The World According to Garp Reviews

• Great Movie - Awful DVD

  
  By A1XDMYX8QOW07N on 2001-07-27
  I've always been a big fan of The World According to Garp, so when it came out on DVD I picked it right up. As with many films The World According to Garp sat on my DVD shelf until I had a chance to watch it. Well, that night came this week and I gave The World According to Garp DVD a spin. I was shocked at how poorly this movie was treated on DVD. The audio is simply awful - I had to crank my receiver WAY up and even then I could hear a hiss in the audio track. The video is equally poor with scenes so riddled with edge enhancement that it looks like this DVD was mastered from the video tape! Also the DVD has zero special features.

  I know every release can't get Special Edition treatment, but The World According to Garp is so rich with possibilities - why not get John Irving to do a commentary (he did one for The Cider House Rules)? Robin Williams who could talk about the role that really launched him as a serious actor. Even director George Roy Hill (who also did The Sting, Slap Shot and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) is still around and has done commentaries! It's too bad that The World According to Garp was treated so poorly on DVD, and it's hard to tell people to skip the DVD of such a phenomenal film. [Geoffrey Kleinman DVDTalk.com]
  
  

• Riyach

  
  By on 2004-06-26
  I saw this movie by mistake when I was ten years old. I did not truely understand it. My parents didnt care because it featured Robin Williams, you know Mork. They had no idea of all the sexual content, bewilderment followed and 15 years later were almost forgotten, until I read the book in college. I felt affected by this movie then and when I viewed it recenly, the same feelings were conjured up. I highly recommend this film, its tragic, funny and at times you will laugh at times that seem very very inappropriate. The characters are rich and off-wall.
  
  

• A Very Disturbing Film

  
  By A2OL0JTU0DLH6B on 2002-04-21
  This movie disturbed me. This will not be a popular opinion here but it is an honest one. When I saw it in theatres years ago I left feeling defiled. A woman who hates men has sex with a dead man so she can give birth, a child killed and a child maimed for life because their father coasted into the driveway and hit an unexpected car that was in the driveway that contained his wife performing oral sex on one of her students, women cutting their tongues out in protest over another womans violent rape. My friends have told me that I just wasnt looking at the humorous side of it. Kind of a weird opinion on their behalf. I think whoever conceived this stuff is a very sick person with a very sick view of the world.
  
  

• A Quirky Film

  
  By A3I6DTU1MS2W1Y on 2000-05-02
  The World According to Garp is a wonderfully quirky movie that does a great job of capturing the spirit of John Irving's novel. For all those that complain about this movie not doing justice to the book, I wonder if you have really even read the book. How anyone could even think of turning this book into a movie is beyond me, but to have it succeed is very special.

  The movie is refreshing in that it doesn't pull any punches. Cruel things happen in the book, and they are presented as they happened in the movie. For someone looking for a feel-good story, watch out, as there are many layers of tragedy in this movie, and they can catch you off guard, though the film is too ironic to be a tear jerker.

  Robin Williams performance is also refreshing. Presented with an extremely complex character in an extremely complex movie, he gives an understated, warm performance as Garp, much different from his usual frantic comedy or his forced dramatic roles. The rest of the cast is great too, especially John Lithgow who is unforgettable as Roberta. A great movie, whether you are familiar with the book or not.
  
  

