Potential spoilers ahead. You’ve been warned.
ROBIN WILLIAMS
Films: Various
I’ve driven home the point that this list is not a ranking. I stand by that. However, if it were a ranking, Robin Williams would be squarely on top. He is, to me, the actor who epitomizes the ability to cross genres with equal success. He may just be the only actor that can make you cry both tears of laughter and sorrow. He is the master. Unlike my other entries, this is going to be much more of an overview of his talents and filmography. To do an in-depth analysis of each drama would be too time-consuming. And just a fair warning, I am going to get very personal in this entry, so let’s begin.
To most people of a certain age, Williams was first introduced to them as Mork from Ork in a guest spot on Happy Days, and later on Mork and Mindy. What they may not have known, was that this actor who was so convincing that people thought he could have been this manic alien, was actually a Julliard-trained actor. Williams was accepted with a full-ride scholarship in 1973. His friend and roommate was actor Christopher Reeve, who would be his best friend for the rest of Reeve’s life. What was apparent to everyone immediately was his massive talent. His classmates knew he could be funny, but it wasn’t until he played the old man in Tennesse Williams’ Night of the Iguana, that they realized he was also a great dramatic actor. He was so talented that his teacher, Academy Award-winning Actor John Houseman, encouraged him to leave school during his junior year. It tells you something about your skills when your acting teacher tells you that they’ve taught you all you need to know and encourages you to go out on your own. Williams then made his way to California, performing stand-up and eventually landing his guest spot on Happy Days.
While still on Mork and Mindy, Williams leaped into film. His first starring role was in Robert Altman’s adaptation of Popeye, which got mixed reviews. His first role post-Mork was in The World According to Garp. It earned respectable reviews, but it was his co-stars Glenn Close and John Lithgow, who received Oscar nominations for their supporting performances. Williams followed up Garp with the forgettable Moscow on the Hudson and The Best of Times. However, his career was revitalized in 1987 when he starred as an irreverent US Army disc jockey in Barry Levinson’s Good Morning, Vietnam. While still humorous, Williams blended the humor with real pathos, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Williams followed Vietnam with three successful dramas in quick succession. In 1989, Williams earned his second Academy Award nomination for playing a devoted school teacher in the drama Dead Poets Society. The next year, in 1990’s Awakenings, he starred as neurologist Dr. Malcolm Sayer, whose experimental work with the drug L-Dopa, helped to reawaken catatonic patients. It was Robert De Niro playing the patient that ultimately received the Oscar nomination, but Williams was just as deserving as the caring and dedicated doctor. In 1991, he earned his third nomination for playing a homeless man with a tragic past opposite Jeff Bridges in Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King.
Between 1992 and 1997, Williams would star in a string of comedy films. Some were family-friendly (Hook, Ferngully, Jumanji). Some were critical failures (Toys, Flubber, Father’s Day), and others were critical and commercial hits (Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Birdcage). 1997 saw Williams receive his final Academy Award nomination (this time in the supporting category) for the film Good Will Hunting. For playing the grieving therapist who must help a troubled genius from South Boston, Williams earned the only Oscar win of his career. Unfortunately, this seems to have been where his career peaked. None of the films he would star in for the rest of his life would reach the same heights. Some films (Patch Adams, Night at the Museum, Happy Feet) were more well-received than others (RV, Man of the Year, License to Wed). I should acknowledge that in the same period, he was making some of his “lesser” films, he was also performing USO shows for US troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is this noble effort that allows me to overlook some of those questionable titles. The two exceptions to this post-Hunting era are when he played the creepy photo developer in One Hour Photo and as a killer tormenting a guilty and sleep deprived detective (Al Pacino) in Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia (both 2002).
I’ve given you a brief overview of his career, but now, I want to tell you my experiences and how Williams impacted my life. For me, my first exposure to Williams was as the voice of Genie in Aladdin. I had that movie on VHS tape and would watch it pretty regularly. It wasn’t until I was older and saw the behind-the-scenes footage of Williams recording his dialogue, that I realized he was a comedic force of nature. The whole drama behind the scenes with Williams and Katzenberg is pretty interesting too, but this isn’t the time nor the place for that. Lots of people my age, would say that in addition to Genie, Mrs. Doubtfire was a huge film for them. I’m going to say something shocking. I’m not sure how it’s never happened, but I’ve only seen bits and pieces; never the whole movie. I know this list may have just lost all credibility, but I am going to continue. Other Williams performances that caught my attention were his voice work in Robots and his portrayal of Teddy Roosevelt in Night at the Museum and its sequel (I’ve never seen the third film).
