For adventurous tastes: John Irving's book becomes big, intentionally absurd, thought-provoking, violent comedy-drama about a writer who survived a highly unconventional upbringing, his odyssey through life fraught with comic calamities and bleak tragedy. Calling this movie 'a mixed bag' is an understatement; it careens wide-eyed through a tempest of different emotions and tones, but the fundamental weakness is that we never get close to these people. Robin Williams gives a solid lead performance (one of his first critically-acclaimed 'grown up' roles that took many by surprise), and Glenn Close has an amazing presence as mother Jenny (it's a one-note role without much shading, though Close almost overcomes that). Still, the filmmakers observe these characters almost clinically, and so they remain aloof from us. John Lithgow's performance as a transsexual is probably the warmest, and Amanda Plummer has amazing intensity in just one small scene. The queasy tendency to lump together sexual matters and bloodshed is more disturbing than darkly comic, and the finale is fancifully pointless--as if the whole film were a shaggy-dog story. ** from ****
107 Reviews
Whatever you expect, you'll be surprised ...
ElMaruecan8229 April 2013
Adapted from John Irving's best seller, "The World According to Garp" is one of the strangest movie I've ever had to see, I guess I mean it as a compliment although I didn't put my expectations very high. The film starts with Jenny Fields, Glenn Close as the central character, she's the caring and loving mother of Garp, but it's only until we hear the context of his conception that we realize the child was promised to a very peculiar destiny.
Should I describe how Garp was born? This is one of the film's many surprises that pop up between two or three 'normal' scenes. But the intriguing parts are indeed so intriguing that we tend to believe this Garp is exceptional, a sort of autistic child floating within his own reverie. The film starts with a memorable animated sequence featuring Garp with his unknown father, a jet-pilot during WWII who died before he was born. While both father and son are fighting in the air a monster-like death, the surrealistic sequence brings some poetry to the movie, illustrating the capacity of a child to conceal hidden wounds through imagination. This is one of the inspirational messages I could relate to : inspiration and imagination do exorcise inner demons, especially during childhood.
Then, when the young Garp turns out to be a wannabe writer, I'm not surprised, but the fact that he is a normal kind of disappoints me. I didn't know what to expect either, with this misleading shot of Robin Williams smiling at the sky. Finally, I'm glad he was a rather nice and serious guy, I don't think I could have endured the typical Robin Williams for two hours. Maybe it's the title that misled me, referring to the world rather than "Garp", it's not even the world from his perspective, but simply the world that revolves around him. Garp is not a passive person although he has one characteristic that undermines his freedom of acts, the mother's influence. Glenn Close plays a strong-willed, independent nurse, with an ambiguous relationship with her son, angry when he lusts toward his future wife, played by Mary Beth Hurt, and eager to follow him to discover the world. She's supportive and caring but maybe a bit too much.
And when Garp decides to become a writer, his turning point strangely coincides with his mother's. Since nothing special happened to him so far, he writes about his mother, what she totally disapproves stating that only she has the right to write about herself. Then Garp becomes a fictional writer, specializing on short stories, and Jenny writes a feminist manifesto based on her own experience and titled "Sexual Suspects". Inspired from her own experience and many encounters in the big city, Jenny became a political phenomenon, a cult idol, while Garp, less successful but more critically praised can only resign to the satisfaction of being a writer, and at least, being as successful as a family man. After all, who can complain about accomplishing a personal dream and being able to live through it?
And it's at that point that no matter how disjointed and peculiar some scenes were, I was immersed in the story of Garp following the little world of so many memorable characters. Those who stick to mind are Roberta, an ex-football athlete who became a woman: John Lithgow is absolutely remarkable, beyond believability, what starts as a gag turns out to be a poignant and sweet performance, Roberta is immediately accepted by the family, by Garp, and Lithgow has such a way to play it, we never feel it unrealistic. There is also 'Poo', the sister of Garp's childhood love-life, a jealous mute girl characterized by big horn-rimmed glasses and an incapability to smile, to life and in general , the closest figure to an antagonist, her appearances suggest a misfortune to happen, but the film is so full of them that we're never really off-guard and always expect a disaster to happen.
There is also a very interesting sub-story involving a group of feminist who called themselves, the Ellen Jamesians in homage to Ellen James, a young girl who was not only raped, but had her tongue cut-off by her rapists so she wouldn't give her names. To Garp's big shock, the feminist voluntarily cut their tongue, An act of desperate unison rather than self-mutilation, but the way Garp perceives it, these women are dangerous. Never judgmental, the film allows us to make up our own opinions: ,adultery is also a recurrent theme, and the victims are not innocent. The film is a chronicle of things happening, and connecting to each other, for the best and sometimes for the worse, and for a worse that can be devastating or hilarious. George Roy Hill's direction, either deliberately or not, use a lot of suspense without forcing.
And oddly enough, it's because we feel bad omens and sad events that were grabbed to the story and enjoy the little moments of joy and tenderness. The movie teases our emotions but never forcing them, it also never patronizes us, but it's full of some insights. It kind of reminded me of "Forrest Gump" without the Pop-culture thing, a sort of picaresque journey within one's own world, indeed "The World according to Garp". Robin Williams delivers one of his best performances, in all nuance and sobriety, while it's Glenn Close and John Lithgow who steal the show.
And still, I feel I have to watch it again the film is one strange adventure into life that deserves probably more than one viewing, I'm not sure I will find more answers, but there are some characters' motives that are still mysterious to me, and "The World According to Garp" is definitely worthy for more recognition.
Should I describe how Garp was born? This is one of the film's many surprises that pop up between two or three 'normal' scenes. But the intriguing parts are indeed so intriguing that we tend to believe this Garp is exceptional, a sort of autistic child floating within his own reverie. The film starts with a memorable animated sequence featuring Garp with his unknown father, a jet-pilot during WWII who died before he was born. While both father and son are fighting in the air a monster-like death, the surrealistic sequence brings some poetry to the movie, illustrating the capacity of a child to conceal hidden wounds through imagination. This is one of the inspirational messages I could relate to : inspiration and imagination do exorcise inner demons, especially during childhood.
Then, when the young Garp turns out to be a wannabe writer, I'm not surprised, but the fact that he is a normal kind of disappoints me. I didn't know what to expect either, with this misleading shot of Robin Williams smiling at the sky. Finally, I'm glad he was a rather nice and serious guy, I don't think I could have endured the typical Robin Williams for two hours. Maybe it's the title that misled me, referring to the world rather than "Garp", it's not even the world from his perspective, but simply the world that revolves around him. Garp is not a passive person although he has one characteristic that undermines his freedom of acts, the mother's influence. Glenn Close plays a strong-willed, independent nurse, with an ambiguous relationship with her son, angry when he lusts toward his future wife, played by Mary Beth Hurt, and eager to follow him to discover the world. She's supportive and caring but maybe a bit too much.
And when Garp decides to become a writer, his turning point strangely coincides with his mother's. Since nothing special happened to him so far, he writes about his mother, what she totally disapproves stating that only she has the right to write about herself. Then Garp becomes a fictional writer, specializing on short stories, and Jenny writes a feminist manifesto based on her own experience and titled "Sexual Suspects". Inspired from her own experience and many encounters in the big city, Jenny became a political phenomenon, a cult idol, while Garp, less successful but more critically praised can only resign to the satisfaction of being a writer, and at least, being as successful as a family man. After all, who can complain about accomplishing a personal dream and being able to live through it?
And it's at that point that no matter how disjointed and peculiar some scenes were, I was immersed in the story of Garp following the little world of so many memorable characters. Those who stick to mind are Roberta, an ex-football athlete who became a woman: John Lithgow is absolutely remarkable, beyond believability, what starts as a gag turns out to be a poignant and sweet performance, Roberta is immediately accepted by the family, by Garp, and Lithgow has such a way to play it, we never feel it unrealistic. There is also 'Poo', the sister of Garp's childhood love-life, a jealous mute girl characterized by big horn-rimmed glasses and an incapability to smile, to life and in general , the closest figure to an antagonist, her appearances suggest a misfortune to happen, but the film is so full of them that we're never really off-guard and always expect a disaster to happen.
There is also a very interesting sub-story involving a group of feminist who called themselves, the Ellen Jamesians in homage to Ellen James, a young girl who was not only raped, but had her tongue cut-off by her rapists so she wouldn't give her names. To Garp's big shock, the feminist voluntarily cut their tongue, An act of desperate unison rather than self-mutilation, but the way Garp perceives it, these women are dangerous. Never judgmental, the film allows us to make up our own opinions: ,adultery is also a recurrent theme, and the victims are not innocent. The film is a chronicle of things happening, and connecting to each other, for the best and sometimes for the worse, and for a worse that can be devastating or hilarious. George Roy Hill's direction, either deliberately or not, use a lot of suspense without forcing.
And oddly enough, it's because we feel bad omens and sad events that were grabbed to the story and enjoy the little moments of joy and tenderness. The movie teases our emotions but never forcing them, it also never patronizes us, but it's full of some insights. It kind of reminded me of "Forrest Gump" without the Pop-culture thing, a sort of picaresque journey within one's own world, indeed "The World according to Garp". Robin Williams delivers one of his best performances, in all nuance and sobriety, while it's Glenn Close and John Lithgow who steal the show.
And still, I feel I have to watch it again the film is one strange adventure into life that deserves probably more than one viewing, I'm not sure I will find more answers, but there are some characters' motives that are still mysterious to me, and "The World According to Garp" is definitely worthy for more recognition.
A forgotten great movie
Jan_W14 May 2012
Never read the book but watched this movie in the '80-s in a cinema. This was one of the movies in those days everyone went to see. Great characters and a wonderful storyline. This is one of the pictures only Americans can make (like Big Fish): a sort of modern fairytale with lots of unusual people but goodhearted and rich in sub plots. Watched it again on TV ages ago and never saw it again. Which is a true shame. Dear folks at Warner Bros: please re-release this gem on BD and DVD! Give it the credits it deserves. Take your time for some restoration, put some extra's on it (interviews with director and cast, a look back, etcetera) but give this movie back to the fans. We're waiting for it too long. Thanks!
