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| Scene from Good Will Hunting |
On Monday, August 11, 2014, the world was shocked to learn of the unfortunate passing of eccentric comedian Robin Williams. Over a career spanning 36 years, he was a massive presence whose unpredictability wasn't a detriment, but an asset. He never compromised his style and ended up making an enviably vast body of work that speaks differently to each generation. With an amazing reputation for being joyful, his death comes as a great loss. Since it is impossible to summarize the influence that he has made on me in a singular post, I have decided to split up my tribute into four parts released over the next few days. From how he influenced my childhood to my latter years, it will be a candid ode to why he meant a lot to me and will continue to for a long, long, long, long time.
PART II - The Dramas
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| Scene from Good Morning, Vietnam |
There is a specific stance that I have regarding Robin Williams' acting career. One that I don't feel is entirely recognized. He was an amazing dramatic actor. While I had grown to admire his work as a child, the transition years saw me take on new interests. My tastes in film slowly became more complicated and the simple joys of Jack were disappearing. I needed heart, plot, and something tangible. Admittedly, this is a stereotypical teenager tirade, but I needed to have a formative experience with film to make it feel like a tangible medium. While I didn't fully have one until my early 20's, Williams was one of the first to make me realize that there was more to film than slapstick comedies.
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Unlike yesterday's piece regarding my childhood in the 90's, I will be exploring films ranging back to his early outputs in the 70's and 80's. I will also be addressing some darker comedies that weren't applicable to yesterday's entry. This isn't to add an anachronistic quality to the piece, but to simply point out that even in his funny films, he had the capability to push boundaries and deal with some heavy, heavy issues.
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If I had to pinpoint what film made me a fan of his dramatic work, I couldn't. There wasn't one. In fact, there were two that almost seemed to coexist in my memory. They weren't just films, but these unprecedented triumphs of film and acting that was like showing heads and tails to Williams' potential. I may have seen better films since, but to discredit the introductory period is to act like you jumped into life after the intermission. These two films mean something to the greater zeitgeist and informed a lot of my interests at the time of discovery. In fact, they were practically the same title.
My foray into Williams' dramatic career began with a tale of two "Good" films. It wasn't that they were good. They were great. However, there was something to watching Good Morning Vietnam and Good Will Hunting that remains singed in my memory. Of the two, the former was the more immediate one largely because it was also quasi-comedy. With each cry, Williams turned a radio DJ into a rapid-fire genius of comedy who played a lot of R&B records while director Barry Levinson scanned over the wondrous scenery of the Vietnam landscape. I remember hearing the Richard Nixon impersonation before I knew who he was. I remember "Freddy is the devil." Before we even got to the drama, it was a phenomenal performance and ranks probably among the more enjoyable, if accessible, war movies of the 80's.
However, to look back at the film is to also notice that it was also commentary on Williams as a performer, which is why there was so much weight to everything. Simply replace the microphone with a stand-up club and this feels like a story of his career. For the most part, his humor is an acquired taste, and that does lead to the question of censorship. In the film, he was threatened to be kicked off the air at multiple points. People loved him too much to let that happen. He was passionate, but the candid moments during the behind the scenes felt like a toxic portrayal of people standing in his way.
Most of all, the film succeeded in showing the horrors of war and how Williams had to work through it all to entertain. In a scene involving personal interactions with the troops, he has a moment of reluctance before realizing that he is an entertainer and must do his shtick. There has been war and he has suffered some losses, but he was still beloved. It not only was a great reflection of his career, but possibly too much insight into his depression. It was a manic mixture of serious and comedy in ways that he never has quite topped. Even if Aladdin saw him at his comedic potential, Good Morning Vietnam had more stakes and importance in defining his range.
Then there was the film that got me obsessed with wordy monologues and contemporary opinions on the subject of apples. Good Will Hunting was the film that almost served as the middle ground between Good Morning Vietnam's two sides. It was therapy and through discussion with Will Hunting (Matt Damon), Williams discovers a lot about this wunderkind janitor while also discovering a lot about his life. It was profoundly intricate in its script and featured a nuanced performance that remains engrossing with each watch. It suggested that the therapist was just as troubled as Hunting, and that resulted in some sort of bonding that was unexpected.
