The world was saddened this week as news broke about the shocking suicide of Robin Williams. His battles with depression and substance abuse have been well-documented and there were even reports of a recent Parkinson's diagnosis. I won't delve any further into these issues other than to say that Williams may come to be known as the ultimate example of that old adage about the 'sad clown'. There have been no shortage of memorials and teary-eyed tributes in the media and I'm sure this blog will merely be a reiteration of everything that's already been said, but I'll still do my best to honor this beloved figure.
After honing his skills on the 1970s San Francisco stand-up comedy circuit, the Chicago native achieved significant fame in 1978 as a hyperactive alien on the cult sitcom "Mork & Mindy". The show's runaway success made it very clear that such an immense talent couldn't be contained to the small screen, and movie offers inevitably began to pour in. During his peak years(1987-1997), a Williams-led blockbuster seemed like an annual occurrence, as he sat comfortably among Hollywood's elite. But nothing lasts forever, and Robin gradually fell from the top tier in the 2000s, after participating in far too many projects that were unworthy of his presence. The role of Teddy Roosevelt in Ben Stiller's hit "Night at the Museum" trilogy provided some relief(the third is due out Dec 19). His legacy of laughter couldn't be dampened, though. It's nice to hear from so many youngsters that weren't even alive to witness his hysterical heyday. I put together a list below of what I feel are the essential Robin Williams movies and why. For the record, I liked "Patch Adams" and still wish Robin had played the Riddler for Tim Burton in '95(sorry, Jim Carrey).
"Good Morning, Vietnam"(1987)
Robin Williams made his film debut in 1980's "Popeye". You're forgiven for not knowing that. I have yet to re-evaluate Robert Altman's live-action incarnation of the spinach-eating sailorman through grown-up eyes. Robin's earliest efforts in Tinsel-town were rather sketchy. "The World According to Garp" was well-reviewed in 1982, but other films from this formative period did little to advance his silver screen ambitions.
His manic energy finally connected with the movie-going masses as Armed Forces DJ Adrian Cronauer in this fact-based tale from "Rain Man" director Barry Levinson. He improvised most of the radio scenes, in a showcase vehicle that really encapsulates his particular brand- free-flowing comedy with a serious core. This movie is my first memory of Robin Williams, although I may have glimpsed Mork as a small child, I can't be entirely certain. Here's what IS certain- "Vietnam" was the fourth biggest moneymaker of 1987(behind "Three Men and a Baby", "Fatal Attraction" and "Beverly Hills Cop II", respectively), loudly announcing the true arrival of an inexhaustible leading man that couldn't be denied the cinematic spotlight.
"Dead Poets Society"(1989)
Carpe diem. Robin was clearly following that famous credo when he seized the role of unorthodox English teacher John Keating. He livens up an ultra-conservative prep school in 1959 and awakens the passions of a handful of restless students(including an 18 year old Ethan Hawke in his screen breakthrough). If only more real life educators did their jobs with as much zeal as this guy, but that's a discussion for another forum.
As far as inspirational teacher dramas go, this one sits at the head of the class. Director Peter Weir("Witness") should be credited for playing a significant role in Williams' big screen development. The film landed some major Academy Award nominations and did very strong business in a summer movie season populated by the formidable likes of Indiana Jones and Ghostbusters. I'm standing on top of my desk and saluting the Captain as I type this. Robin was demonstrating some serious drawing power that he would wield for much of the next decade.
"Aladdin"(1992)
Disney's 31st animated feature continued the mammoth studio's renaissance which began with 1989's "The Little Mermaid", quickly becoming the Mouse House's highest grossing film(until 1994's "The Lion King"). This wouldn't have been possible without Williams' Genie, the standard bearer for voice work in the modern era of animation. He threw himself into this role, forcing changes to several scenes in order to match his trademark improvisations. He's the reason that virtually every big name actor you can think of has at least one voice credit on their resume. Previously the domain of unknown, out-of-work actors, animated productions would now call on A-list residents who gladly accepted multi-million dollar salaries to spend two weeks in a recording booth. One interesting tidbit is that Williams accepted the standard fee for voice work in '92($75,000) and reportedly felt screwed by Disney when the film collected $216 million during the holiday season. They rectified the situation with a $1 million check after the fact and a presumably larger one to lure him back for a 1996 straight-to-video sequel.
Robin's multiple voice roles often go overlooked when his career is discussed(he later lent his vocals to "Happy Feet"), but the magic he brought to "Aladdin"(along with Steven Spielberg's "Hook" for some) insured him a permanent place in the hearts of a children of all ages. His Genie whirled into the zeitgeist and granted all of our wishes.
"Mrs. Doubtfire"(1993)
Robin reached his commercial zenith in this wildly successful cross-dressing comedy that's part of a holy trifecta with "Tootsie" and "Some Like It Hot". In retrospect, he was the last comedic performer to really get away with it(I'm looking at you, Martin Lawrence). Just to give you a better idea of how popular Williams was at this time, "Doubtfire" was the biggest box office hit of the year that didn't feature a rain-soaked, rampaging T-Rex.
