8 of 8 customers found the following review helpful:
 A Unusual but Wonderful Look at Life, 2002-08-09
I first saw this movie when I was 12 years old. When the movie was over with, I felt depressed. I thought to myself, "What a horrible life this man led. His life was full of tragedies. I hate this movie. It is too depressing for words." Two years later my dad asked me if I had ever seen "The World According to Garp" just out of the blue. I said yes and my dad said "Wasn't it great?" "No," I replied," it was the most depressing movie I've ever seen in my life." My dad said, "No it wasn't. It was an uplifting movie. He had tragedies happen in his life but he kept on going and he led a full life. A life he loved and appreciated. It was a feel-good movie." I still didn't agree. Two years later, my dad died. A year after that "The World According to Garp" came on tv. I decided to watch it since I was sure it couldn't depress me more than I already was from the loss of my father. I laughed and I cried. Then I laughed and cried some more. At the end of the movie I started to sob again, but not because the movie had depressed me. In fact, I felt better at the end of the movie than I had at the beginning of the movie and that was not only because I realized my dad was right about the movie but because I realized how much like Garp my dad was. Despite all the hardships and tragedies my dad had encountered in his own life, he kept a good sense of humor and he always appreciated his life and his family. I now watch the movie on regular basis, usually when I'm feeling down because the movie reminds me of my father and inspires me to make the best of my life. It is indeed an uplifting film.
1 of 1 customers found the following review helpful:
 An Intriguing Adaptation of John Irving's Novel, 2002-07-21
I write this review partially to honor Mr. Williams, one of the favorite performers of my childhood and adolescence, on his 50th birthday.
I was too young to see this film upon its initial release 20 years ago. But over the years, I have come to respect the talents of those involved in the production of this cult classic.
It was the film that introduced me to Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, featured here as Garp's grandparents who are shocked by their daughter's unwed motherhood. James McCall was suitably cast as a young Garp because he has certain facial features that could indicate that he'd grow up to look like Robin Williams.
I didn't always care for the subject matter of the story, but Robin Williams was great in his break-away role as writer T.S. Garp. I remember how clear-eyed and handsome I thought he was back then as a free-thinking writer. He didn't quite match John Irving's description of Garp, but his wonderful blue eyes are his best features.
A point of interest in the story is the relationship that Jenny Fields (played with a sharp, firm dignity by Glenn Close) and her son had with the more conventional Percy family, who had five children. While not wishing to promote stereotypical views, I have noticed some level of bigotry and condescention among such families and it was nice that both the book and film deal with that issue.
Mary Beth Hurt gives a fine portrayal of Garp's wife,Helen Holm. John Lithgow is funny as the transexual, Roberta Muldoon, Amanda Plummer's cameo as the victimized Ellen James is poignant, and the cast is rounded out by delightful extras including a Dean, Helen's father,Swoosie Kurtz as a prostitute, and Garp's often reluctant publisher.
We watch these characters endure the social changes and sexual exploration of the 60s and early 70s, and endure their consequences, which are sometimes triumphant, and at other times, devastatingly tragic.
I may have been a bit put off by this movie when I was younger. But while it reflects John Irving's often-touched-upon themes of life, death,illegitimacy, and non-traditional sexual relations in a New England setting, by today's standards, this film appears much more harmless.
Wonderfully True to the Book!, 2002-07-15
Okay, I have a little argument with John Irving's comments on film adaptions of his books. First of all, let me say that he is my favorite author and so far I have loved all the books I have read written by him. However, he scorns most of the movies made based on his books. The only one he endorses is The Cider House Rules, which he adapted for the screen himself. Now, it is my opinion that The Cider House Rules is the WORST screen adaption of any of his books! It took out all the feeling the book possessed. The World According to Garp is remarkably true to the book, and captures all the emotions in it. Simon Birch is VERY different from the book A Prayer for Owen Meany, but it is by itself an enjoyable film. Maybe the Cider House Rules got the overall point of the book across on film, but it sorely lacked the character that the other films possess. So, I would highly recommend The World According to Garp whether or not you've read the book. If you have read the book, you will not feel cheated as I did with The Cider House Rules film. The World According to Garp is screen adaptions as they SHOULD be done!
1 of 1 customers found the following review helpful:
Wonderfully True to the Book!, 2002-07-15
Okay, I have a little argument with John Irving's comments on film adaptions of his books. First of all, let me say that he is my favorite author and so far I have loved all the books I have read written by him. However, he scorns most of the movies made based on his books. The only one he endorses is The Cider House Rules, which he adapted for the screen himself. Now, it is my opinion that The Cider House Rules is the WORST screen adaption of any of his books! It took out all the feeling the book possessed. The World According to Garp is remarkably true to the book, and captures all the emotions in it. Simon Birch is VERY different from the book A Prayer for Owen Meany, but it is by itself an enjoyable film. Maybe the Cider House Rules got the overall point of the book across on film, but it sorely lacked the character that the other films possess. So, I would highly recommend The World According to Garp whether or not you've read the book. If you have read the book, you will not feel cheated as I did with The Cider House Rules film. The World According to Garp is screen adaptions as they SHOULD be done!
A Brilliant, Mind-Blowing Black Comedy!, 2002-06-24
Never before have I viewed a movie with such imagination, heart, and extensive use of foreshadowing and irony. Watching "Garp" makes one realize how both beautiful and morally bankrupt our society is, and that we 'truly' reap what we sow. From feminism exploitation to marital infidelity to gender-alteration, we witness the undoing of the principal characters through acts of selfishness, greed, and sheer loneliness. This movie, however, will not appeal to the typical moviegoer, but rather to one who enjoys volatile, politically incorrect subject matter from a psychological perspective. "Garp" toys with your mind, soul, and heart from beginning to end, and its twisted humor remains as gripping as its dreadful tragedies. Indeed, "Garp" is not for the faint of heart, but ironically, "heart" is what the movie ultimately delivers.
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