A Slightly Twisted View of Our Own World
imddaveh2 October 2001
Warning: Spoilers
"The World According to Garp" must have been a challenging film to make for all involved. The film spans nearly forty years and requires the actors to not only age four decades, but to emote four decades of their respective character's development. All involved do this astonishingly well, especially Robin Williams in his first dramatic part, and Glenn Close, who plays his mother despite actually being younger than Williams. Even the film itself grows in character - it starts in our own world, and then rapidly snowballs into a world wildly different from our own, but not unbeleivably different.
Close plays Jenny Fields, a woman who grows from being oddly independent to becoming the symbol of ultra-feminism over the next 30 years. She sets a world-changing series of events into place with the unorthodox conception of her son whom she names T. S. Garp after his father, Technical Sergeant Garp. The boy (known simply as Garp) is brought up in the fifties and sixties as the only child of a single mother - unheard of in those days. This unique childhood gives Garp an unusual view of the world, which inspires him ot become a writer. As the young Garp struggles to become a writer, his mother (inspired by his writings and her own warped world view) also decides to be a writer. Her first and only book,"Sexual Suspect", is a radical feminist manifesto and becomes an instant bestseller in the already unstable and turbulent 1960s...as if Garp's life wasn't wierd enough.
It gets wierder still as Garp courts and married his college sweetheart, becomes an author in his own right, and raises a family. Garp's own family life is quite normal with it's rewards, fights, wonders and tragedies, but it is played against the backdrop of a world wildly twisted in it's values by his own mother. Meanwhile, his mother has created a home for women who are unable to integrate into society - probably as a result of having read "Sexual Suspect". At the home, Garp makes several new aquaintences. Among them are the twisted Ellen Jamesians, women who have cut off their tongues in protest of the rape of a young girl named Ellen James - and Roberta Muldoon, a transsexual former tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles struggling with "being a hopeless romantic in a male chauvanist world".
If there is a message in "The World According to Garp", it might be that the world is a strange and wonderful place filled with both horror and delight. Garp's world makes you look at your own and realize how wierd it really is, and makes you appreciate the delights of your world a little more.
Glenn Close, Robin Williams, and Mary Beth Hurt (who plays Mrs. T. S. Garp) are all outstanding in their ability to create likeable characters, and to mellow and age them convincingly. The other standout role is John Lithgow, who plays Roberta Muldoon with touching hilarity and beleivability. There are no bad performances in this film: it is populated with characters that are as solid and quirky as those in real life. The only flaws in the film are that the second act has some draggy slow parts, and there is one gag involving an airplane that tries a little hard for laughs.
In an alternate universe, "The World According to Garp" might be a biographical documentary. It creates a world that is somehow familiar and completely distorted at the same time.
Close plays Jenny Fields, a woman who grows from being oddly independent to becoming the symbol of ultra-feminism over the next 30 years. She sets a world-changing series of events into place with the unorthodox conception of her son whom she names T. S. Garp after his father, Technical Sergeant Garp. The boy (known simply as Garp) is brought up in the fifties and sixties as the only child of a single mother - unheard of in those days. This unique childhood gives Garp an unusual view of the world, which inspires him ot become a writer. As the young Garp struggles to become a writer, his mother (inspired by his writings and her own warped world view) also decides to be a writer. Her first and only book,"Sexual Suspect", is a radical feminist manifesto and becomes an instant bestseller in the already unstable and turbulent 1960s...as if Garp's life wasn't wierd enough.
It gets wierder still as Garp courts and married his college sweetheart, becomes an author in his own right, and raises a family. Garp's own family life is quite normal with it's rewards, fights, wonders and tragedies, but it is played against the backdrop of a world wildly twisted in it's values by his own mother. Meanwhile, his mother has created a home for women who are unable to integrate into society - probably as a result of having read "Sexual Suspect". At the home, Garp makes several new aquaintences. Among them are the twisted Ellen Jamesians, women who have cut off their tongues in protest of the rape of a young girl named Ellen James - and Roberta Muldoon, a transsexual former tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles struggling with "being a hopeless romantic in a male chauvanist world".
If there is a message in "The World According to Garp", it might be that the world is a strange and wonderful place filled with both horror and delight. Garp's world makes you look at your own and realize how wierd it really is, and makes you appreciate the delights of your world a little more.
Glenn Close, Robin Williams, and Mary Beth Hurt (who plays Mrs. T. S. Garp) are all outstanding in their ability to create likeable characters, and to mellow and age them convincingly. The other standout role is John Lithgow, who plays Roberta Muldoon with touching hilarity and beleivability. There are no bad performances in this film: it is populated with characters that are as solid and quirky as those in real life. The only flaws in the film are that the second act has some draggy slow parts, and there is one gag involving an airplane that tries a little hard for laughs.
In an alternate universe, "The World According to Garp" might be a biographical documentary. It creates a world that is somehow familiar and completely distorted at the same time.
The World's (Really) According to Jenny
thesar-21 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Garp and I go waaay back. We have a history, part of which I will omit here for some honor, but most I'll explain.
Picture it: Summer of 1982, Arizona. I was 8 years old and my parents took me to see The World According to Garp with the rational that it's Robin Williams (he was Popeye for my sake) so it has to be funny, despite the dreaded R-Rating my parents were opposed to. Not only were they shocked at the nudity, sexual situations and language, they found the movie boring and not-so-funny.
What was funny, was that when they showed a woman's breasts, they covered my eyes yet leaving them wide open for the guy's locker room that, pretty much, showed everything. Heh, little did they know.
Probably not so strange, those were the main two scenes/memories I can recall from when I was eight and seeing this the first time. Obviously, the rest of the movie didn't leave too much of an impact, despite seeing myself in the role of Young Garp since we were relatively the same age. I guess I was either bored or concentrated too far on what I saw openly or through my parent's hand.
Beyond the "Rated-R Content" had they known what a deep, long and melodramatic film this was, I'm sure I would've been sent off to see either The Secret of Nimh or Tron. Heck, I would've loved to see Raiders of the Lost Ark's reissue as I don't recall seeing that in the theatres. My guess, they would've vetoed The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Fast forward. Present Day, also Arizona. I just watched it again, only for the second time, upon a friend's recommendation. My reaction?
Well, the locker room scene wasn't what I remembered it as Just kidding. Overall, I believe the movie's title is wrong. Sure, the movie's main character is, in fact, Garp, but I got the feeling: this is really Nurse Jenny's movie. And Close did a FANTASTIC job as the strict, but free-spirited, WOMAN-FIRST single mother, something simply unheard of in the 1940s and on through Garp, her only child's life.
Sure, Jenny was a tad bit controlling and had wild ideas about how sex was bad, lust worse and men suck, but Close showed such incredible depth that I would loved to get to know her in real life. That is, if her men-hating groupies (today they would be militant-lesbians, and perhaps some of these were) would let me near her.
The character Garp does feel throughout that he's taking a backseat to his mother, and after watching the movie, I'd have to agree. If only he'd saw the whole picture, or at least opened his eyes and stop trying to one-up her, there might have been an alternative ending.
Basically, the movie follows baby Garp from birth (and in the air) through fatherhood in various stopping points of his life. His likes: wrestling and writing, his lusts: a childhood crush, a younger babysitter and a prostitute and his love: Helen. All throughout, his mother stays close as both his mother and friend.
That's the basic premise of the story, but you will need to watch it for the more depth given, the sly jokes the toned down Williams utters, and the friendships made such as the wonderful Roberta Muldoon played by John Lithgow.
You'll fall in love with Roberta, probably the only completely loyal and sane character in the entire movie. And yet will probably be judged the harshest – especially in 1982 – for being a transvestite ex-football player.
And speaking of which, that's one of the best qualities of this movie. Even though it was set from the 1940s to decades later, it still came out in 1982 and broached some touchy and tough subjects, both of which I thoroughly admire the filmmakers, writers, director, etc, for taking. This includes, but not inclusive of: woman's movements & rights, single mother parenting, transvestites – including acceptance and fights on both sides – SEE: Garp's final book.
This is not all to say this was a perfect movie. Though it did pull some emotions out of me, and certainly made me laugh in spots – namely from Williams very low humor, it had enormous pacing problems injunction with being just too long and it was thoroughly over-dramatic in spots to the point where almost each and every scene as the movie progressed, I felt something REALLY bad was going to happen. That got annoying after awhile due to it taking away some of the pleasures of watching and enjoying what was on the screen. In addition to that, some of the most traumatic scenes were cutaways, freeze-frames or preceded a long jump into the future where we were never really sure exactly what just happened or who died (or not) until someone verbally mentioned it. It was as if the filmmakers were brave enough to release some hot topics, but pulled back in fear on others.
I'm not sure how soon I'll be seeing this again – it's been nearly 30 years in between the first and second viewings, at any rate – because now I know how long it is, or feels. For, I don't have a problem with a 2 hour 16 minute movie; I just don't jump to the ones that feel twice that length.
If you have not yet experienced Jenny's World, er, Garp's, then I thoroughly encourage you to absorb the wonderful performances, lines, humor, sadness, growth and hope. Just know it's not a quick flick, but it's certainly one to be seen.
Side Note: HA! The two best qualities of the movie I saw were the characters of Jenny and Roberta. Both Close and Lithgow's supporting roles were the only nominated Oscars for this movie. Sadly, they lost, but at least the best of Garp's World got acknowledged.
Picture it: Summer of 1982, Arizona. I was 8 years old and my parents took me to see The World According to Garp with the rational that it's Robin Williams (he was Popeye for my sake) so it has to be funny, despite the dreaded R-Rating my parents were opposed to. Not only were they shocked at the nudity, sexual situations and language, they found the movie boring and not-so-funny.
What was funny, was that when they showed a woman's breasts, they covered my eyes yet leaving them wide open for the guy's locker room that, pretty much, showed everything. Heh, little did they know.
