World’s Greatest Dad
This movie is the sort of movie that sends me to the keyboard to topple negative expectations, praise the participants, and hopefully drive up their box office a little. I know that Robin Williams has done some insufferable things in recent years, but remember him in The Fisher King? One Hour Photo? His doting father in Mrs. Doubtfire? World’s Greatest Dad involves a certain degree of redemption, and this film should redeem Williams in your heart. I almost don’t want to tell you who the writer/director is, for fear of your expectations getting in the way of seeing this movie. Let me be clear: this film is excellent. It’s beautifully written, deftly directed, and performed with letter-perfect precision. It’s sad and funny and even a little shocking. Robin Williams is so warm and vulnerable and conflicted, and in a morally compromised way, hilarious. Our mystery auteur? It’s Bobcat Goldthwaite. No, I’m serious. And it’s wonderful. I have seen some good stuff this summer and this is one of my favorites already. Why only Matinee with Snacks as a rating? Well, it’s not perfect, but it is truly worth your time and money.
Daryl Sabara, as Williams’ complete wastrel of a son, Kyle, dominates Act I. Beyond normal teen obnoxiousness or rebellion, he’s rude & perverse, misanthropic and causic, even to his one friend (Evan Martin, who you just want to hug). When Kyle’s proclivities veer into tragedy, Williams is left with a gaping hole in his life, and a chance to redeem his difficult son. Somehow this snowballs into places he never expected, or dreamed of hoping for. Sabara creates a strong impression before the movie is left for Williams to carry, but we never forget him. The responses to his absence, as well as the responses to his father’s actions, are deeply hilarious and quite a trip. I don’t want to spoil it. I can say that this movie is seriously funny, yet still stays grounded and serious.
Most of the story takes place in the school that Kyle attended and where Williams teaches. Alexie Gilmore plays Williams’ girlfriend, that kind of sexy dream girl who can be a teddy bear or a succubus on a dime. She is the bellwether for every change in his life; he probably would never have noticed how shoddily she treats him if he didn’t have the abuses from his son blocking his view all the time. Henry Simmons, the handsome, charismatic, successful teacher/coach lingers on the periphery as a perfect contrast to Williams. Naomi Glick and Lorraine Nicholson are two misfits who carry the burden of representing the student body attitude shift, and I hope to see more of both of them, as well as Martin and football stud Zach Sanchez. While some of the side characters veer a little sharply into the realm of caricature, I imagine it’s done more for economy of scale, rather than lazy shorthand. The important arc is the one along which Williams careens.
So much of the action is unexpected, but never feels forced or unlikely. It pokes fun at our cultural short-term memory, and our need for symbols even more than reality. What is better, the truth, or the myth? The delicious emotional complexity of Williams’ response to his son, his actions in response to his loss, and his actions in response to his gain are all wonderful. The tagline “Lance Clayton is about to get everything he deserves” is more perfect than it seems. To properly gush would be to reveal plot points, and I really really want you to go see it for yourselves. This film deserves your money and time, and I hope Magnolia lets Goldthwait keep making movies.
MPAA Rating R-language, sexual content, drug use, disturbing images
Release date 9/4/09
Time in minutes 99
Director Bobcat Goldthwaite
Studio Magnolia
