Directed by:
George Roy HillScreenplay:
Steve TesichCinematography:
Miroslav OndříčekCast:
Robin Williams, Mary Beth Hurt, Glenn Close, John Lithgow, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Swoosie Kurtz, James McCall, Peter Michael Goetz, Mark Soper (more)VOD (2)
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Conceived in a hospital room by the independent, strong-willed Jenny Fields (who makes sure to choose a father who can never interfere with her decisions), T.S. Garp grows up in the placid academic atmosphere of the exclusive New England boy's school where Jenny works. As Garp becomes a man, the film shifts between the events that shape his world and those that shape his mother's. While Garp follows a "normal" path--marrying, becoming a father, and establishing himself as an author and teacher--Jenny continues to make extraordinary decisions and allies herself with a very strange group of characters. And through it all, Jenny remains a powerful, inescapable influence on her son. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (4)
A good film with a strong story, which was to be expected given the source material. I think the book is still significantly more interesting, partly because I found the film at times too ordinary, which is a shame. However, Robin Williams had already shown in 1982 that he was a great actor and that roles like this would suit him best.
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The World According to Garp is my greatest literary love, and that's why I was afraid of the adaptation. My fears were confirmed already in the first scene. Jenny was too harsh, Garp was already in the world, and his conception was only narrated at an inappropriate spot. I felt like turning off that superficial-looking entertainment without a proper psychological portrayal of the characters, but now I'm glad I didn't. As soon as the story shifts to Garp's adulthood, Robin Williams comes on the scene, and above all the perfect Mary Beth Hurt, whose Helen is exactly as cute and thoughtful as I had always imagined her. In the end, director George Roy Hill became the savior, proving to be too much of a professional to destroy such a beautiful story, despite the abbreviated script. He manages to create many heartwarming moments, winking at the reader/viewer (the bears), and avoids any clumsiness with the complex character of Roberta, which would have arrived had he shown even the slightlest recklessness. Moreover, he includes a scene that says more about the main character than any amount of dialogue – a scene where the titular hero looks through the blinds, allowing the viewer to feel exactly the kind of stream of thoughts that John Irving provided in the original. If I wasn't a fan, I would consider giving it the highest rating, but that's not the case because I imagine Garp as a huge barrage of thought-provoking stories, reflections, and hidden opinions, which cannot be captured in a film.
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Who doesn't love Garp? While the 90s had Forrest Gump, a decade earlier it was Garp. It’s a film where it's hard to identify its age at first glance, which is an absolutely wonderful asset. On top of that, it has the wonderful character of Roberta the tranny, who broke my heart.
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Unfortunately, the film adaptation of one of my favorite novels didn't turn out very well. Even the very decent performances of the actors couldn't save it. I also have a bit of a problem with the choice of actors. Robin Williams, in particular, although I respect him a lot otherwise, didn't really suit the character of the lead role. Of course, I admit that if I hadn't read the book, I would have rated it a bit higher.
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