Probably not so strange, those were the main two scenes/memories I can recall from when I was eight and seeing this the first time. Obviously, the rest of the movie didn't leave too much of an impact, despite seeing myself in the role of Young Garp since we were relatively the same age. I guess I was either bored or concentrated too far on what I saw openly or through my parent's hand.
Beyond the "Rated-R Content" had they known what a deep, long and melodramatic film this was, I'm sure I would've been sent off to see either The Secret of Nimh or Tron. Heck, I would've loved to see Raiders of the Lost Ark's reissue as I don't recall seeing that in the theatres. My guess, they would've vetoed The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Fast forward. Present Day, also Arizona. I just watched it again, only for the second time, upon a friend's recommendation. My reaction?
Well, the locker room scene wasn't what I remembered it as Just kidding. Overall, I believe the movie's title is wrong. Sure, the movie's main character is, in fact, Garp, but I got the feeling: this is really Nurse Jenny's movie. And Close did a FANTASTIC job as the strict, but free-spirited, WOMAN-FIRST single mother, something simply unheard of in the 1940s and on through Garp, her only child's life.
Sure, Jenny was a tad bit controlling and had wild ideas about how sex was bad, lust worse and men suck, but Close showed such incredible depth that I would loved to get to know her in real life. That is, if her men-hating groupies (today they would be militant-lesbians, and perhaps some of these were) would let me near her.
The character Garp does feel throughout that he's taking a backseat to his mother, and after watching the movie, I'd have to agree. If only he'd saw the whole picture, or at least opened his eyes and stop trying to one-up her, there might have been an alternative ending.
Basically, the movie follows baby Garp from birth (and in the air) through fatherhood in various stopping points of his life. His likes: wrestling and writing, his lusts: a childhood crush, a younger babysitter and a prostitute and his love: Helen. All throughout, his mother stays close as both his mother and friend.
That's the basic premise of the story, but you will need to watch it for the more depth given, the sly jokes the toned down Williams utters, and the friendships made such as the wonderful Roberta Muldoon played by John Lithgow.
You'll fall in love with Roberta, probably the only completely loyal and sane character in the entire movie. And yet will probably be judged the harshest – especially in 1982 – for being a transvestite ex-football player.
And speaking of which, that's one of the best qualities of this movie. Even though it was set from the 1940s to decades later, it still came out in 1982 and broached some touchy and tough subjects, both of which I thoroughly admire the filmmakers, writers, director, etc, for taking. This includes, but not inclusive of: woman's movements & rights, single mother parenting, transvestites – including acceptance and fights on both sides – SEE: Garp's final book.
This is not all to say this was a perfect movie. Though it did pull some emotions out of me, and certainly made me laugh in spots – namely from Williams very low humor, it had enormous pacing problems injunction with being just too long and it was thoroughly over-dramatic in spots to the point where almost each and every scene as the movie progressed, I felt something REALLY bad was going to happen. That got annoying after awhile due to it taking away some of the pleasures of watching and enjoying what was on the screen. In addition to that, some of the most traumatic scenes were cutaways, freeze-frames or preceded a long jump into the future where we were never really sure exactly what just happened or who died (or not) until someone verbally mentioned it. It was as if the filmmakers were brave enough to release some hot topics, but pulled back in fear on others.
I'm not sure how soon I'll be seeing this again – it's been nearly 30 years in between the first and second viewings, at any rate – because now I know how long it is, or feels. For, I don't have a problem with a 2 hour 16 minute movie; I just don't jump to the ones that feel twice that length.
If you have not yet experienced Jenny's World, er, Garp's, then I thoroughly encourage you to absorb the wonderful performances, lines, humor, sadness, growth and hope. Just know it's not a quick flick, but it's certainly one to be seen.
Side Note: HA! The two best qualities of the movie I saw were the characters of Jenny and Roberta. Both Close and Lithgow's supporting roles were the only nominated Oscars for this movie. Sadly, they lost, but at least the best of Garp's World got acknowledged.
Amazingly rare!
CosmicDwellings14 January 2001
Based on the best-selling novel by John Irving, here is the big screen equivalent of a good read. Robin Williams almost plays it down, but thoroughly shines in the title role as T.S.Garp in this, his first proper feature film(well you can hardly include 'Popeye' in that category!).
This is an amazingly rare look at a story that evolves around happiness, sadness, heartbreak, love, and all the other natural emotions that this young,up and coming novelist experiences throughout his far from normal existence that culminates in a dark satire on many comical situations.
Some great moments to be had including a great performance from John Lithgow as the transsexual ex-football player who befriends Garp and his Worldly renowned Women's lib Mother played brilliantly by Glenn Close in her film debut.
You'll laugh... especially at the way Garp was conceived and to find out what his initials T.S. actually stand for. You'll rejoice... at the moment when Garp finds out he is to become a father for the first time. You'll cry...many times...
This movie has got to be one of the most underrated masterpieces of the 1980's, and in many ways sustains a cult following as being one of Robin Williams' first major movie projects.
Don't let this one get away-it doesn't deserve to be missed!
This is an amazingly rare look at a story that evolves around happiness, sadness, heartbreak, love, and all the other natural emotions that this young,up and coming novelist experiences throughout his far from normal existence that culminates in a dark satire on many comical situations.
Some great moments to be had including a great performance from John Lithgow as the transsexual ex-football player who befriends Garp and his Worldly renowned Women's lib Mother played brilliantly by Glenn Close in her film debut.
You'll laugh... especially at the way Garp was conceived and to find out what his initials T.S. actually stand for. You'll rejoice... at the moment when Garp finds out he is to become a father for the first time. You'll cry...many times...
This movie has got to be one of the most underrated masterpieces of the 1980's, and in many ways sustains a cult following as being one of Robin Williams' first major movie projects.
Don't let this one get away-it doesn't deserve to be missed!
Good Fictional Biography
kylehodgdon9 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I thought that "The World According to Garp" is a pretty good biographical film, however, it was not really the film that I was expecting. The tag line for this movie is, "he's got a funny way of looking at life." I do not feel like that is an accurate portrayal of this film. I feel that Garp has a pretty typical way of looking at life. I was expecting some quirky guy who was very unusual. Garp is a pretty normal guy who goes about his life in a pretty normal way.
Robin Williams and Glenn Close both do wonderful jobs playing characters at a number of different ages. I also really liked John Lithgow as the transgender best friend.
The ending really caught me off guard. I think it served as a nice way to finish the film so that we get to see the entire course of Garp's life, from birth to death.
"The World According to Garp" is a nice watch, but not an essential one. It is better than average though and I would recommend.
Robin Williams and Glenn Close both do wonderful jobs playing characters at a number of different ages. I also really liked John Lithgow as the transgender best friend.
The ending really caught me off guard. I think it served as a nice way to finish the film so that we get to see the entire course of Garp's life, from birth to death.
"The World According to Garp" is a nice watch, but not an essential one. It is better than average though and I would recommend.
Don't judge this movie by its book cover!
markdcampbell18 February 2002
Many people criticize a film based on how close it relates and carries over from its novel or written form.
However, knowing up front that this film is NOT the book and dares to actually go in different directions than the book, may allow for a
viewer to be a bit more open about the point of the story and not necessarily the story itself.
I adore the novel. When the film came out I was crass about how much was omitted or changed or embellished. But then, several years later, I watched it again. I was amazed at how many of the unknown actors I'd seen before had become huge Hollywood staples (John Lithgow's amazing performance, Glenn Close, Robin Williams, Hume & Jessica, Mary Beth Hurt, the wonderful Swoosie Kurtz, the godess Amanda Plummer,
and even a cameo from John Irving himself!).
This film is alive with brilliant talent. And let's not forget the music as well. From the opening score of the Beatles, WHEN I'M 64 to the closing sounds of the helicopter, this films sountrack alone is worth drawing attention - simple, honest, pure.
There is magic in this film that makes it a timeless, yet period piece.
If the viewer compares it to the novel, there may be disappointment or disapproval. However, allowed to stand alone, this film will surely endear itself to any viewer's heart.
However, knowing up front that this film is NOT the book and dares to actually go in different directions than the book, may allow for a
viewer to be a bit more open about the point of the story and not necessarily the story itself.
I adore the novel. When the film came out I was crass about how much was omitted or changed or embellished. But then, several years later, I watched it again. I was amazed at how many of the unknown actors I'd seen before had become huge Hollywood staples (John Lithgow's amazing performance, Glenn Close, Robin Williams, Hume & Jessica, Mary Beth Hurt, the wonderful Swoosie Kurtz, the godess Amanda Plummer,
and even a cameo from John Irving himself!).
This film is alive with brilliant talent. And let's not forget the music as well. From the opening score of the Beatles, WHEN I'M 64 to the closing sounds of the helicopter, this films sountrack alone is worth drawing attention - simple, honest, pure.
There is magic in this film that makes it a timeless, yet period piece.
If the viewer compares it to the novel, there may be disappointment or disapproval. However, allowed to stand alone, this film will surely endear itself to any viewer's heart.
The world according to my life
kasiamanzano1 May 2006
A film about a depressed lonely man searching for meaning in life. Real people telling stories, and life in all its possibilities. The lead actor wrote the script so its no wonder he tells the story brilliantly and with conviction. We immediately understand all the characters or at least try to. We even care about them....not something you can say for all films. A movie about going home....what we all fear at some point....especially for those of us who have been away for a while. We have changed and don't want those people who know the old us to think of us in that way any more. We must go and face our fears......and only when we do that can we find the truth and grow. Some may find this film slow moving, but I like the stillness, the unspoken, the subtle....its real. Sometimes we realize, like the main character, that our parents created all our issues, fears, and blocks in our life. So we accept these and learn from them.....and try to not be that way with our children. I guess this film makes me get into the philosophy of life....so that is good. It will make you laugh, cry, and learn........ My vote is 7 out of 10.
