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It’s been 2 weeks since Robin Williams killed himself and I’ve just completed a 10 day/12 film retrospective of his work.
Back when I was ten, “Mork & Mindy” was the funniest thing in the world. His stand-up specials on HBO in the early-80’s when I was in junior high were mind-blowingly hysterical and, as I look back, incredibly influential. The movies he made while I was in college – GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM in 1987, THE ADVENTURE OF BARON MUNCHHAUSEN in 1988, DEAD POETS SOCIETY in 1989 – were brilliant hit after brilliant hit. And, of course, the year after I graduated from college, he made THE FISHER KING – to me, the perfect marriage of actor and character.
Then, around the time of MRS. DOUBTFIRE in 1993, he started to lose me. This dry patch lasted for almost 20 years. He had a couple of worthy films in there, THE BIRDCAGE in 1996 and INSOMNIA in 2002 come to mind, but, on the whole, his output was not very good.
Then, in 2012, I saw WORLD’S GREATEST DAD, Bobcat Goldthwait’s brilliant film from 2009. This movie, along with a nice, subdued appearance on “Louie,” had me back on board.
He will be missed.
Favorites:
Popeye, 1980
The World According To Garp, 1982
The Best of Times, 1986
Good Morning, Vietnam, 1987
The Adventure of Baron Munchhausen, 1988
Dead Poets Society, 1989
The Fisher King, 1991
Aladdin, 1992
Insomnia, 2002
World’s Greatest Dad, 2009
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