• Stunning film is a mild DVD disappointment

  
  By A12X2J7AVZ04IQ on 2001-04-09
  "The World According to Garp" is a milestone film in many ways. It is Robin Williams first starring role, as well as making stars out of Glenn Close and John Lithgow. As whimsical as most of Williams' characters to this point, he nonetheless plays it reasonably straight suggesting future brilliant performances ("Dead Poets Society", "The Fisher King", etc.). The acting, in general, is superb with great bits from the likes of Amanda Plummer and Swoozie Kurtz. The bittersweet tale (from John Irving's novel) involves life seen through the eyes of a collection of free-spirited individuals, most notably Jenny Fields (Close) and her son Garp (Williams). It's a fascinating narrative, and would make no sense to try to explain the plot. In any form--VHS, DVD, edited for content--it's worth seeing. The opening titles are, indeed, a joy to behold. My problem with the just-released DVD is that, though the film is rated R, it has been slightly edited to about a PG. Some of the most brilliant lines have been cut, or clouded over. Disappointing as this may be, it's still a brilliant film, an achievement worthy of the term "classic" (definitely "cult-classic"). Also, though filmed in Panavision, the "widescreen" transfer is only 1.85:1. Director Geore Roy Hill had lots of business going on that was virtually lost, or rendered unimportant. Regardless, don't miss this film. It's a real treat.
  
  
• A Unusual but Wonderful Look at Life
  By on 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.
  
  
• EXCELLENT ADAPTATION
  By AM2PV53UX1JEQ on 2000-01-21
  Although John Irving's wacky universe is much more detailed in his wonderful novel, this movie captures the essence of his warm messages. The performances, particularly John Lithgow and Glenn Close (film premiere! ), are excellent. You may not be prepared for the topsy-turvy world according to Garp, but if you stay with it, it will stay with you for a long time after. Hits the right balance of humor and sorrow in every major scene.
  
  
• Beautiful film -- it will stay with you.
  By ADKZMDET0H3L1 on 1999-12-09
  There are some odd reviews by Amazon customers here. Especially the one that feels that it's okay to spoil the ending for people so they won't make a 90 minute "mistake".

  Watching this film is no mistake. Neither is watching it again and again and again. It is beautifully acted by all involved. (People forget that this is the film that resurrected Robin Williams after the "Popeye" fiasco; and that his controlled performance was a departure from his usual over-the-top comedy.)

  While exaggerating how bizarre this world can be (for example, Lithgow's transsexual former football player), it is somehow true to life . . . and it will stay with you.

  And for God's sake, Lincoln, NE reviewer -- does a film actually have to show a character keel over for the audience to realize that he's dead?
  
  

• Read the book first
  By A2WIKNN4PPAXEH on 1999-11-27
  Read the book first. It's not absolutely necessary, but do it anyway. The book is much better.

  However, I have to say that Robin Williams is superb in this movie. He was perfect for the role; truly one of his best performances.

  To those complaining about the occaisonally nudity in the film, it pales in comparison with the book which is far more "filthy" from start to end, yet it is definitely no Jerry Springer show. It is simply an exceptional story about unusual characters with a shocking ending (or at least it was to me). The novel is clevely crafted. John Irving is one of the best authors of our time.

  Anyway, the movie is good. The book is much better. Both are worth investigating but I definitely recommend reading the novel before viewing the movie.
  
  

• Don't watch, if you read the book
  By on 2002-11-29
  The film version did not do any justice to the original work by John Irving. Now I know why his novels are so Dickensian, full of details; they are important, they enrich the world of fiction which is mere piles of pages otherwise. // The movie is faithful to the novel, I admit, but didn't have any feel that I absorbed from the book. The film captured the essence, but what is it good for if it didn't come with something that touches, moves and cause pain to your heart? It was a terrible loss at the expence of great actors, and insult to the author and readers. The plot will seem discontinuous and unnatural if you don't know the book, and if you know the book, it's a huge disappointment. // Adaptation of books to films are very often more or less disappointing to anyone who bothers with checking on both, but this one was the worst. The film versin of "Cider House Rules" also by John Irving, which captured only a half or less of the original was fairly decent, but this one, no, if you have already read the book, don't even think about buying or renting this film. You'll be so upset after watching that you'll wake up in a foul mood on the next morning.
  
