I literally grew up watching Robin Williams from Popeye to Good Morning Vietnam to Birdcage and beyond. Dead Poets Society inspired my to go into writing and theater. Needless to say, I was very sad to hear of his death. I don't have an opinion on the fact that he chose to take his own life. That's none of my business. What I have been thinking about is his remarkable body of work and the laughter and entertainment that he brought the world. In this retrospective, movies in bold are what I would consider essential viewing.
The man made a lot of movies. Not all of them were good, but many were interesting and some were excellent. His first batch of movies in the 1970's and 1980's are a bit scattershot and experimental and marked both by filmmakers attempting to to learn how to use him and Williams learning how to be a film actor. These movies are also notable for his attempts to escape the zany Mork character for which he first became famous.
Robin Williams' first big role was in Robert Altman's adaptation of the comic strip and cartoon, Popeye. Popeye is not a great movie but it is definitely and interesting watch and Williams really disappears into the role, aided by some nice make-up. Popeye is an interesting artifact of the late 1970's when it was produced which saw slight resurgence of musicals and old-timey comic strip adaptations like Annie and Superman. Perhaps where the movie is most successful is in its costume and production design which captures the feel of the source material in all its damp and grungy glory. However, this movie is considered an inauspicious start to Robin Williams' movie career as it was deemed a disappointment when it was released. Going forward in his career, Williams carried the burden both of his popular Mork from Ork character and the fact that he was associated with a big box office flop.
Williams' subsequent early 1980's movies seem like attempts at finding himself as a film actor. There the expected comedies but probably the most memorable movie is The World According to Garp, an early role for the actor that mixed some drama in with the comedy. It is the kind of earnest movie that comedic actors often make when trying to prove their dramatic chops. Williams had not yet found the balance of zany comedy and heart-felt drama that would define his best roles later on.
The first turning point in his career was in 1987's Good Morning, Vietnam a biopic about Adrian Cronauer, a military DJ serving during the Vietnam War. The movie somehow manages an organic mix of war movie and some of Williams' characteristic rapid fire comedy. Vietnam movies were popular in the 1980's but Good Morning, Vietnam manages to distinguish itself with its humanity and use of humor, which was unheard of in a genre that was known for its intense and violent movies. It had been little more than a decade after the war and Vietnam was still a touchy subject in American culture. However the movie has a light touch and manages to make a statement on the war without being preachy or "political."
In many ways, this movie offers the perfect role to showcase both Robin Williams' acting ability and his comedy. He didn't often get roles that organically allowed him to do this and some of his performances throughout his career are marred by either inappropriate shtick or excessive schmaltz. Good Morning, Vietnam has a natural, warm tone and the pathos in the movie is appropriate and earned, whereas the comedy is mostly limited to the DJ booth where it is relevant to the story and supports the themes of the movie. Vietnam was universally acclaimed, a major box office hit, and earned Williams his first Academy Award nomination. It also began Williams' association with the military and he often could be found performing for troops stationed overseas. Most importantly, it afforded Robin Williams the opportunity to finally escape Mork once and for all and to have a real movie career with a healthy mix of comedy and drama and everything in between.
Patrick Garone
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Williams' subsequent early 1980's movies seem like attempts at finding himself as a film actor. There the expected comedies but probably the most memorable movie is The World According to Garp, an early role for the actor that mixed some drama in with the comedy. It is the kind of earnest movie that comedic actors often make when trying to prove their dramatic chops. Williams had not yet found the balance of zany comedy and heart-felt drama that would define his best roles later on.
The first turning point in his career was in 1987's Good Morning, Vietnam a biopic about Adrian Cronauer, a military DJ serving during the Vietnam War. The movie somehow manages an organic mix of war movie and some of Williams' characteristic rapid fire comedy. Vietnam movies were popular in the 1980's but Good Morning, Vietnam manages to distinguish itself with its humanity and use of humor, which was unheard of in a genre that was known for its intense and violent movies. It had been little more than a decade after the war and Vietnam was still a touchy subject in American culture. However the movie has a light touch and manages to make a statement on the war without being preachy or "political."
In many ways, this movie offers the perfect role to showcase both Robin Williams' acting ability and his comedy. He didn't often get roles that organically allowed him to do this and some of his performances throughout his career are marred by either inappropriate shtick or excessive schmaltz. Good Morning, Vietnam has a natural, warm tone and the pathos in the movie is appropriate and earned, whereas the comedy is mostly limited to the DJ booth where it is relevant to the story and supports the themes of the movie. Vietnam was universally acclaimed, a major box office hit, and earned Williams his first Academy Award nomination. It also began Williams' association with the military and he often could be found performing for troops stationed overseas. Most importantly, it afforded Robin Williams the opportunity to finally escape Mork once and for all and to have a real movie career with a healthy mix of comedy and drama and everything in between.
Patrick Garone
Follow Me on Twitter
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