favorite Robin Williams movie?

[Blackthorn]

I know there's a thread (Deaths...etc) for expressing sorrow at the passing of folks like Robin Williams, but I thought in this particular case, it might appropriate to talk about his life's work. He did such a wide range of movies, of all types over the decades, that I can imagine we each have different favorites.

My own favorite would be Moscow on the Hudson. Brilliant movie! I never tire of that one...he was so brilliant.

My second would be a tie between Fisher King (a very different kind of movie) and Mrs Doubtfire.

 

[Edward]

Fisher King was great. Sadly his talents were mostly wasted on "family films" imo. I was holding out hope he'd be cast in something by Tarrantino.

 

[EmergencyIan]

I am partial to "Good Will Hunting."


- Ian

 

[Heather]

We really enjoyed Insomnia, Final Cut, Hook, good will hunting....looking forward to hearing everyone else's answers. One hour photo came out at the same time I worked in a movie theater. It was always a consistent ticket seller!

 

[PHIL1959]

one hour photo was great.

 

[herringbonekid]

i haven't seen a lot of his recent films, but i thought he was very good in Dead Poet's Society.

 

[Edward]

i haven't seen a lot of his recent films, but i thought he was very good in Dead Poet's Society.

That's a film I think I 'get' a whole lot more now that I teach (at university level, thankfully - the only parents I need ever deal with are proud and happy ones at graduation ceremonies!). I like to think my teaching style is the right mix of this and the good Doctor Jones. My students might not agree.

 

[Blackthorn]

Tonight I saw, for the first time, Jakob the Liar. That movie should have won Best Picture, and RW was robbed because he didn't win Best Actor. Wow, fantastic movie.

Mazel Tov, Robin Williams. You were brilliant.

 

[sheeplady]

Admittedly, I haven't seen as many as I would like.

I liked Mrs. Doubtfire. I found One-Hour Photo to be heart breaking. Good but heartbreaking. Jack was also good, but a bit heartbreaking too, in a different way from One-Hour Photo. After I finished watching Jack I was left a bit sad, but I am not sure why.

Looking back on it, I can see where Williams could have suffered from depression for decades. They say those who have great artistic talent are tortured internally in some way, and I think films like One-Hour Photo showcased some of the depths of loneliness that someone facing depression has. I had a bout of moderate depression for several months when I was diagnosed with cancer last year. Thankfully it was not the deep kind that swallows one whole. I haven't been there, thank god, so I can't say that I understand what it is like to be in those depths. But I've looked over the abyss, slid towards it without gaining traction, but thankfully I got pulled out.

I think One-Hour photo captures so much that feeling of isolation and "viewing the world from behind the looking glass" one gets during depression. You see others around you going through life, doing things, and you feel like you're going through the motions. You have interactions with others, but it's like you're emotionally behind a plate of glass. I know I have become more appreciative of the movie as time has gone on. Williams' was brilliant at playing that aspect of detachment, and I wonder if he drew on his own experiences for that. I've heard that element of detachment is similar in several different types of mental illness, including schizophrenia.

I also read an interesting article on Cracked about why so many comics suffer from depression and why the editors of Cracked are so aggressive about deleting comments that suggest suicide, self-harm, etc. I can see those points reflected in a lot of the class clowns I knew.

 

[Shangas]

Mrs. Doubtfire.

Poor Mr. Williams. May he rest in peace, since he certainly didn't seem to get much of it in life. The world has lost an irreplaceable comic genius.

 

[Seth Duzan]

Man, so many good films of his to choose from... As much as I loved the comedic roles he did, the subdued ones I seem to like better, but to choose some favorites is a hard decision. Most that have been already mentioned I have seen and love, so I'll add some others I love. Popeye(no one else could ever do that character live action after his performance...), The Birdcage, The World According to Garp, Patch Adams, Man of the Year, and Good Morning Vietnam...

 

[Heather]

Oh my gosh, how could I have forgotten about Popeye?! I agree, no one could top that portrayal. Why would you even want to try? It's perfect!?

 

[Harp]

Dead Poets Society.

 

[LizzieMaine]

"Awakenings." Williams' reputation as a manic comedian obscured the fact that he was, in fact, a very fine straight actor. "Awakenings" had its comic moments, but at its heart it was a deeply, deeply tragic film.

 

[Matt Crunk]

I'm gonna have to go with Good Morning Vietnam as my favorite Robin Williams film. But coming in at a close second for me is one of his less successful films, but one that I found very charming none-the-less - and that's Club Paradise. Williams plays a Chicago fireman who gets hurt on the job and gets a big insurance settlement, with which he moves to the Caribbean island of Saint Nicholas and invests in a small resort. I mostly like it for the setting and the simple fantasy of it all, but both Williams and the supporting cast of many former SNL players made it very entertaining.

 

[Benny Holiday]

So many films to love. I would have to say Dead Poets Society, with Good Morning Vietnam in second place. He was a true genius.

 

[DavidJones]

Would have to agree 'Good Morning Vietnam" was a fine movie.

 

[lolly_loisides]

I agree with Lizzie Maine, I thought his performance in Awakenings was excellent. I also liked The Fisher King.