  
• I loved it!!Superb!!!!
  By on 1999-07-30
  This was one of those movies that makes you just stop and think about life. Garp, played excellently by Robin Williams, is a writer who's life is chock full of the trials and tribulations of love, death, adultory, and married life. Glenn Close (in her film debut) plays Garp's mother, a nuerotic -and often very annoying- nurse. John Lithgow is great as the transsexual ex-fotball player. the casting in this movie was spctacular. They couldn't have picked any better person for any role in the film. It was adapted by the magnificent novel by John Irving, whice I also loved. Overall,this masterpiece clearly earnes it's five stars.
  
  
• One of my all-time hated movies
  By on 2002-10-27
  This is a review of the theatrical version. Not the DVD. I would never buy it. I saw this movie when it was in first run and hated it ever since. It was one of the first of the new generation of anti-male movies that continues to this day. The more bad or embarrassing things that happen to men, the better. I'm sure it's a man-hating feminist favorite.
  
  
• One of the Best Movies of All Time!
  By A2X6GEC6LCDN4S on 2004-05-17
  This is one of the best movies of all time. It's creativity and intelligence say a lot about the human race, even though often wayward, contains love in the places you least expect it to be.
  Robin Williams is magnificent in this film. It is a little odd, but you leave the film with a lot of love and appreciation for the human race and a lot of sadness about the human race's shortcomings. The movie comes from a brilliant John Irving novel!

  Jeffrey McAndrew
  author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"
  
  

• BREEZY "TERMS OF ENDEARMENT", BUT THEN IT GETS PREACHY
  By A1L8HRCM60W0W7 on 2004-08-16
  For all its lovely odysseys, The World According to Garp is an oddly unaffecting movie. Interesting, yes. Original, occasionally. Amusing, often. But despite the fact that it sets itself up as a tragicomic social satire walking several different ropes at the same time, not much of it really stays with you after it's over.
  
  One minute we have a character gaping doe-eyed at his children, speaking lovingly about the joys of fatherhood, and the next minute he's taking an iron pipe to an electrician's truck because the electrician was driving too fast through the neighborhood. Which is all fine, thanks in no small measure to the convincing wigs of John Lithgow as a transvestite.
  
  Holes begin to appear when all this reverie is broken with grave issues like a cultic feminist group, members of which cut off their tongues in protest for a young girl's rape. Deep. Our protagonist Garp wishes to lead a happy life of apathetic normalcy (not altogether different from what the audience wants, really) but his mother has other plans. When the film gets preachy, we have little choice but to squirm and play along.
  
  To be fair, the film is a very decent rental ride though, sporting a fairly blithe tone, a sprawling scope to appeal to different pallettes, and some fabulous performances all round (you can see why Williams shot to fame shortly after this film), both on-screen as well as off-screen (in the form of the best Beatles number ever).
  
  A recommendation somewhere between mildly pleasing and terrific.
  
  
• The 2 stars are for Robin Williams, the movie itself gets 0!
  By on 1999-10-22
  After watching the movie The World According to Garp and reading the book prior to watching the movie I have to say that, as usual, the book was better than the movie. Much better! Maybe I'm just not giving the movie a fair shot because I read the book first. After reading the book you discover what a great story it can be. You discover the potential of the plot to be an enticing, wonderful story. Then you see the movie and what you see is a totally different story. Some of the best parts of the book were cut out or edited and changed so much that it was difficult to interpret some parts of the movie as carried over from the book or added just for the movie. If there were three things about the book that I would say make it so popular and such a great read, it would be the crazy way it started, the hilarious, unusual, and unlikely events that occur, and the sad way the book comes to a close. By the time the movie starts the book has already been going since long before Jenny Fields ever saw Technical Sergeant Garp. We missed out on a lot of hilarious scenes and a very good basis on which to start the story. As for the hilarious, unusual, and unlikely events, there were a lot that were left out completely. As for those scenes that were not left out, they were altered a lot and poorly done. I felt when I watched certain scenes that the movie may have been done in a hurry. It lacked the carefully thought out writing that the book had. In the book everything had been well thought out and nothing was too unexpected because everything was so foreshadowed. There were hints of every disaster fifty or one hundred pages before they ever occurred. Then there was the way they decided to end the movie. In the book Garp is shot and killed with a good fifty or so pages left in the book. There is an entire chapter dedicated to what happened in the lives of the people who surrounded Garp after Garp's death. For one thing, we never learn what happened to all of the people who surrounded Garp in the movie. Most importantly, however, in the movie Garp is never killed. He is shot in a scene similar to that in the movie, and then he is taken in a helicopter with Helen en route to a hospital. He is able to talk, (and in the book there were no last words), and he never actually dies. He is still breathing and talking when the movie ends and there is really no clue as to whether or not Garp will live, or if Garp will die before he ever gets to the hospital. I apologize for ruining the ending for anyone who is reading this who hasn't watched the movie. This way it will save a few people from making the same ninety minute mistake that I made. Thanks, however, to Robin Williams for doing a great job with the character Garp, and making the movie feel a little less worthless than it would have if someone else had played Garp.
  