A textbook example of how to adapt a novel for the screen
lanewright30 April 2000
Adapting a novel to the screen is fraught with difficulties, and "The World According to Garp" meets those difficulties brilliantly. It is not slavishly faithful to the book as far as details go, but it omits those elements which will not translate well and makes whatever changes are needed to make the story work on film. Robin Williams is a fine Garp, Glenn Close is absolutely perfect as Jenny Garp (her performance was one of the few times I've seen the exact character I'd pictured in my head when I read the book up on the screen), and John Lithgow is funny and touching as transsexual Roberta Muldoon.
The World's (Really) According to Jenny
thesar30-1-97753114 March 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Garp and I go waaay back. We have a history, part of which I will omit here for some honor, but most I'll explain.
Picture it: Summer of 1982, Arizona. I was 8 years old and my parents took me to see The World According to Garp with the rational that it's Robin Williams (he was Popeye for my sake) so it has to be funny, despite the dreaded R-Rating my parents were opposed to. Not only were they shocked at the nudity, sexual situations and language, they found the movie boring and not-so-funny.
What was funny, was that when they showed a woman's breasts, they covered my eyes yet leaving them wide open for the guy's locker room that, pretty much, showed everything. Heh, little did they know.
Probably not so strange, those were the main two scenes/memories I can recall from when I was eight and seeing this the first time. Obviously, the rest of the movie didn't leave too much of an impact, despite seeing myself in the role of Young Garp (James McCall) since we were relatively the same age. I guess I was either bored or concentrated too far on what I saw openly or through my parent's hand.
Beyond the "Rated-R Content" had they known what a deep, long and melodramatic film this was, I'm sure I would've been sent off to see either The Secret of Nimh or Tron. Heck, I would've loved to see Raiders of the Lost Ark's reissue as I don't recall seeing that in the theatres. My guess, they would've vetoed The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Anyhoo fast forward. Present Day, also Arizona. I just watched it again, only for the second time, upon a friend's recommendation. My reaction?
Well, the locker room scene wasn't what I remembered it as Just kidding. Overall, I believe the movie's title is wrong. Sure, the movie's main character is, in fact, Garp (Robin Williams,) but I got the feeling: this is really Nurse Jenny's (Glenn Close) movie. And Close did a FANTASTIC job as the strict, but free-spirited, WOMAN-FIRST single mother, something simply unheard of in the 1940s and on through Garp, her only child's life.
Sure, Jenny was a tad bit controlling and had wild ideas about how sex was bad, lust worse and men suck, but Close showed such incredible depth that I would loved to get to know her in real life. That is, if her men-hating groupies (today they would be militant-lesbians, and perhaps some of these were) would let me near her.
The character Garp does feel throughout that he's taking a backseat to his mother, and after watching the movie, I'd have to agree. If only he'd saw the whole picture, or at least opened his eyes and stop trying to one-up her, there might have been an alternative ending.
Basically, the movie follows baby Garp from birth (and in the air) through fatherhood in various stopping points of his life. His likes: wrestling and writing, his lusts: a childhood crush, a younger babysitter and a prostitute and his love: Helen. All throughout, his mother stays close as both his mother and friend.
That's the basic, BASIC, premise of the story, but you will need to watch it for the more depth given, the sly jokes the toned down Williams utters, and the friendships made such as the wonderful Roberta Muldoon played by John Lithgow.
(I generally hate this phrase, but ) I don't care who you are, you'll fall in love with Roberta, probably the only completely loyal and sane character in the entire movie. And yet will probably be judged the harshest – especially in 1982 – for being a transvestite ex-football player.
And speaking of which, that's one of the best qualities of this movie. Even though it was set from the 1940s to decades later, it still came out in 1982 and broached some touchy and tough subjects, both of which I thoroughly admire the filmmakers, writers, director, etc, for taking. This includes, but not inclusive of: woman's movements & rights, single mother parenting, transvestites – including acceptance and fights on both sides – SEE: Garp's final book. (I left out one in particular as that would be too much of a spoiler.)
This is not all to say this was a perfect movie. Though it did pull some emotions out of me, and certainly made me laugh in spots – namely from Williams very low humor, it had enormous pacing problems injunction with being just too long and it was thoroughly over-dramatic in spots to the point where almost each and every scene as the movie progressed, I felt something REALLY bad was going to happen. That got annoying after awhile due to it taking away some of the pleasures of watching and enjoying what was on the screen. In addition to that, some of the most traumatic scenes were cutaways, freeze-frames or preceded a long jump into the future where we were never really sure exactly what just happened or who died (or not) until someone verbally mentioned it. It was as if the filmmakers were brave enough to release some hot topics, but pulled back in fear on others.
I'm not sure how soon I'll be seeing this again – it's been nearly 30 years in between the first and second viewings, at any rate – because now I know how long it is, or feels. For, I don't have a problem with a 2 hour 16 minute movie; I just don't jump to the ones that feel twice that length.
If you have not yet experienced Jenny's World, er, Garp's, then I thoroughly encourage you to absorb the wonderful performances, lines, humor, sadness, growth and hope. Just know it's not a quick flick, but it's certainly one to be seen.
Picture it: Summer of 1982, Arizona. I was 8 years old and my parents took me to see The World According to Garp with the rational that it's Robin Williams (he was Popeye for my sake) so it has to be funny, despite the dreaded R-Rating my parents were opposed to. Not only were they shocked at the nudity, sexual situations and language, they found the movie boring and not-so-funny.
What was funny, was that when they showed a woman's breasts, they covered my eyes yet leaving them wide open for the guy's locker room that, pretty much, showed everything. Heh, little did they know.
Probably not so strange, those were the main two scenes/memories I can recall from when I was eight and seeing this the first time. Obviously, the rest of the movie didn't leave too much of an impact, despite seeing myself in the role of Young Garp (James McCall) since we were relatively the same age. I guess I was either bored or concentrated too far on what I saw openly or through my parent's hand.
Beyond the "Rated-R Content" had they known what a deep, long and melodramatic film this was, I'm sure I would've been sent off to see either The Secret of Nimh or Tron. Heck, I would've loved to see Raiders of the Lost Ark's reissue as I don't recall seeing that in the theatres. My guess, they would've vetoed The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Anyhoo fast forward. Present Day, also Arizona. I just watched it again, only for the second time, upon a friend's recommendation. My reaction?
Well, the locker room scene wasn't what I remembered it as Just kidding. Overall, I believe the movie's title is wrong. Sure, the movie's main character is, in fact, Garp (Robin Williams,) but I got the feeling: this is really Nurse Jenny's (Glenn Close) movie. And Close did a FANTASTIC job as the strict, but free-spirited, WOMAN-FIRST single mother, something simply unheard of in the 1940s and on through Garp, her only child's life.
Sure, Jenny was a tad bit controlling and had wild ideas about how sex was bad, lust worse and men suck, but Close showed such incredible depth that I would loved to get to know her in real life. That is, if her men-hating groupies (today they would be militant-lesbians, and perhaps some of these were) would let me near her.
The character Garp does feel throughout that he's taking a backseat to his mother, and after watching the movie, I'd have to agree. If only he'd saw the whole picture, or at least opened his eyes and stop trying to one-up her, there might have been an alternative ending.
Basically, the movie follows baby Garp from birth (and in the air) through fatherhood in various stopping points of his life. His likes: wrestling and writing, his lusts: a childhood crush, a younger babysitter and a prostitute and his love: Helen. All throughout, his mother stays close as both his mother and friend.
That's the basic, BASIC, premise of the story, but you will need to watch it for the more depth given, the sly jokes the toned down Williams utters, and the friendships made such as the wonderful Roberta Muldoon played by John Lithgow.
(I generally hate this phrase, but ) I don't care who you are, you'll fall in love with Roberta, probably the only completely loyal and sane character in the entire movie. And yet will probably be judged the harshest – especially in 1982 – for being a transvestite ex-football player.
And speaking of which, that's one of the best qualities of this movie. Even though it was set from the 1940s to decades later, it still came out in 1982 and broached some touchy and tough subjects, both of which I thoroughly admire the filmmakers, writers, director, etc, for taking. This includes, but not inclusive of: woman's movements & rights, single mother parenting, transvestites – including acceptance and fights on both sides – SEE: Garp's final book. (I left out one in particular as that would be too much of a spoiler.)
This is not all to say this was a perfect movie. Though it did pull some emotions out of me, and certainly made me laugh in spots – namely from Williams very low humor, it had enormous pacing problems injunction with being just too long and it was thoroughly over-dramatic in spots to the point where almost each and every scene as the movie progressed, I felt something REALLY bad was going to happen. That got annoying after awhile due to it taking away some of the pleasures of watching and enjoying what was on the screen. In addition to that, some of the most traumatic scenes were cutaways, freeze-frames or preceded a long jump into the future where we were never really sure exactly what just happened or who died (or not) until someone verbally mentioned it. It was as if the filmmakers were brave enough to release some hot topics, but pulled back in fear on others.
I'm not sure how soon I'll be seeing this again – it's been nearly 30 years in between the first and second viewings, at any rate – because now I know how long it is, or feels. For, I don't have a problem with a 2 hour 16 minute movie; I just don't jump to the ones that feel twice that length.
If you have not yet experienced Jenny's World, er, Garp's, then I thoroughly encourage you to absorb the wonderful performances, lines, humor, sadness, growth and hope. Just know it's not a quick flick, but it's certainly one to be seen.
Episodic. Like life itself.
TOMASBBloodhound18 May 2008
The World According to Garp is an unconventional film, to say the least. Not so much in the sense of how it looks, or how it is acted. More than anything the film stands out because it is a human drama that doesn't take a stance or one particular point of view. T. S. Garp is simply a man trying to live his life amongst all manner of eccentric characters and unlikely situations. And like life, things happen. People grow old. There are moments of joy. There are moments of tragedy. And people die.
