Éric Rohmer
1920-2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Movies You May Have Missed - #12
World's Greatest Dad (2009)
Note:
That brings me to a little picture called World's Greatest Dad.
Written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait and starring Robin Williams, it was a critical success and a hit at Sundance, but was nevertheless a financial bomb, grossing only $220,000. Man, people really missed out on a terrific movie...
I really, truly, sincerely LOVED this movie. I think most of that came from the fact that I knew going in just how dark the material was going to get. If you've seen the trailer for the film, you really have no idea what's in store for you. The trailer itself isn't really at fault, however. By trying to hide the movie's central plot device, the advertising is unable to convey the actual tone of the movie, which is much darker (and thematically richer) than you'd expect. I mention this because I'm going to give away that bit of the plot in this review. However, I wouldn't really call it a "spoiler" because it occurs only 30 minutes into the movie, and is the driving force behind everything else that happens after. So, on to the story:
Robin Williams plays Lance Clayton, a high school English teacher and failed writer, who has tried for years to get something published, to no avail. He's divorced, and his teenage son, Kyle, lives with him. Lance, the failed writer, is a failed teacher as well. His poetry course is in danger of being cut because of low enrollment, and he's in a sort of unspoken competition with a young, popular male teacher whose creative writing course is a big hit. If that isn't enough, this rival is slowly moving in on his girlfriend - another teacher at the school - right in front of him. Everything's going badly for Lance... and we haven't even mentioned his son yet.
Kyle attends the same school as his father, and he's a constant embarrassment. He's vulgar, rude, and, well - he's an asshole.
He has only one friend - a shy boy named Andrew - and yet he treats him just as badly as he does everyone else.
This isn't just a simple case of teenage rebellion... this kid is about as vehemently awful as you can get. Credit actor Daryl Sabara with crafting a character so unlikable and memorable that his presence seems to hang over the film long after he's left the picture (we'll explain that later).
So, after Kyle gets into some trouble at school, Lance attempts to bond with his son, which brings about some expectedly negative results.
I'd just like to point out the solid, wonderfully comic tone in the footage you've seen so far. It's funny, to be sure, but it's also well-grounded in a very real place, which will be important for what comes later.
The film could have remained in this territory for the next hour and emerged as a good, engaging comedy. But what Goldthwait does with the material in the next act turns it into something much more: a truly great film.
We now come to the part of the film which changes the course of the picture, and which is not mentioned in the film's advertising: While masturbating, Kyle accidentally kills himself as he attempts Autoerotic Asphyxiation. Lance discovers his dead son, and, in an attempt to cover up the embarrassing truth, he tampers with the scene, making it appear to be a suicide, even going so far as to write a fake suicide note.
Now, there's something interesting here. The way the scene was handled truly surprised me. Goldthwait doesn't play it for laughs, or even shock value. He plays it completely straight. He drops out the sound entirely, the music fades in, and the scene plays out. And the effectiveness of it all made me at first surprised, then grateful (for having this tricky material handled the way it was), and then finally, I was quite simply in the director's hands, completely and entirely. I wanted to go anywhere he wanted to go, and wherever he wanted the story to go. And I was excited to see where that would be.
I'm not saying that it was perfect screenwriting or filmmaking, but the way that the material itself was handled - key word, there - made me entirely invested in the story from that point on. The reason for this? I had just witnessed the birth of a great filmmaker. You heard it from me: Bobcat Goldthwait - good material permitting - is going to go places, as a director.
Take the scene below, for example:
Lance has succeeded, and everyone now believes his son committed suicide. As the teachers and school counselor search for the reasons behind it, one of the students gains access to the "suicide note" and publishes it in the school newspaper. Lance has finally gotten something published. What started out as a way to prevent his son from an embarrassing legacy, it has now snowballed into something much more, as everyone in the school turns this unknown kid into whatever they want - or need - him to be:
Very, very well-done little montage sequence there. It's my favorite scene in the movie, and it really shows you what Bobcat is capable of. Who knew?
Things progress, and as Lance becomes more popular (by way of his son), he is inspired to create an entire fictitious "journal" of Kyle's, in hopes of getting that published as well.
It is indeed published, and becomes very successful - not just throughout the school, but the entire country. It's a bestseller. And Lance now has prospects lined up everywhere. He's given a book deal of his own, and is asked to appear on talk shows (the latter of which is the setting of one of the best scenes in the movie):
(P.S. - The onscreen title of "Father/Hero" given to Lance on the talk show was genius.)
So what happens? Does Lance come clean? Does he give in to his new-found success? I won't give it away, and the outcome isn't really surprising, but I found it immensely satisfying. I will say that the last 5 minutes of the movie were - in my opinion - nearly perfect, and ended the movie on a great note.
If dark comedies aren't your thing... you may actually still enjoy this. Sure, it has a dark side: it's incendiary, satiric, and has no problem with crossing the line. But this film has quite a lot going for it. It goes someplace deeper, and is not satisfied with simply going for the joke. Some of the opening scenes may have shock value, but everything is for a purpose. It's all leading somewhere, and because of Goldthwait's solid direction, you're constantly aware of that fact. I can't wait to see what he'll do next. This picture will easily make it into my Top 10 this year, and maybe even the Top 5.
Terrific movie. Highly recommended.