One of my favorite movie theater experiences involves a Williams movie. When I was in the fifth grade, I don’t know how it happened, but my mom ended up with tickets to a test screening of Old Dogs at our local AMC. For those of you who don’t remember, Old Dogs is a Disney movie starring Robin Williams and John Travolta as two bachelors whose lives are turned upside down when it is discovered that Williams’ character is the father of young twins. Hijinks, of course, ensue. Being a test screening, they had us fill out comment cards and they had a marketing rep asking for our feedback. It was just an awesome experience. I’ve been to a few advanced screenings (primarily in Chicago), but that remains the only test screening I have ever been a part of. The funny thing is, that at 11 years old, I thought it was the funniest fucking movie ever. Then watching it a decade later in college with the launch of Disney Plus, I realized that it’s actually a horrible fucking movie. Maybe the film’s 5% on Rotten Tomatoes should have given me a clue. That experience still makes me smile, and the thought of going from praising the movie to criticizing it, makes me chuckle.
As I got older and got into really studying movies, I started to watch some of his more serious movies. I wasn’t initially a fan of Vietnam, but I think it’s due another viewing. Same situation with Poets. I thought his performances in Awakenings and The Fisher King were absolutely stunning. As alluded to earlier, I also discovered his unsettling performances in One Hour Photo and Insomnia. It was probably during my senior year of high school that I watched Good Will Hunting for the first time. It quickly became, and still is to this day, one of my favorite films of all time. It’s just a powerhouse of a film. I have to acknowledge Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s beautiful script. Not only was I in awe of the beauty within the script, but it also served as an inspiration to me that these two struggling actors and best friends could persevere and not only manifest this film into existence but win an Academy Award for it. I mentioned the script, but I have to mention the acting too. It’s a great ensemble piece (including Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, Stellan Skarsgard, and Casey Affleck), but it is the psychological chess match between Williams’ Sean and Damon’s Will that is a spectacle to behold. Sean’s monologue on the park bench may just be the finest acting of Williams’ entire career.
There are some actors whose deaths you just never forget. Paul Walker and Philip Seymour Hoffman also come to mind. I remember where I was when he died. It was the night before the start of my sophomore year of high school. My family was running errands and we stopped for dinner at a KFC. I remember staring at the TV in the corner as I ate my chicken when a CNN news bulletin popped up announcing his death. Like many others, I was devastated. I also became more upset when I learned that he committed suicide. He always gave the appearance that he was happy and cheerful, but that wasn’t the case. It goes to show that you don’t know what people are going through. I learned later that Williams has been struggling with his mental health and had been battling addiction most of his life. Initially, those were thought to be the catalyst for his death. Of course, we know now from the many documentaries following his death, that he was suffering from the early stages of Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia. Meaning, in the end, he wasn’t himself.
As I wrap up, I can’t help but think of the song originally by Joni Mitchell, “Big Yellow Taxi” (I like the Counting Crows version better). The lyrics “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” pop up in my head, and I feel that this is true for me when talking about Williams. Because of my age, I didn’t recognize the full scope of his filmography. It wasn’t until he was gone, that I realized he was probably the best (and maybe only) actor who could alternate between comedy and drama with the same incredible results. That’s why I consider him to be my favorite actor of all time. It was never really clear what Williams’ religious beliefs were, but I do hope he’s in Heaven, making God laugh. He’s made quite an impact on my life. But in the spirit of Robin Williams, I can’t end this on a sad note. I’m going to end it with a piece of advice from Williams himself. To my readers out there, just remember, if you find yourself in the position where you are indulging in an illicit white powder, that cocaine is God’s way of telling you that you have too much money.
Check this out: Robin Williams’ Speech | Good Will Hunting | Max
Thank you for reading. Especially those of you who have read each entry in this series. Your patronage means a lot to me. Until next time.
