Robin Williams is Garp. He's got a funny way of looking at life.
A struggling young writer finds his life and work dominated by his unfaithful wife and his radical feminist mother, whose best-selling manifesto turns her into a cultural icon.
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Character
Spare, contemplative, classical in form and character-led.
- sparerichly built
- contemplativerelentless
- classical in formformally daring
- character-ledplot-driven
- unpretentiousprestige
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“Is Robin Williams the best thing in The World According to Garp?”
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“Is the book better?”
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“Is it funnier than it is smart?”
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Reviews
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- badelfon TMDB · Jun 20268/10
My Robin Williams Retrospective: The World According to Garp (1982) Robin Williams surprises here with a character so unlike what we typically associate with him. T.S. Garp is lower energy, even-tempered, thoughtful; there's no manic improvisation, no volcanic bursts of comic energy. Instead, Williams plays restraint, playing a man navigating the absurdities and tragedies of his peculiar life with quiet determination. He's grounded, present, entirely credible as a writer and father trying to make sense of a world that keeps intruding on his domestic aspirations. It's a beautiful performance, one that reminds us of Williams' incredible range, his ability to disappear into character rather than dominate the frame. The casting of John Lithgow as Roberta Muldoon is nothing short of brilliant. Lithgow brings warmth, humor, and complete authenticity to the role of the former football player turned trans woman. He could have played it as caricature; instead, he finds the humanity, the loyalty, the fierce friendship that defines Roberta. It's a performance that holds up remarkably well, tender and funny and utterly without condescension, earning him a well-deserved Oscar nomination. Glenn
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Cast
- Robin WilliamsT.S. Garp
- Mary Beth HurtHelen Holm
- Glenn CloseJenny Fields
- John LithgowRoberta Muldoon
- Hume CronynMr. Fields
- Jessica TandyMrs. Fields
- Swoosie KurtzThe Hooker
- Brenda CurrinPooh
- Peter Michael GoetzJohn Wolfe
- Jenny WrightCushie
Crew
- George Roy HillDirector
- Steve TesichScreenplay
- John IrvingNovel
- Miroslav OndříčekDirector of Photography
- Stephen A. RotterEditor
- George Roy HillProducer
- Robert Crawford Jr.Producer
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
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Breakfast on Pluto 200576% alikeClose across the board.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? 201876% alikeBoth classical in form.
thirtysomething 198770% alikeTelevision · Both classical in form, contemplative.
Cucumber 201568% alikeTelevision · Both spare.
Often watched with
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