  
• Williams IS Garp
  By on 1997-04-14
  When I was told that Garp was going to be played by Robin Williams I was crushed. My preferences favored Dustin Hoffman or even the moody John Savage. But Robin Williams is the only one who could ever BE Garp. I now believe in the deepest part of my being that Irving wrote this book with Williams as the title character. Garp's zanny yet formidable quest for life, his passion and his tenderness are painted with such vivid strokes of almost supernatural understanding that you know that Garp and Williams are the same character brought to light on the pages of a fabulous book by a master of tall tales that have so much truth you know that it is all real. And when he finished, he sat back and said, "This is good." END
  
  
• Avoid this one
  By on 2001-04-28
  Garp is often mis-portrayed as a wonderful dark comedy. Other than some great acting from Williams, it is essentially a disturbing film, which offers few redeeming qualities. If you want to enjoy your time watching a film - avoid this one.
  
  
• Great adaptation of a great book
  By A11OOJ04U06OHA on 2001-05-29
  Robin Williams appears in his second (not first,remember Popeye) starring role, the one that proved that he was not just a comedian but a great actor. Supported by Academy Award nominated performances by Glenn Close (her movie debut) and John Lithgow, Robin brings alive the character of John Irving's book. Many other excellent performances from Swoozie Kurst and Amanda Plummer to Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy make this an acting tour to force. Great credit must be given the director George Roy Hill and to the writers John Irving and Steve Teisch for bringing the essence of Irving's complex book to the screen.

  The DVD would have had 5 stars from me if it had been made from a cleaner print of the picture and includes some better extras.
  
  

• A Sterling Cast All Around
  By AD9WTAOAFUZA4 on 2002-04-11
  As a long time Robin Williams fan, I fully expected to love his performance as the title character in this one-of-a-kind movie, based on the almost-impossible-to-read book by John Irving. Williams is grand here - far better than he was in "Good Will Hunting" for which he received an Academy Award. But the best part of the movie rests in the supporting performances from Glenn Close as Jenny (Garp's mom) and John Lithgow as the transexual Roberta. Both were Oscar nominated - deservedly so - for their rich, uncompromising performances, that transcend stereotypes and involve the audience every step of the way. Mary Beth Hurt as Garp's wife, hits her notes well, especially in the heart-wrenching scenes of marital infidelity that ultimately cost her dearly. Aside from these terrific characterizations, the movie boasts a number of unforgettable lines...."Garp bit Bonky" is a classic (when Williams bites a neighbor's dog), and who can ever forget the car coasting accident when Garp arrives home early (and stealthily) only to back into a car holding his wife and her lover (who pays dearly for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.) Uniquely enjoyable, and uniformly rich in every way, this is a better movie than "Cider House Rules" or "Hotel New Hampshire" - Irving's other two big screen adaptations. Should be in every serious DVD collector's short list of Must-haves!
  