However, what was more unexpected was the brilliant moments of subversion. At many points, the film would take the conversation into more philosophical routes and leave the audience. Stunned. No moment better sums that up than this:
If this doesn't summarize Williams' dramatic potential, nothing does. It is a moment that plays out almost through miming. There is a cadence in his voice that rises as the baseball game reaches its axis. However, the big twist isn't that Williams ran onto the field. He actually left to "see about a girl." The momentum of the conversation subsides back to the calm demeanor. It is a profound moment definitely benefited by Damon's performance. However, in a three minute scene, it got me hooked on Williams as a dramatic actor with charisma. Maybe it also helps that the writing was intricately wounded to have a nice reveal, but it definitely made sense why Williams won the Best Supporting Oscar for this film.
Even in a career with so many great performances, it was strange that it took so long for him to win. Of course, to consider where he was in 1997 is way different than one would assume. He was coming off of years of making Flubber, Jack, and Mrs. Doubtfire. He was a comedian slowly developing into a shtick. So what if he did phenomenal work in Awakenings or Good Morning Vietnam? In a way, the performance is much like this baseball scene. Right as his credibility was shifting more towards family fare, he left momentarily to turn in one hell of a performance. It was somber, unexpected, and while still funny, only in a dryer way that philosophy with a few asides can be. It felt important because he made the performance that way.
While these two "Good" films were the beginning of a shift, it wasn't the most immediate reaction. By this time, I was 16 and he was releasing films like Man of the Year and License to Wed. Not necessarily top tier work, but he was still associated with comedy in my mind. To me, those two performances were the rare ones that saw him divert into something interesting and unique. While I saw his recent comedies, they weren't on par with my childhood. They weren't good movies, and not just in the "Good" way.
Then it slowly happened. I took a film class in college around 2009 and the world was changing. Even if I felt vaguely like Williams deserved some recognition for his work in August Rush, the overt sense of love didn't come just yet. Then it happened. Then I saw...
Insomnia.
For 20-somethings in the modern era, my answer is very predictable. With every generation getting a distinct director to unify us, we landed on Christopher Nolan. The Dark Knight was a centerpiece film, so of course my desire to check out his filmography was rampant. However, I was late to the game and didn't give Insomnia a chance until later. It was the forgotten film in his catalog, falling between Memento and Batman Begins. Among the story of crime in Alaska laid Williams as the villain.
It is a film that gets an unfair treatment when talking about Williams or even Nolan's catalog. If nothing else, it reflected a director whose craft was still developing and he wanted to try edgier material with a twinge of violence. While the edges would be dulled in films to come, Insomnia was topped with pedigree from Williams and Al Pacino in ways that two of the world's greatest over-actors shouldn't have been able to achieve. It was an intense film and well worth noting.
From there, my interests slowly rose. I watched the strange films like Death to Smoochy and Deconstructing Harry because of growing interests in other cast members. His work was increasingly strange and dark. What I began to admire about Williams was that his films weren't simply about jokes. He was exploring the human condition in ways that are very understated. His career was represented in an extroverted sense by Good Morning Vietnam and an introverted sense by Good Will Hunting. His work had subtext that wasn't being explored by critics and while I cannot say this is true for all of them, he more often than not had excessive monologues about life, but there were themes present. He had a moment to wallow in sadness and even in something as bizarre as Toys, he took time to provide a dramatic realism to the story.
Which brings me to...
A baby being thrown into the air to The Beatles' "When I'm Sixty-Four."
If I found Jack to be the epitome of philosophical debate at seven, then The World According to Garp was an entirely new religion. It wasn't necessarily my favorite film that followed, but what I got was an array of new techniques and themes present in a package that was something else. Williams played innocent and pure with effectiveness. It dealt with transsexualism and death in ways that I had never seen before. It was a story of a man with problems just like everyone else, yet somehow, as a writer, he was fantastic at making his life interesting.
By this point, I had seen a fair share of dramatic work by him that made me believe that he had potential. While this didn't necessarily ask the most from him, his nuanced performance had the vulnerability and wit to make an endearing figure for a film that was strangely simple. It doesn't work without Williams, and I love the film for that. More than anything, it was a portrait of the values of life and how careers and jealousy can get in the way. He was beginning to seem more profound as he explored more mature themes. In a sense, The World According to Garp is an overlooked gem in his career when compared to Good Morning Vietnam or Dead Poets Society*.
*While I cannot fault the merits of Dead Poets Society, I only refrain from mentioning it because I have a stubborn streak. To me, I need authentic values and cannot like something just because someone else does. I like Dead Poets Society, yet my issue stems largely from being exposed to it almost exclusively in the environment of "English teacher's day off" type of film. It is a testament to the film's strengths that it connects to educational figures, but I cannot quite appreciate it because of that. Even then, it may be a holy grail of life-affirming quotes that definitely makes it an important film. I like it, but my relationship to it is sadly shadowed by a sense of watching it when I didn't want to. While many can turn to "O Captain, My Captain" right now for a sense of nostalgia, it doesn't hold quite the same reaction with me.