Director Chris Columbus of "Home Alone" and "Harry Potter" fame was able to find that tricky balance of humor and heart that so few films seem able to manage. Robin got to flex some dramatic muscle when he wasn't getting hot flashes or frantically changing clothes in a public restroom. There were surely plenty of displaced dads that related to the struggles of Daniel Hillard. Sally Field deserves a nod for fleshing out the part of his workaholic ex-wife- a thankless, unsympathetic role in the hands of a lesser actress. It would be easy to dismiss this story with words like 'silly' and 'implausible', but Williams' committed performance simply trumps any such problems and the film makes a solid case for old-fashioned family values.
There's no doubt that "Nine Months", "Jumanji" and "The Birdcage" benefitted from the enormous goodwill he had built up in the mid '90s. Little did we know that Williams was eying even more challenging projects outside of his comical comfort zone.
"Good Will Hunting"(1997)
Hard to believe there was a time when Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were just a couple of handsome nobodies. It's pretty much common knowledge that the scrappy Boston buddies wrote a dazzling screenplay that became one of the most acclaimed films of 1997, laying the foundation for the huge success that continues to this day. The bearded fellow sitting here next to Jason Bourne had a little something to do with that.
If there's one thing I want readers to take away from this blog, it's that Robin Williams was much more than just a great comedian. His compassionate therapist Sean Maguire lifts this film to another level with his tender reminiscing about his late wife. Such scenes earned Robin a well-deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar, his only win out of four nominations. I don't want to say that he was a victim of the so-called 'Oscar curse', but Gus Van Sant's film definitely represents an artistic high point and I'm not sure if he was consciously trying to reach for that again. Expectations are often a burden and I suspect he may have felt a newfound pressure to make a Tom Hanks-style run as a perennial awards contender, which is much easier said than done.
"Insomnia"(2002)
Robin memorably embraced his dark side in 2002 with a trio of roles that represented a huge departure from his established persona. It felt like a direct response to the charges of saccharine and sappy sentimentality brought on by stone-faced critics of his late '90s work("What Dreams May Come","Patch Adams", "Bicentennial Man"). Danny DeVito's "Death to Smoochy" flopped, but a lot of people seemed to like "One Hour Photo". I admired Robin's creepy characterization much more than the film itself. Chris Nolan's "Insomnia" was a vastly superior effort.
Before Nolan was orchestrating the revival of a certain caped crime-fighter, he was quietly building a rep as the maker of high class psychological thrillers. Al Pacino(his last good movie, too) stars as Will Dormer, a sleep-deprived LAPD detective summoned to Alaska to aid in the investigation of a teenage girl's murder. I'm not giving anything away when I reveal that the trail leads to Robin's reclusive author Walter Finch because his ominous voice basically admits to the horrific crime in the film's trailer. I can't think of too many comedians being this convincing as an eerily calm killer.
His disturbing exchanges with Pacino should have been the start of an exciting new chapter but it was not to be. Robin didn't build on this momentum for some reason and his subsequent output is comprised mostly of increasingly unsatisfying comedies and obscure indies that don't warrant a lengthy analysis. Perhaps the quality of cinema as a whole just isn't what it was when Robin was a younger man. The public embraced Adam Sandler and the landscape changed, but that's also a discussion for another day. I wish Robin could have given us more. He gave more than enough, though.
Complete filmography(58 films in total, the highly successful ones are darkened)
"Popeye"(1980)
"The World According to Garp"(1982)
"Moscow on the Hudson"(1984)
"The Best of Times"(1986)
"Club Paradise"(1986)
"Good Morning, Vietnam"(1987)
"The Adventures of Baron Munchausen"(1989)
"Dead Poets Society"(1989)
"Cadillac Man"(1990)
"Awakenings"(1990)
"Dead Again"(1991)
"The Fisher King"(1991)
"Hook"(1991)
"Aladdin"(1992)
"Toys"(1992)
"FernGully: The Last Rainforest"(1992)
"Mrs. Doubtfire"(1993)
"Being Human"(1994)
"Nine Months"(1995)
"Jumanji"(1995)
"Jack"(1996)
"The Birdcage"(1996)
"Hamlet"(1996)
"Fathers' Day"(1997)
"Flubber"(1997)
"Good Will Hunting"(1997)
"Deconstructing Harry"(1997)
"What Dreams May Come"(1998)
"Patch Adams"(1998)
"Jakob The Liar"(1999)
"Bicentennial Man"(1999)
"A.I: Artificial Intelligence"(2001)
"Death to Smoochy"(2002)
"Insomnia"(2002)
"One Hour Photo"(2002)
"House of D"(2004)
"The Final Cut"(2004)
"Robots"(2005)
"The Big White"(2005)
"RV"(2006)
"The Night Listener"(2006)
"Man of the Year"(2006)
"Happy Feet"(2006)
"Night at the Museum"(2006)
"License to Wed"(2007)
"August Rush"(2007)
"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian"(2009)
"World's Greatest Dad"(2009)
"Shrink"(2009)
"Old Dogs"(2009)
"Happy Feet Two"(2011)
"The Big Wedding"(2013)
"Lee Daniels' The Butler"(2013)
"Boulevard"(2014)
"The Angriest Man in Brooklyn"(2014)
"A Merry Friggin' Christmas"(2014)
"Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb"(2014)
"Absolutely Anything"(2015)
