The World According to Garp (1982)

Synopsis:

A struggling writer, T.S. Garp (Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society), tries to find his own sense of identity while dealing with his mother’s (Glenn Close, Dangerous Liaisons) overpowering personality, who unexpectedly becomes a feminist icon.

Reaction & Thoughts:

“It can be a real adventure having a life.”

Based on John Irving’s book of the same name, The World According to Garp is the story of man’s journey from birth to adulthood. I felt as though I was the proverbial fly-on-the-wall as I observed this person’s eventful life. The downside to this technique is that I merely felt like a spectator, thus I never developed an emotional connection with the title character. That said, this is a hugely entertaining comedy-drama.

It was directed by George Roy Hill, who gave us Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and the cult sports movie Slap Shot (1977). All three movies use irreverent humor to explore serious issues. The World According to Garp aims much higher than the other two movies, though. This picaresque tale attempts to examine all aspects of the human experience: the good, the bad, and everything in between.

Frankly, I admired the ambition, but I had issues with the execution. The movie is essentially a collection of vignettes that are meant to illustrate the richness and unpredictability of human life. There are a many moments of humor and poignancy, even wisdom. But I felt that the story lacked a strong emotional core, so perhaps Steve Tesich’s (Breaking Away) screenplay is too shapeless for its own good.

Despite having misgivings about the script, I found The World According to Garp highly watchable thanks to the impressive cast. Robin Williams is quite good as the title character. Although the movie sometimes needs him to act goofy, you can see that Williams is trying hard to tone down his famous manic persona — it’s really nice to see him play a normal person for a change.

But as much as I liked Williams’s performance, the supporting actors are the ones who bring the story to life. Mary Beth Ruth (Chilly Scenes of Winter) is excellent as Williams’s frustrated wife. Glenn Close is even better as Williams’s eccentric mother. It’s hard to believe that this is Close’s very first movie because she dominates every scene she is in! Swoosie Kurtz (Against All Odds) is hilarious as a jaded prostitute.

But my favorite character was Roberta, a transgender woman played by John Lithgow (Blow Out). It’s a well-thought-out character that Lithgow plays brilliantly. This character could have gone wrong in so many ways, but thanks to Lithgow’s skills as an actor, Roberta becomes the beating heart of the movie. Hume Cronyn (Cocoon) and Jessica Tandy (Driving Miss Daisy) have funny cameos as Close’s parents.

Conclusions & Final Thoughts:

The World According to Garp tackles important themes such as self-discovery, gender differences, love, friendship, and the importance of human connection. Although the film doesn’t work exactly as intended, it still manages to be very funny, and extraordinarily perceptive. It’s flawed but conveys a solid sense of wisdom all the same. Plus, it features a bunch of great performances (both Glenn Close and John Lithgow received Oscar nominations). Color, 136 minutes, Rated R.

This is my contribution to It’s In the Name of the Title Blogathon, hosted by Rebecca’s Taking Up Room and Gill’s Realweegiemidget Reviews.

Theatrical Trailer: