My Robin Williams Retrospective: The World According to Garp (1982)
Robin Williams surprises here with a character so unlike what we typically associate with him. T.S. Garp is lower energy, even-tempered, thoughtful; there's no manic improvisation, no volcanic bursts of comic energy. Instead, Williams plays restraint, playing a man navigating the absurdities and tragedies of his peculiar life with quiet determination. He's grounded, present, entirely credible as a writer and father trying to make sense of a world that keeps intruding on his domestic aspirations. It's a beautiful performance, one that reminds us of Williams' incredible range, his ability to disappear into character rather than dominate the frame.
The casting of John Lithgow as Roberta Muldoon is nothing short of brilliant. Lithgow brings warmth, humor, and complete authenticity to the role of the former football player turned trans woman. He could have played it as caricature; instead, he finds the humanity, the loyalty, the fierce friendship that defines Roberta. It's a performance that holds up remarkably well, tender and funny and utterly without condescension, earning him a well-deserved Oscar nomination.
Glenn Close, in her film debut, delivers solid, commanding work as Jenny Fields, Garp's fiercely independent mother whose unconventional life and feminist manifesto make her a cultural lightning rod. Close embodies the character who spearheads the film's central question: can we tolerate viewpoints that challenge our own? Can we accept lifestyles that don't conform to societal norms? Her Oscar nomination was well deserved; she gives Jenny both strength and vulnerability, making her more than just an ideological figure.
And the brief appearance of Amanda Plummer is a real treat, a small moment of connection that becomes even more resonant when you remember her later pairing with Williams in The Fisher King. Even here, you can see the chemistry, the way Williams meets unconventional energy with openness and generosity.
This is Williams proving he could anchor a literary adaptation, that his gifts extended far beyond comedy into genuine dramatic range.