Robin Williams plays the title character known by most as simply "Garp". His mother, played with dignified enthusiasm by Glenn Close, has brought him up all by herself. She is a nurse and during WWII, she used the sperm of a dying tail gunner who she happened to be caring for in his final moments. To call this woman a feminist would be a magnificent understatement. Her sexuality is never made that clear to the viewer but is is inferred by some around her that she is in fact a lesbian. Her only relationship with a man that we learn of is the encounter that produced her son, and she spends much of the film condemning the lusty ways of men and boys. As the film goes on, she becomes a famous writer and feminist leader. Garp spends much of his life trying to be a successful writer himself and raising a family, but he never seems to escape his mother's shadow.
The plot simply follows the life of Garp and his family members. A great many things happen to these people over the span of many years. Careers are made, children are born, affairs are had, and the joys of life are often shattered by terrible tragedies. Williams is decent enough as Garp. He maybe acts a bit too zany in the light-hearted scenes, but he nails the more dramatic ones pretty well. That's the amazing thing about Robin Williams. The guy is an absolute nut most of the time he's in front of a camera, but when he bears down and plays something serious, it's stunning to see how great his range can be. He is an undervalued actor. Glenn Close steals this film though in terms of acting. She owns every scene she's in much like how her domineering character towers over that of her son's. The supporting cast is more than adequate with John Lithgow getting major props for his daring turn as a transsexual with a heart of gold. The film seems to take its share of jabs at radical feminism as it depicts a sect of women knows as the Ellen Jamsians. These women cut out their own tongues to protest the similar fate of a rape victim. And boy do these ladies HATE men. An act of violence in one of the final scenes shows how fanatical they can be. (as if cutting out their tongues wasn't bad enough!) Each person who views this film will probably see something different in it, and those are my favorite kinds of films. There are moments of definite humor, surprise, hope, and tragedy. You will not be bored. The film is based on a popular novel by John Irving and is worth 9 of 10 stars.
The Hound.
Robin Williams plays the title character known by most as simply "Garp". His mother, played with dignified enthusiasm by Glenn Close, has brought him up all by herself. She is a nurse and during WWII, she used the sperm of a dying tail gunner who she happened to be caring for in his final moments. To call this woman a feminist would be a magnificent understatement. Her sexuality is never made that clear to the viewer but is is inferred by some around her that she is in fact a lesbian. Her only relationship with a man that we learn of is the encounter that produced her son, and she spends much of the film condemning the lusty ways of men and boys. As the film goes on, she becomes a famous writer and feminist leader. Garp spends much of his life trying to be a successful writer himself and raising a family, but he never seems to escape his mother's shadow.
The plot simply follows the life of Garp and his family members. A great many things happen to these people over the span of many years. Careers are made, children are born, affairs are had, and the joys of life are often shattered by terrible tragedies. Williams is decent enough as Garp. He maybe acts a bit too zany in the light-hearted scenes, but he nails the more dramatic ones pretty well. That's the amazing thing about Robin Williams. The guy is an absolute nut most of the time he's in front of a camera, but when he bears down and plays something serious, it's stunning to see how great his range can be. He is an undervalued actor. Glenn Close steals this film though in terms of acting. She owns every scene she's in much like how her domineering character towers over that of her son's. The supporting cast is more than adequate with John Lithgow getting major props for his daring turn as a transsexual with a heart of gold. The film seems to take its share of jabs at radical feminism as it depicts a sect of women knows as the Ellen Jamsians. These women cut out their own tongues to protest the similar fate of a rape victim. And boy do these ladies HATE men. An act of violence in one of the final scenes shows how fanatical they can be. (as if cutting out their tongues wasn't bad enough!) Each person who views this film will probably see something different in it, and those are my favorite kinds of films. There are moments of definite humor, surprise, hope, and tragedy. You will not be bored. The film is based on a popular novel by John Irving and is worth 9 of 10 stars.
The Hound.
Before Forrest Gump
pc9519 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Sort of a weird and off-beat film with touching characters, the World According to Garp is a movie that came before Forrest Gump in that lineage of thinking. It offers interesting quirky characters and strange captivating story lines. It's pacing is pretty pedestrian, but performances are good enough to make you you forget about the slower parts. I had a bit of a problem with the ending which seemed starkly contrary to most of the other tone of the story. It seemed to pull the movie in the direction of absurdity. I especially liked supporting role by Mary Beth Hurt. She resembles and reminded of Karen Allen and seemed pretty believable. Robin Williams as usual does a better job as a dramatic actor rather than his comic goofy self where he almost always ends up trying too hard. He doesn't have to in this film; his youth and maybe nervousness shows in a good way. Worth a viewing if you like 1 part quirky, 2 parts drama in your movie.
Disappointing
peeedeee-9428120 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I remember watching 'Garp' sometime in the late 80s or early 90s, and thinking it was okay. The scene with the car crash definitely made an impression on me at the time, it's the only part of the film I remembered.
I decided to watch it again recently, and honestly, I don't really get why it has all the accolades.
The movie doesn't have any kind of story arc, except that Garp gets older, has a family, has some bad things happen, the end. There isn't any full circle symbolism, except maybe the very ending when he's ambulanced off in a helicopter, which is odd - you'd think that they could have just sent a regular road ambulance, but I guess that's for the effect of the finale.
Ultimately, this is a movie about nothing. It feels very disjointed and every scene seems to have a punchline, or gag, to keep in line with the absurdity of the situations. It's like watching a series of skits in a comedy variety show, except every skit has the same characters.
And there are so many dark moments, that really make this movie uneven in tone. Is it a black comedy, a satire, a commentary on anything?! I didn't see it. The shooting scenes, if they were in the book, just feel shoehorned in for shock effect. I guess we are supposed to have that 'ah ha!' moment when the shooter at the end is the same girl who sicked the dog on Garp when he was a little boy. But why? What is her motivation, and why is she acting like she's Garp's nemesis. No context in her character whatsoever.
John Lithgow seems like the only believable character in the movie, even if he is playing a transvestite.
Garp's outrage over the driver of that pickup truck was odd. Firstly, why didn't he call the cops on the guy? He was 'terrorizing' the neighborhood, surely a well-place squad car could have ended that. Secondly, if Garp is so angry about people driving recklessly in the neighborhood, why does he engage in the same behavior when he shuts off the engine and lets the car coast (at high speed mind you), down that same residential street. You see how that reckless behavior ended up costing him.
Overall, the movie is a real downer. You don't feel like you've learned anything by the end. None of the characters earn any empathy, so you really don't care about what happens to them. It's one of those movies you just keep watching because you're hoping something is going to happen to give it meaning, and it never does.
I decided to watch it again recently, and honestly, I don't really get why it has all the accolades.
The movie doesn't have any kind of story arc, except that Garp gets older, has a family, has some bad things happen, the end. There isn't any full circle symbolism, except maybe the very ending when he's ambulanced off in a helicopter, which is odd - you'd think that they could have just sent a regular road ambulance, but I guess that's for the effect of the finale.
Ultimately, this is a movie about nothing. It feels very disjointed and every scene seems to have a punchline, or gag, to keep in line with the absurdity of the situations. It's like watching a series of skits in a comedy variety show, except every skit has the same characters.
And there are so many dark moments, that really make this movie uneven in tone. Is it a black comedy, a satire, a commentary on anything?! I didn't see it. The shooting scenes, if they were in the book, just feel shoehorned in for shock effect. I guess we are supposed to have that 'ah ha!' moment when the shooter at the end is the same girl who sicked the dog on Garp when he was a little boy. But why? What is her motivation, and why is she acting like she's Garp's nemesis. No context in her character whatsoever.
John Lithgow seems like the only believable character in the movie, even if he is playing a transvestite.
Garp's outrage over the driver of that pickup truck was odd. Firstly, why didn't he call the cops on the guy? He was 'terrorizing' the neighborhood, surely a well-place squad car could have ended that. Secondly, if Garp is so angry about people driving recklessly in the neighborhood, why does he engage in the same behavior when he shuts off the engine and lets the car coast (at high speed mind you), down that same residential street. You see how that reckless behavior ended up costing him.
Overall, the movie is a real downer. You don't feel like you've learned anything by the end. None of the characters earn any empathy, so you really don't care about what happens to them. It's one of those movies you just keep watching because you're hoping something is going to happen to give it meaning, and it never does.
One of my favorite movies, period.
joeyramone7827 September 2001
"The World According To Garp" introduced me to several things dear to me when I saw it as a child: the Beatles (through the opening credits song), Robin Williams (okay, he's not dear to me, but I like his dramatic stuff) and an early understanding of what "bittersweet" meant. To be honest, I have never read John Irving's book. Although I probably will one day, I enjoy the movie too much and right now I don't want my perception of it altered. Beautifully acted, written, and photographed, "Garp" just moves me everytime I watch it. To this day, I haven't seen Robin Williams or Glenn Close play better roles than they do here, and John Lithgow is just a hoot as Roberta. Back to the bittersweet thing, I love the way this film will have you moved to tears one minute and laughing the next, just like real life. Obviously, there are a plethora of movies out there that achieve the same effect, this one just happens to be a personal favorite. Dramatic but never heavyhanded, funny but never silly, "The World According To Garp" is a simply perfect movie experience.
A long journey through life...
paul_haakonsen1 January 2016
While "The World According to Garp" is a nice movie, it is not quite as memorable as I would have expected. I haven't read the Irving novel, so I don't know how true to the book the film version is.
The story follows Garp from his birth up to adulthood and parenthood, and it follows all those in his life and family. There are too many events to go through, so it is better to say that you should watch the entire movie, because a synopsis hardly do the entire story justice.
Despite being from 1982, then the movie still holds its own today and can be watched every now and then with some years passing.
What makes "The World According to Garp" good is the cast ensemble and the very impressive performances they all deliver. In the lead role as Garp is Robin Williams, who handled a serious role quite well. Playing his mother Jenny was Glenn Close, and she really brought something solid to the movie. But most impressive was John Lithgow in the role of a post-op transsexual NFL player. Lithgow was amazing in this movie. Mary Beth Hurt playing Garp's wife Helen also did a good job with her character.
The movie runs a bit over two hours, which was starting to get a bit strained at times. But there is always something new happening, so it doesn't get repetitive.
