
Based on John Irving's novel of the same name, "The World According To Garp" is neither as whimsical, nor as zany as its title and veneer let on, with Robin Williams's talents left largely wasted and the film's thematic backbone rendered mostly to obscurity. At the end of the day, this really does feel like a straight-up adaptation of the novel, a no-frills blow-by-blow of events as they occur in the text and nothing more. With that, there's a discernible lack of focus to behold throughout, as the film leads the viewer through the topics of sex, progress, feminism and moral ambiguity without ever really giving us a position to consider regarding those realms of discussion. I will say, for all the problematic characters that populate this film, it's pretty progressive to see the most likable one to be John Lithgow's "Roberta Muldoon." Aside from that, though, I didn't think this one was that much to write home about. Can't say I regret the watch, but there's just not a lot here aside from the performances.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
06/14/23
Full Review
Person W
"I never needed a father" Garp shouts to his mother as she leaves. How I couldn't disagree more. A tragedy of a movie and the only people I feel sorry for are Garp's children and perhaps Garp himself in some twisted way. Honestly, it would be better that Garp not exist at all as a character. I've never read the book, but what an awful film.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
02/11/23
Full Review
Dave S
Screenwriter Steve Tesich's adaptation of John Irving's The World According to Garp is true to the spirit of the source material from beginning to end as it touchingly documents the moments that define one man's life. As Garp, Robin Williams proves himself to be an actor with considerable dramatic chops, as does Glenn Close, in her screen debut, as Garp's passionately feminist mother. The movie is alternately poignant, amusing, unsettling and, ultimately, tragic, but it is also filled with valuable life lessons – appreciation of family and friends, the importance of forgiveness, acceptance, and overcoming unimaginable adversity, among others. Unfairly and inaccurately promoted as a comedy when originally released, The World According to Garp ultimately proves to be a compelling and original drama about life.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
10/16/23
Full Review
Bryan
Not funny or dramatic. Psychotic is a more appropriate word.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
12/15/22
Full Review
isla s
This is a strange film, I think its fair to say - sort of madcap but not in the usual way for Robin William films. The main character is certainly quirky and somewhat interesting but the plot narrative didn't really work for me, as I felt that not much in the way of context was given to things. It felt a bit too long drawn out, although, to be fair, I thought Roberta Muldoon, played by John Lithgow, was another interesting character - I enjoyed the scenes featuring 'her' (a transsexual) and him. I felt that Garps mother - her feminist manifesto aspect, I didn't feel it really fit into the film somehow. Its a quirky and a fairly watchable film, with the titular characters conception being explained in a slightly disturbing way at the start of the film. Its not quite an awful film, it has potential but it just doesn't quite...work for me and usually I like character dramas and I like quite a lot of Robin Williams' films, so it was a little bit of a disappointment. I wouldn't especially recommend it, no.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
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