Even in a career with so many great performances, it was strange that it took so long for him to win. Of course, to consider where he was in 1997 is way different than one would assume. He was coming off of years of making Flubber, Jack, and Mrs. Doubtfire. He was a comedian slowly developing into a shtick. So what if he did phenomenal work in Awakenings or Good Morning Vietnam? In a way, the performance is much like this baseball scene. Right as his credibility was shifting more towards family fare, he left momentarily to turn in one hell of a performance. It was somber, unexpected, and while still funny, only in a dryer way that philosophy with a few asides can be. It felt important because he made the performance that way.
While these two "Good" films were the beginning of a shift, it wasn't the most immediate reaction. By this time, I was 16 and he was releasing films like Man of the Year and License to Wed. Not necessarily top tier work, but he was still associated with comedy in my mind. To me, those two performances were the rare ones that saw him divert into something interesting and unique. While I saw his recent comedies, they weren't on par with my childhood. They weren't good movies, and not just in the "Good" way.
Then it slowly happened. I took a film class in college around 2009 and the world was changing. Even if I felt vaguely like Williams deserved some recognition for his work in August Rush, the overt sense of love didn't come just yet. Then it happened. Then I saw...
 |
| Scene from Insomnia |
For 20-somethings in the modern era, my answer is very predictable. With every generation getting a distinct director to unify us, we landed on Christopher Nolan. The Dark Knight was a centerpiece film, so of course my desire to check out his filmography was rampant. However, I was late to the game and didn't give Insomnia a chance until later. It was the forgotten film in his catalog, falling between Memento and Batman Begins. Among the story of crime in Alaska laid Williams as the villain.
It is a film that gets an unfair treatment when talking about Williams or even Nolan's catalog. If nothing else, it reflected a director whose craft was still developing and he wanted to try edgier material with a twinge of violence. While the edges would be dulled in films to come, Insomnia was topped with pedigree from Williams and Al Pacino in ways that two of the world's greatest over-actors shouldn't have been able to achieve. It was an intense film and well worth noting.
From there, my interests slowly rose. I watched the strange films like Death to Smoochy and Deconstructing Harry because of growing interests in other cast members. His work was increasingly strange and dark. What I began to admire about Williams was that his films weren't simply about jokes. He was exploring the human condition in ways that are very understated. His career was represented in an extroverted sense by Good Morning Vietnam and an introverted sense by Good Will Hunting. His work had subtext that wasn't being explored by critics and while I cannot say this is true for all of them, he more often than not had excessive monologues about life, but there were themes present. He had a moment to wallow in sadness and even in something as bizarre as Toys, he took time to provide a dramatic realism to the story.
Which brings me to...
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| Scene from The World According to Garp |
If I found Jack to be the epitome of philosophical debate at seven, then The World According to Garp was an entirely new religion. It wasn't necessarily my favorite film that followed, but what I got was an array of new techniques and themes present in a package that was something else. Williams played innocent and pure with effectiveness. It dealt with transsexualism and death in ways that I had never seen before. It was a story of a man with problems just like everyone else, yet somehow, as a writer, he was fantastic at making his life interesting.
By this point, I had seen a fair share of dramatic work by him that made me believe that he had potential. While this didn't necessarily ask the most from him, his nuanced performance had the vulnerability and wit to make an endearing figure for a film that was strangely simple. It doesn't work without Williams, and I love the film for that. More than anything, it was a portrait of the values of life and how careers and jealousy can get in the way. He was beginning to seem more profound as he explored more mature themes. In a sense, The World According to Garp is an overlooked gem in his career when compared to Good Morning Vietnam or Dead Poets Society*.
---
*While I cannot fault the merits of Dead Poets Society, I only refrain from mentioning it because I have a stubborn streak. To me, I need authentic values and cannot like something just because someone else does. I like Dead Poets Society, yet my issue stems largely from being exposed to it almost exclusively in the environment of "English teacher's day off" type of film. It is a testament to the film's strengths that it connects to educational figures, but I cannot quite appreciate it because of that. Even then, it may be a holy grail of life-affirming quotes that definitely makes it an important film. I like it, but my relationship to it is sadly shadowed by a sense of watching it when I didn't want to. While many can turn to "O Captain, My Captain" right now for a sense of nostalgia, it doesn't hold quite the same reaction with me.