The story follows Garp from his birth up to adulthood and parenthood, and it follows all those in his life and family. There are too many events to go through, so it is better to say that you should watch the entire movie, because a synopsis hardly do the entire story justice.
Despite being from 1982, then the movie still holds its own today and can be watched every now and then with some years passing.
What makes "The World According to Garp" good is the cast ensemble and the very impressive performances they all deliver. In the lead role as Garp is Robin Williams, who handled a serious role quite well. Playing his mother Jenny was Glenn Close, and she really brought something solid to the movie. But most impressive was John Lithgow in the role of a post-op transsexual NFL player. Lithgow was amazing in this movie. Mary Beth Hurt playing Garp's wife Helen also did a good job with her character.
The movie runs a bit over two hours, which was starting to get a bit strained at times. But there is always something new happening, so it doesn't get repetitive.
Near brilliant dramatic comedy with plenty of amusing moments and sadness.
hu67516 November 2007
T.S. Garp (Oscar-Winner:Robin Williams), who lives an unusual life with his bright, caring, truthful but peculiar mother Jenny (Glenn Close). Who's also an nurse. But Garp has an wild imagination as a child and now as a young adult, he wants to be a "serious" writer. Once he moves to New York City with his mother. His mother decides to write non-fiction novel about life, sex and lust. That becomes an national best-seller and she becomes an heroine for the "feminist" movement. While Garp is struggling with his writing career, while he's married to a smart woman Helen (Mary Beth Hurt) and having children of their own. Garp's life starts to fall apart when he starts to fool around once with the babysitter, his wife fools around as well and other disturbing moments has yet to come in his incredible life.
Directed by the late Oscar-Winner:George Roy Hill (Funny Farm, Slap Shot, The Sting) made an one of those rare films that was truly ahead of its time. The film has an major cult following as well. The performances are first-rate in this one of a kind film that plays with different genres extremely well. Close and John Lithgow as Roberta received Oscar Nominations for their brilliant supporting performances. I would have liked also if Roy Hill received an Oscar Nominated for Best Director, same goes for Williams for his sharp lead performance for Best Actor and Steve Tesich's (American Flyers, Breaking Away) excellent screenplay. Which he should gotten an Oscar Nomination for Best Adapated Screenplay. Since this picture is based on a novel by Oscar-Winner:John Irving (The Cider House Rider, The Hotel New Hampshire, Simon Birch). This movie is somewhat underrated today, this is probably one of the most remembered classics of the 1980's. Plenty of familiar faces appears in bit-parts or in cameos as well. This is a extraordinary film about an unusual man going through life, don't miss it. (**** ½/*****).
Directed by the late Oscar-Winner:George Roy Hill (Funny Farm, Slap Shot, The Sting) made an one of those rare films that was truly ahead of its time. The film has an major cult following as well. The performances are first-rate in this one of a kind film that plays with different genres extremely well. Close and John Lithgow as Roberta received Oscar Nominations for their brilliant supporting performances. I would have liked also if Roy Hill received an Oscar Nominated for Best Director, same goes for Williams for his sharp lead performance for Best Actor and Steve Tesich's (American Flyers, Breaking Away) excellent screenplay. Which he should gotten an Oscar Nomination for Best Adapated Screenplay. Since this picture is based on a novel by Oscar-Winner:John Irving (The Cider House Rider, The Hotel New Hampshire, Simon Birch). This movie is somewhat underrated today, this is probably one of the most remembered classics of the 1980's. Plenty of familiar faces appears in bit-parts or in cameos as well. This is a extraordinary film about an unusual man going through life, don't miss it. (**** ½/*****).
memorable characters
SnoopyStyle29 August 2015
In 1944, Jenny Fields (Glenn Close) surprises her wealthy parents with a baby. She had sex with a soldier on his death bed. All she wanted from him was a baby. She takes a job as a nurse in an all-boys boarding school. Garp (Robin Williams) takes up wrestling and falls for Helen Holm. He wants to be a writer and they move to NYC. Her semi-autobiographical book Sexual Suspect is an overnight success and she uses the money to open the family home for abused women and transsexuals like Roberta Muldoon (John Lithgow). Garp and Helen get married and have kids but they struggle.
Robin Williams shows his dramatic acting chops. Glenn Close brings life to her crazy character. John Lithgow cross-dresses with an air of normalcy. It's a lot wacky random incidences. It's not surreal enough to be surreal. Three assassination attempts may be two too many. The movie feels fake but memorable nevertheless.
Robin Williams shows his dramatic acting chops. Glenn Close brings life to her crazy character. John Lithgow cross-dresses with an air of normalcy. It's a lot wacky random incidences. It's not surreal enough to be surreal. Three assassination attempts may be two too many. The movie feels fake but memorable nevertheless.
The Arc of One Man's Life
caliweb1 March 2008
It's the only movie I have ever liked more than the book it was based on. In this case, I'd say "loved". This movie was my #1 favorite for years, and, considering how much I love movies, that's saying something! In his early years, Garp keeps pushing and pulling, and trying to steer, but life doesn't work that way, and all he can really do is hold on for dear life and watch out for the undertow. I love the symmetry - the comforting idea that life's experiences are all woven into a circle that eternally repeats, it's all coming around again, you know -for better or worse. Jenny Fields, Garp's mother, is a hilarious and wonderful character - strong and wise, but with blind-spots in the strangest places(Garp: "What does she know about lust? She's never felt it - not once!"). My favorite character is Roberta Muldoon, Jenny's transsexual friend and protector, and Garp's best friend. Even though Roberta used to play for the Philadelphia Eagles(Roberta: "(I was)Number 90 - Robert Muldoon. I had a great pair of hands")he traded in his football(among other things)to bat for the other side. John Lithgow brilliantly-embodies this complex person in a way that is both subtle and endearing. There are lines in this movie I will never forget, and moments that still make me tear-up after 25 years of repeat-viewings(Garp and Jenny on the front porch - I call it "The Undertow Look" - it's one of the best "Life is a Circle" moments in the film, thanks to Glenn Close and Robin Williams' ability to communicate volumes in a single glance). Anyway, don't take my word for it; watch it yourself. Find your own special moments. There are plenty to choose from.
"You sure like trouble, don't you?"
classicsoncall7 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I recall reading John Irving's novel, probably about the time it came out in 1978. I was still kind of naïve in the ways of the world, so when I came across THAT scene in the book, I thought it was just the most outrageous thing for some author to be writing about. It was merely an exclamation point on all the other twisted imagery the story dealt with, not the least of which was the way Jenny Fields (Glenn Close) became pregnant, the blind side tackle Roberta Muldoon (John Lithgow) put on the unsuspecting intruder at her boarding house, and the self mutilating members of the Ellen James Society. That last one almost sounded like it could have been real, but it was all an element of Irving's fertile imagination.
So I had to wonder how the film would approach THAT scene, and I do have to say, it was done with fairly admirable restraint, even if the discussion about it afterwards left nothing to the imagination. See, now I'll have to put up with that mental image for a couple of days before it slowly drifts off into the ether.
There are probably passages in the novel that fill in some of the gaps left by the movie which I can't remember now. For example, the death of young son Walter seemed like no big deal after the fact, whereas a trauma like that would cast a shadow over any married couple forever. There was also the character of Pooh (Brenda Currin), who's rage at seeing Garp (Robin Williams) at his mother's memorial service is left unexplained, not to mention her even more violent response to close out the story. In most other respects, the film brought back a lot of what I remembered about the Irving novel, with a talented cast and well paced screenplay. Not an easy task for such a lengthy piece, but in this case, the result hit close to the mark.
So I had to wonder how the film would approach THAT scene, and I do have to say, it was done with fairly admirable restraint, even if the discussion about it afterwards left nothing to the imagination. See, now I'll have to put up with that mental image for a couple of days before it slowly drifts off into the ether.
There are probably passages in the novel that fill in some of the gaps left by the movie which I can't remember now. For example, the death of young son Walter seemed like no big deal after the fact, whereas a trauma like that would cast a shadow over any married couple forever. There was also the character of Pooh (Brenda Currin), who's rage at seeing Garp (Robin Williams) at his mother's memorial service is left unexplained, not to mention her even more violent response to close out the story. In most other respects, the film brought back a lot of what I remembered about the Irving novel, with a talented cast and well paced screenplay. Not an easy task for such a lengthy piece, but in this case, the result hit close to the mark.
A Complex Story with Beautifully Nuanced Performances,
lesleyharris3020 July 2018
The World According to Garp is a great movie with a very well developed plot and a tremendously talented cast. Based on a bestselling novel, the film manages to balance many complex story and character arcs that ensue throughout that are all interconnected, but also vastly different, and I can gladly say that I was equally invested in all of them.
I will admit that the film gets carried away with itself, going on for far longer than it should and becoming a little overbearing on occasion. There is a lot of messages and metaphors going on that it does start to become a tad overindulgent, trying too hard to make the audience feel something rather than letting it happen naturally.
The cast is all around spectacular, Robin Williams shines in his first dramatic role and he proved from the get go, and I would imagine surprised many at the time, that there is more to him than just his funny, improvisational side, there is a soulful truth in his performance throughout. Glenn Close is also terrific as the strong willed, protective mother who wants the best for her son, she goes through a complicated arc that she handles with grace. Lastly, John Lithgow is absolutely phenomenal in this role as a trans, taking it on with full force and a caring nature that I am sure this community can look at fondly, he clearly tackled the role with great softness.
Flawed, but very memorable. Funny and heartwarming, The World According to Garp is heavy, ranging from various emotions throughout, if you are looking for a good drama, it is certainly worth the watch.
A young man finds his life being controlled by his wife and mother, he soon finds himself searching for freedom.
Best Performance: Robin Williams
I will admit that the film gets carried away with itself, going on for far longer than it should and becoming a little overbearing on occasion. There is a lot of messages and metaphors going on that it does start to become a tad overindulgent, trying too hard to make the audience feel something rather than letting it happen naturally.