- Facebook users need to click "View Original Post" at the end to view the videos. (They REALLY need to implement this in their RSS feed soon.)
- And... the videos themselves are: NSFW - strong language
That brings me to a little picture called World's Greatest Dad.
Written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait and starring Robin Williams, it was a critical success and a hit at Sundance, but was nevertheless a financial bomb, grossing only $220,000. Man, people really missed out on a terrific movie...
I really, truly, sincerely LOVED this movie. I think most of that came from the fact that I knew going in just how dark the material was going to get. If you've seen the trailer for the film, you really have no idea what's in store for you. The trailer itself isn't really at fault, however. By trying to hide the movie's central plot device, the advertising is unable to convey the actual tone of the movie, which is much darker (and thematically richer) than you'd expect. I mention this because I'm going to give away that bit of the plot in this review. However, I wouldn't really call it a "spoiler" because it occurs only 30 minutes into the movie, and is the driving force behind everything else that happens after. So, on to the story:
Robin Williams plays Lance Clayton, a high school English teacher and failed writer, who has tried for years to get something published, to no avail. He's divorced, and his teenage son, Kyle, lives with him. Lance, the failed writer, is a failed teacher as well. His poetry course is in danger of being cut because of low enrollment, and he's in a sort of unspoken competition with a young, popular male teacher whose creative writing course is a big hit. If that isn't enough, this rival is slowly moving in on his girlfriend - another teacher at the school - right in front of him. Everything's going badly for Lance... and we haven't even mentioned his son yet.
Kyle attends the same school as his father, and he's a constant embarrassment. He's vulgar, rude, and, well - he's an asshole.
He has only one friend - a shy boy named Andrew - and yet he treats him just as badly as he does everyone else.
This isn't just a simple case of teenage rebellion... this kid is about as vehemently awful as you can get. Credit actor Daryl Sabara with crafting a character so unlikable and memorable that his presence seems to hang over the film long after he's left the picture (we'll explain that later).
So, after Kyle gets into some trouble at school, Lance attempts to bond with his son, which brings about some expectedly negative results.
I'd just like to point out the solid, wonderfully comic tone in the footage you've seen so far. It's funny, to be sure, but it's also well-grounded in a very real place, which will be important for what comes later.
The film could have remained in this territory for the next hour and emerged as a good, engaging comedy. But what Goldthwait does with the material in the next act turns it into something much more: a truly great film.
We now come to the part of the film which changes the course of the picture, and which is not mentioned in the film's advertising: While masturbating, Kyle accidentally kills himself as he attempts Autoerotic Asphyxiation. Lance discovers his dead son, and, in an attempt to cover up the embarrassing truth, he tampers with the scene, making it appear to be a suicide, even going so far as to write a fake suicide note.
Now, there's something interesting here. The way the scene was handled truly surprised me. Goldthwait doesn't play it for laughs, or even shock value. He plays it completely straight. He drops out the sound entirely, the music fades in, and the scene plays out. And the effectiveness of it all made me at first surprised, then grateful (for having this tricky material handled the way it was), and then finally, I was quite simply in the director's hands, completely and entirely. I wanted to go anywhere he wanted to go, and wherever he wanted the story to go. And I was excited to see where that would be.
I'm not saying that it was perfect screenwriting or filmmaking, but the way that the material itself was handled - key word, there - made me entirely invested in the story from that point on. The reason for this? I had just witnessed the birth of a great filmmaker. You heard it from me: Bobcat Goldthwait - good material permitting - is going to go places, as a director.
Take the scene below, for example:
Lance has succeeded, and everyone now believes his son committed suicide. As the teachers and school counselor search for the reasons behind it, one of the students gains access to the "suicide note" and publishes it in the school newspaper. Lance has finally gotten something published. What started out as a way to prevent his son from an embarrassing legacy, it has now snowballed into something much more, as everyone in the school turns this unknown kid into whatever they want - or need - him to be:
Very, very well-done little montage sequence there. It's my favorite scene in the movie, and it really shows you what Bobcat is capable of. Who knew?
Things progress, and as Lance becomes more popular (by way of his son), he is inspired to create an entire fictitious "journal" of Kyle's, in hopes of getting that published as well.
It is indeed published, and becomes very successful - not just throughout the school, but the entire country. It's a bestseller. And Lance now has prospects lined up everywhere. He's given a book deal of his own, and is asked to appear on talk shows (the latter of which is the setting of one of the best scenes in the movie):
(P.S. - The onscreen title of "Father/Hero" given to Lance on the talk show was genius.)
So what happens? Does Lance come clean? Does he give in to his new-found success? I won't give it away, and the outcome isn't really surprising, but I found it immensely satisfying. I will say that the last 5 minutes of the movie were - in my opinion - nearly perfect, and ended the movie on a great note.
If dark comedies aren't your thing... you may actually still enjoy this. Sure, it has a dark side: it's incendiary, satiric, and has no problem with crossing the line. But this film has quite a lot going for it. It goes someplace deeper, and is not satisfied with simply going for the joke. Some of the opening scenes may have shock value, but everything is for a purpose. It's all leading somewhere, and because of Goldthwait's solid direction, you're constantly aware of that fact. I can't wait to see what he'll do next. This picture will easily make it into my Top 10 this year, and maybe even the Top 5.
Terrific movie. Highly recommended.
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