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Then of course, there is one film that sadly has been mentioned a lot this year. It is one that I hold deep love for and hold it up as Williams' defining proof that he can act. It is:
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| Scene from Moscow on the Hudson |
Moscow on the Hudson.
It is his defining achievement for me. Yes, there are a lot of phenomenal films in a great career, but there is one gem that is so overlooked that it is criminal. It is one that makes me want people to stop what they're doing and watch. For those arguing that Williams is somewhat of a hack, please watch Moscow on the Hudson because what it is is something rather interesting and important.
It is the story of the immigrant experience during the Cold War. While it can be seen as American propaganda, there are far worse things to be accused of. It is a film about how great America seems in the early-80's and the realization that life is more complex. With Williams at the central role, we see him decide to stay in America, taking odd jobs and coming to terms with this strange, wonderful land. He loves it. He hates it. He realizes that it is a land of opportunity and it almost feels like a great commentary on life in general. He loves the opportunity to live and be something beyond a circus performer.
The film's impact for me was unexpected. I was taken aback not only by how unknown it was, but that it embodied his ethos perfectly. As an actor, Williams is known for being madcap and funny. Here, he applies that to a performance that included having to learn to speak Russian and play the saxophone. Some actors have done far more physical transformations, but the diversity in the role is rather impressive to me and the nuanced vulnerability that follows throughout the performance is unparalleled. It is a great performance that is better than Mrs. Doubtfire or Good Will Hunting. It resonates effectivel.
It is only tragic to talk about it because upon its 30th anniversary, both Williams and director Paul Mazursky have passed away. It has been a strange year for me to be enthusiastic about this film solely because of that. They were definitely important artists who did a lot to benefit the world. Moscow on the Hudson has an endearing quality to me that needs to be seen to be believed.
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The rest is a brief summary of different films that have stood out to me, though don't quite fit into this big narrative theme.
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| Scene from One Hour Photo |
In the wake of his death, I have felt more passionate about acknowledging his work as a performer. From those early years of watching Good Will Hunting and Good Morning Vietnam, I have come to realize his nuanced genius. What he did wasn't just embody these strange characters, but also brought to life some vulnerable discussion of humanity. He talked about what made humanity feel fulfilled. Even in films like One Hour Photo, he had an obsession with life that was at its core, pure and emotional. He wanted more and strove for something impressive in his work. It is possibly what made One Hour Photo such a wonderfully strange and memorable movie. He never played a character so scary and haunting. However, he cannot be accused of playing one more demented. In a sense, we're all demented in a quest for love and acceptance. Some do it differently.
Even in his later years, there was something maturing in him that makes his death disturbing. While Awakenings was one of the most optimistic experiences, discussing the fleeting joys of life, there was World's Greatest Dad: a film that feels uncomfortable now because of uncanny subject matter. However, what makes Williams interesting is that he never shied away from dealing with harder, dark issues. In World's Greatest Dad, he spun death for disturbing comedic gold with a director who never shied away from pushing buttons. In fact, it ranks among his best performances because there was an earnest quality to it.
Was all of his dramatic work great? Not necessarily. However, there is an abundance of work out there that is worth checking out. He did a lot for humanity and he almost served the thankless role of entertaining us without much accolades. After Good Will Hunting, he never received an Oscar nomination. Did this mean he produced shoddy work? Far from it. There was One Hour Photo, Insomnia, and World's Greatest Dad. He was balancing dramatic with comedy more effectively, and lead a new generation to have their Flubber or Mrs. Doubtfire affections.
As I close up discussion on his movie career, I want to simply say that to admire him as an actor, one simply must take the time to look at everything. He wasn't simply just a comedian who mugged it up for the camera. He also pushed himself to do drama and was never satisfied with one particular section. He demanded more, even diving into TV and other formats. It may have lead to his downfall, but he was still something special, always being there for someone. We all have a different favorite Williams movie, and that is a testament to his craft. I haven't seen all of his films, yet I have seen over 20. That is a man who tried anything, and that is okay.
My Top 10
1. Moscow on the Hudson
2. The World According to Garp
3. Good Will Hunting
4. The Fisher King
5. Deconstructing Harry
6. Good Morning, Vietnam
7. Awakenings
8. One Hour Photo
9. World's Greatest Dad
10. Insomnia
*Note: As evident by yesterday's post, this is specifically films from his more dramatic output.
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