The cast is all around spectacular, Robin Williams shines in his first dramatic role and he proved from the get go, and I would imagine surprised many at the time, that there is more to him than just his funny, improvisational side, there is a soulful truth in his performance throughout. Glenn Close is also terrific as the strong willed, protective mother who wants the best for her son, she goes through a complicated arc that she handles with grace. Lastly, John Lithgow is absolutely phenomenal in this role as a trans, taking it on with full force and a caring nature that I am sure this community can look at fondly, he clearly tackled the role with great softness.
Flawed, but very memorable. Funny and heartwarming, The World According to Garp is heavy, ranging from various emotions throughout, if you are looking for a good drama, it is certainly worth the watch.
A young man finds his life being controlled by his wife and mother, he soon finds himself searching for freedom.
Best Performance: Robin Williams
A Strange, Wonderful Film!
namashi_117 April 2015
Based on the novel of the same title by John Irving, 'The World According to Garp' is A Strange, Wonderful Film, that talks about life & relationships. Its sensitively handled & performed superbly.
'The World According to Garp' chronicles the life of T S Garp, and his mother, Jenny. Whilst Garp sees himself as a "serious" writer, Jenny writes a feminist manifesto at an opportune time, and finds herself as a magnet for all manner of distressed women.
'The World According to Garp' is at times, funny, and at times, depressing. Garp is a character full of melancholia, who has to face his overbearing, dominating mother & also deal with his wife's infidelity. Its a sympathetic character, whose journey appeals, because he has a charm of his own.
The Late/Great Steve Tesich's Adapted Screenplay is often heartbreaking, but engaging at most parts, nevertheless. Only hiccup, lies in its running-time. The film overstays its welcome by 20-minutes. Some trimming was needed for sure. The Late/Great George Roy Hill directs this story with genuineness. Cinematography is fair. Editing could've been sharper.
Performance-Wise: The Late/Great Robin Williams is simply magnificent as Garp. He enacts the sympathetic protagonist with rare ease & restrained. This performance has to be among his finest. Glenn Close is simply fantastic as the mother, delivering an act that's both, affecting & yet loathsome. John Lithgow is astonishing as the transsexual activist. He stands out. James "J.B." McCall as young Garp, deserves a special mention.
On the whole, 'The World According to Garp' is quite a memorable film, despite a few flaws. Definitely, worth watching!
'The World According to Garp' chronicles the life of T S Garp, and his mother, Jenny. Whilst Garp sees himself as a "serious" writer, Jenny writes a feminist manifesto at an opportune time, and finds herself as a magnet for all manner of distressed women.
'The World According to Garp' is at times, funny, and at times, depressing. Garp is a character full of melancholia, who has to face his overbearing, dominating mother & also deal with his wife's infidelity. Its a sympathetic character, whose journey appeals, because he has a charm of his own.
The Late/Great Steve Tesich's Adapted Screenplay is often heartbreaking, but engaging at most parts, nevertheless. Only hiccup, lies in its running-time. The film overstays its welcome by 20-minutes. Some trimming was needed for sure. The Late/Great George Roy Hill directs this story with genuineness. Cinematography is fair. Editing could've been sharper.
Performance-Wise: The Late/Great Robin Williams is simply magnificent as Garp. He enacts the sympathetic protagonist with rare ease & restrained. This performance has to be among his finest. Glenn Close is simply fantastic as the mother, delivering an act that's both, affecting & yet loathsome. John Lithgow is astonishing as the transsexual activist. He stands out. James "J.B." McCall as young Garp, deserves a special mention.
On the whole, 'The World According to Garp' is quite a memorable film, despite a few flaws. Definitely, worth watching!
A great clown with a tragic smile, both on screen and off.
mark.waltz12 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
In retrospect of Robin Williams' all too short life, I had to single out two films that were amazingly touching to me, this film based upon the novel by John Irving, and the cult classic "What Dreams May Come". After success on T.V. and the fiasco that was "Popeye", Williams finally became a major forced to be reckoned with on the big screen with this drama filled with subtle comedy about a free-spirited man influenced by his free spirited mom who purposely seduced a dying soldier simply so she could have his child.
"Don't you dare say sperm in this house!", her imperious papa (Hume Cronyn in an amusing cameo) tells daughter Glenn Close, a nurse with a love of life determined to be a mother without the benefit of marriage. "Why she never even met the son of a bitch", Cronyn tells wife Jessica Tandy, upset to think that she basically raped the innocent man. Mom and dad may not have understood their daughter, but her son (Williams) understands her and loves her greatly, which is proved in a tragic scene where he understands without even knowing that something horrible has just taken place. Close focuses the first part of her life on raising him with great values yet independence, then she moves on to become heavily involved in the women's movement in protest over a young woman who was raped and had her tongue cut out to keep her quiet. Her assistant is a former football player (John Lithgow) who altered his sex to live as a woman. Free-spirited Williams instantly welcomes him/her as a close friend, a very touching gesture to see a straight man live by.
Garp marries a smart woman (Mary Beth Hurt), has two children, and undergoes a series of marital issues all the while trying to fulfill his desire to "fly", having learned that his late father was a pilot. Indeed, fliers are everywhere in this life, such as the metaphor of a pilot crashing into the new house Williams and Hurt have just purchased. There's a free spirited sexuality here too, with Close early on pairing her son with hooker Swoosie Kurtz just to study male sexuality and later Hurt's revenge on her philandering husband by having her own affair which leads to funny but disturbing moment where the poor young man she is involved with leads to an ironic twist of fate.
The serious elements of this film outweigh the comic, however, and there are many important issues covered here in showing the desire to live one's dreams that sometimes lead to tragic consequences. When this film was first released, there were many complaints from the book readers over how the story was altered, but what ends up on screen is truly memorable. All of the performances are outstanding, with Close becoming a full fledged star as a result of this film and Lithgow moving into the realm of major star to be. Williams proved that he could be a dramatic actor of substance, and Hurt is very touching as well. With direction by the great George Roy Hill, the film has stood the test of time, and with Robin Williams' passing, is worth re-visiting to show that behind the mask of comedy is an even thicker mask of tragedy that sometimes is never revealed until it is too late.
"Don't you dare say sperm in this house!", her imperious papa (Hume Cronyn in an amusing cameo) tells daughter Glenn Close, a nurse with a love of life determined to be a mother without the benefit of marriage. "Why she never even met the son of a bitch", Cronyn tells wife Jessica Tandy, upset to think that she basically raped the innocent man. Mom and dad may not have understood their daughter, but her son (Williams) understands her and loves her greatly, which is proved in a tragic scene where he understands without even knowing that something horrible has just taken place. Close focuses the first part of her life on raising him with great values yet independence, then she moves on to become heavily involved in the women's movement in protest over a young woman who was raped and had her tongue cut out to keep her quiet. Her assistant is a former football player (John Lithgow) who altered his sex to live as a woman. Free-spirited Williams instantly welcomes him/her as a close friend, a very touching gesture to see a straight man live by.
Garp marries a smart woman (Mary Beth Hurt), has two children, and undergoes a series of marital issues all the while trying to fulfill his desire to "fly", having learned that his late father was a pilot. Indeed, fliers are everywhere in this life, such as the metaphor of a pilot crashing into the new house Williams and Hurt have just purchased. There's a free spirited sexuality here too, with Close early on pairing her son with hooker Swoosie Kurtz just to study male sexuality and later Hurt's revenge on her philandering husband by having her own affair which leads to funny but disturbing moment where the poor young man she is involved with leads to an ironic twist of fate.
The serious elements of this film outweigh the comic, however, and there are many important issues covered here in showing the desire to live one's dreams that sometimes lead to tragic consequences. When this film was first released, there were many complaints from the book readers over how the story was altered, but what ends up on screen is truly memorable. All of the performances are outstanding, with Close becoming a full fledged star as a result of this film and Lithgow moving into the realm of major star to be. Williams proved that he could be a dramatic actor of substance, and Hurt is very touching as well. With direction by the great George Roy Hill, the film has stood the test of time, and with Robin Williams' passing, is worth re-visiting to show that behind the mask of comedy is an even thicker mask of tragedy that sometimes is never revealed until it is too late.
Food for though, badly prepared
GRWeston5 March 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I'll admit off the bat that this is my first John Irving experience. I had heard his work is very quirky, surreal, American, and tackles subjects that make you squirm and in a way that makes you squirm even more. Garp exhibits all of these facets, and while I gasped at the awkwardness, basked in the Americana, squirmed at the subject matter and raised an eyebrow many times in between, I ultimately found it interesting, but I can't quite say that I liked it. Even so, I believe this is a fault of the movie and not the material.
Lust. (Do I have your attention)? Anyway, of Garp's various subjects, this is the at the forefront, which becomes clear very quickly as the word is a sort of anti-mantra for Jenny Fields (Glenn Close), a nurse at an all-boys school and mother of the titular character. Having conceived Garp in a situation completely free of lust, having taken advantage of a dying WWII pilot who, shall we say, couldn't stop standing at attention, Fields is a woman constantly on the lookout for any kind of carnal expression. This is hardly a boon for her son, who is introduced as an imaginative, wistful boy whose dreams and fantasies are filled with airplanes and what his father might have been like, and who directs those yearnings towards becoming a successful author and, much to his mother's dismay, pleasing women, as he grows into Robin Williams. Garp is able to evade his mother's determination while courting his college sweetheart, but she still ends up making his life very difficult when, as soon as Garp's first book hits stores, she too assembles her own literary breakthrough: a sprawling and much more successful anti-lust manifesto. The work transforms Jenny into a sort of feminist cult figure, particularly to a group of supporters calling themselves Ellen Jamesians, each of whom cut their tongue out in support of a rape victim of the same name. As Jenny's influence expands, Garp does his best to provide a good life for his wife and kids, and while his efforts cause Jenny to gradually shed her misgivings, they of course draw the ire of the Jamesians. Naturally, this clash of ideals escalates to a shocking and circular conclusion.
If anything, Garp's exploration of lust is successful at demonstrating the extent to which we control our lustful urges or let them control us directs our growth as people. What this exploration does, though, is reveal truths that are even more interesting, namely that staying too true to an ideal, no matter how honorable, can have debilitating effects, and that the rejection of any alternatives to that ideal often stems from fear and ignorance. This is perhaps best revealed in a scene where Garp's mother confronts a prostitute not to accost her, but to simply understand why she does what she does and if she gets any joy out of it. Poignant moments like these are the movie's strength, as are its performances, particularly Close as Jenny and John Lithgow as Roberta, a transsexual former football player and Jenny follower. Robin Williams' performance, on the other hand, is unsuitably passive, especially for a man under so many constricting influences. And as interesting as Garp's themes may be, it does not excuse the movie from telling its story unsatisfactorily. Many scenes that come across as quirky or surreal may have just been poorly translated to the screen. If I had not have known Garp was an adaptation, I would have figured it out, as I often felt the need to reach for some kind of guide for more information. Also, there is what feels like a push to make the movie into an inspirational family drama as it goes on, which does not really go along with its sensibility-challenging ways. A lot of the interesting parts I mentioned (the Ellen Jamesians, Roberta's dilemma) fall more and more by the wayside or simply become less interesting. But really, the movie never quite achieves the right balance between the surreal and the grounded, or even the comedic and the serious. A climatic scene involving one of Garp's sons and its aftermath, for example, left me wondering whether to laugh or cry, and even if anything really happened at all. In short, Garp left me with a lot to think about, but with a lot of it being whether or not the filmmakers knew what they had to work with or even if they fully understood it.
Lust. (Do I have your attention)? Anyway, of Garp's various subjects, this is the at the forefront, which becomes clear very quickly as the word is a sort of anti-mantra for Jenny Fields (Glenn Close), a nurse at an all-boys school and mother of the titular character. Having conceived Garp in a situation completely free of lust, having taken advantage of a dying WWII pilot who, shall we say, couldn't stop standing at attention, Fields is a woman constantly on the lookout for any kind of carnal expression. This is hardly a boon for her son, who is introduced as an imaginative, wistful boy whose dreams and fantasies are filled with airplanes and what his father might have been like, and who directs those yearnings towards becoming a successful author and, much to his mother's dismay, pleasing women, as he grows into Robin Williams. Garp is able to evade his mother's determination while courting his college sweetheart, but she still ends up making his life very difficult when, as soon as Garp's first book hits stores, she too assembles her own literary breakthrough: a sprawling and much more successful anti-lust manifesto. The work transforms Jenny into a sort of feminist cult figure, particularly to a group of supporters calling themselves Ellen Jamesians, each of whom cut their tongue out in support of a rape victim of the same name. As Jenny's influence expands, Garp does his best to provide a good life for his wife and kids, and while his efforts cause Jenny to gradually shed her misgivings, they of course draw the ire of the Jamesians. Naturally, this clash of ideals escalates to a shocking and circular conclusion.
If anything, Garp's exploration of lust is successful at demonstrating the extent to which we control our lustful urges or let them control us directs our growth as people. What this exploration does, though, is reveal truths that are even more interesting, namely that staying too true to an ideal, no matter how honorable, can have debilitating effects, and that the rejection of any alternatives to that ideal often stems from fear and ignorance. This is perhaps best revealed in a scene where Garp's mother confronts a prostitute not to accost her, but to simply understand why she does what she does and if she gets any joy out of it. Poignant moments like these are the movie's strength, as are its performances, particularly Close as Jenny and John Lithgow as Roberta, a transsexual former football player and Jenny follower. Robin Williams' performance, on the other hand, is unsuitably passive, especially for a man under so many constricting influences. And as interesting as Garp's themes may be, it does not excuse the movie from telling its story unsatisfactorily. Many scenes that come across as quirky or surreal may have just been poorly translated to the screen. If I had not have known Garp was an adaptation, I would have figured it out, as I often felt the need to reach for some kind of guide for more information. Also, there is what feels like a push to make the movie into an inspirational family drama as it goes on, which does not really go along with its sensibility-challenging ways. A lot of the interesting parts I mentioned (the Ellen Jamesians, Roberta's dilemma) fall more and more by the wayside or simply become less interesting. But really, the movie never quite achieves the right balance between the surreal and the grounded, or even the comedic and the serious. A climatic scene involving one of Garp's sons and its aftermath, for example, left me wondering whether to laugh or cry, and even if anything really happened at all. In short, Garp left me with a lot to think about, but with a lot of it being whether or not the filmmakers knew what they had to work with or even if they fully understood it.
Absurd, confusing, pointless drivel
dwr24620 April 2005
Warning: Spoilers
If I could give this film a zero out of ten, I would. I saw it on dollar night and wanted my money back. This is possibly the most offensive piece of work I have ever had the misfortune to sit through.
The story centers around Garp (Robin Williams), "the bastard son of Jenny Fields (Glenn Close)," as he is referred to so often throughout the film that the viewer is as annoyed by the phrase as he is. Jenny, a sex-hating and man-hating woman, conceives Garp when she is an army nurse caring for a patient with a head wound who sports an enormous erection, of which Jenny takes advantage. "Garp" is apparently the only sound the poor man can make, and so she decides to name the baby that. In the opening scene of the film, Jenny tells her parents this in excruciating detail. Despite the fact that child is a boy, she does lavish a great deal of love on him, and he grows up to be a writer. His life path deals with love, infidelity, the loss of a child in perhaps the most bizarre accidents in film history - one that causes the castration of another character, and his own frustrations in being overshadowed by his mother, who becomes famous when she writes a book about her experiences. Jenny becomes the center of a movement of women who seem to have a capacity for hatred that exceeds even hers. Ultimately, this leads to her assassination, and a funeral from which her son is barred merely because he is male (never mind that he's actually family and grieving his own loss). An old childhood enemy recognizes him at the service, and blows him in. The same enemy shows up at the end of the movie and shoots him - pointless violence to end a pointless movie.
Admittedly, I don't have the sensibilities to enjoy this film, but I think that is its biggest failing. I have been told time and time again that I would appreciate the movie more if I read the book. Why should I have to read the book? The movie should stand on its own in telling the story. This one doesn't. Motives are undefined. Explanations of illogical behavior are not forthcoming. Little makes sense, either in the "world according to Garp," or in the world at large. And much that might be humorous simply isn't because of the way it is presented.
Given the star power in the movie, the acting is quite disappointing. Glenn Close is unpleasant, as usual, but unfortunately for her, this is a character that needs a softness that she is completely unable to give. Jenny as Close plays her, is merely obnoxious. Jenny in the hands of a better actress could be a woman you loved to hate, or vice versa. Williams' portrayal fares little better, although at least we understand his emotions and his actions as a result of them - insofar as he understood them, and it's not always apparent that he did. Mary Beth Hurt does a nice job with Helen, providing one of the few likable characters in the course of the movie. John Lithgow is a scene stealer in the role of a post operative trans-gendered woman, and deserved the acclaim he got for the role. Brenda Currin as Pooh is merely an irritating plot device, as she gives no depth to the character, and no explanation for Pooh's actions (unless you are to believe she's merely insane, and that doesn't seem to be what is indicated).
Ultimately I found the movie to be a disappointing waste of time. Perhaps reading the book would have been better, but I was so soured on the story after sitting through the movie, that the book holds no appeal at all now. Which says a lot about just how bad this movie is.
The story centers around Garp (Robin Williams), "the bastard son of Jenny Fields (Glenn Close)," as he is referred to so often throughout the film that the viewer is as annoyed by the phrase as he is. Jenny, a sex-hating and man-hating woman, conceives Garp when she is an army nurse caring for a patient with a head wound who sports an enormous erection, of which Jenny takes advantage. "Garp" is apparently the only sound the poor man can make, and so she decides to name the baby that. In the opening scene of the film, Jenny tells her parents this in excruciating detail. Despite the fact that child is a boy, she does lavish a great deal of love on him, and he grows up to be a writer. His life path deals with love, infidelity, the loss of a child in perhaps the most bizarre accidents in film history - one that causes the castration of another character, and his own frustrations in being overshadowed by his mother, who becomes famous when she writes a book about her experiences. Jenny becomes the center of a movement of women who seem to have a capacity for hatred that exceeds even hers. Ultimately, this leads to her assassination, and a funeral from which her son is barred merely because he is male (never mind that he's actually family and grieving his own loss). An old childhood enemy recognizes him at the service, and blows him in. The same enemy shows up at the end of the movie and shoots him - pointless violence to end a pointless movie.
Admittedly, I don't have the sensibilities to enjoy this film, but I think that is its biggest failing. I have been told time and time again that I would appreciate the movie more if I read the book. Why should I have to read the book? The movie should stand on its own in telling the story. This one doesn't. Motives are undefined. Explanations of illogical behavior are not forthcoming. Little makes sense, either in the "world according to Garp," or in the world at large. And much that might be humorous simply isn't because of the way it is presented.
Given the star power in the movie, the acting is quite disappointing. Glenn Close is unpleasant, as usual, but unfortunately for her, this is a character that needs a softness that she is completely unable to give. Jenny as Close plays her, is merely obnoxious. Jenny in the hands of a better actress could be a woman you loved to hate, or vice versa. Williams' portrayal fares little better, although at least we understand his emotions and his actions as a result of them - insofar as he understood them, and it's not always apparent that he did. Mary Beth Hurt does a nice job with Helen, providing one of the few likable characters in the course of the movie. John Lithgow is a scene stealer in the role of a post operative trans-gendered woman, and deserved the acclaim he got for the role. Brenda Currin as Pooh is merely an irritating plot device, as she gives no depth to the character, and no explanation for Pooh's actions (unless you are to believe she's merely insane, and that doesn't seem to be what is indicated).
Ultimately I found the movie to be a disappointing waste of time. Perhaps reading the book would have been better, but I was so soured on the story after sitting through the movie, that the book holds no appeal at all now. Which says a lot about just how bad this movie is.
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