  
• Read the book instead
  By AWENIEXBDCLCA on 2007-04-22
  "The World According to Garp" is on my top 5 list of favorite books of all time. It's one of those rare books that makes you laugh out loud, but still really feel the emotion of the characters, and the story really sticks with you. (I made a joke about an Ellen Jamesian just the other day, lol ~ yes, it was a dumb joke that no one else got, but, that's how it goes sometimes :) I was introduced to the book in college, well after the book and the movie were released, but I had never heard of either one. I read the book in just a couple of days ~ I couldn't put it down, and I chatted it up with everyone who would listen. I've re-read it several times since then, and i still think it's terrific. Naturally, when i found out there was already a movie . . . I was thrilled! I ordered it right away . . . but i wish i'd never wasted my money. On it's own, the movie might be alirght. But when you're invested in the book, when you know the characters, Robin Williams just isn't Garp. I love Robin Williams, he's a great comedian, that's not a question. I just think that the casting for this part was way off base. and if you can't believe the main character, the rest of it's crap. If you've never read the book, I highly recommend it!!
  
  
• Audio Problems with Garp
  By A1CL082NHCDDVT on 2001-04-20
  This is one of my favorite movies, and I waited with baited breath for it's DVD release.

  Video rentals of this movie have provided a disappointing experience as the tapes are usually worn out and in bad shape.

  However, I was severely disappointed by the sound quality on this DVD. Granted, it's not surround sound, but the stereo mix is so bad it's hard to watch. The mix is brassy, full of hiss, low volume, and comes directly from the center speaker. It sounds more like a bad mono soundtrack, and I'm extremely disappointed with it.

  My quandry is that if I advise people not to buy this, we most likely will get nothing better as the distributers will take this as a sign that there is no interest in this film.

  Please purchase this edition to support the movie, but be prepared to be slightly disappointed with the sound. It should be noted that I couldn't fault the image quality.
  
  

• A touching film, Williams' best?
  By A2EQWI8YKCAYON on 2001-07-02
  There's not much on this DVD but the film, but it's a very good film. It's warm, touching and sentimental, but in an extremely offbeat way. How normal can a movie be that has John Lithgow (very memorably) as an ex-NFL star turned transsexual, a society of vengeful women who remove their own tongues and a lead character aggressively conceived by his mother on the lap of a dying stranger in an army hospital?

  And yet for all that, and for all its humor and spark, it is still very human and very real. It can really work your emotions, and the ending sequence tying back in as it does to the beginning, always leaves me a little shaken.

  The danger is that, having seen Robin Williams play this same sort of dramatic role so many times since, one could easily dismiss this performance offhand. But this was his first real dramatic role, and I think his most sincere. Garp and the Fisher King, I think, are the two Williams movies I can recommend without reservation.
  
  

• greatly dissapointing
  By on 2003-03-10
  ...I turn the final page of The World According to Garp by John Irving and reflect on how great a novel it was. How wonderfully it was written, how incredibly unusual and complex the characters were, and how much i understood them. Next, I sit down in front of my tv and watch the movie. To put it nicely, I am appalled at how horrible the movie is. The whole plot is distorted, major characters aren't even mentioned (Harrison and Alice), and the main characters (besides John Lithgow who was excellent as Roberta) aren't portrayed very well by the actors. I do acknowledge though, that the parts are extremely difficult to play and that the actors probably did the best they could. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this movie, ESPECIALLY to people you have read the book, which is absolutely fantastic. Now all of you, go read the book!
  
  
• Compared to the book this stunk
  By on 2004-04-04
  I'm in the 11th grade and I just read the book and i thought that it was incredible. I figured maybe if the book was so good then the movie would be good. Right? WRONG. The movie on its own was ok. If you don't read the book more then likely you wouldn't understand the movie though. Even though i found many differences between the book and dvd. If you want a real treat, read the book. This movie is a good example of why you can't make a 600 page book into a two hour movie. Compared the book, I thought this movie was trash. The book was an incredible piece of literature and this movie came no where close. The actors do do a very good job in the movie and Robin Williams was incredibly. I felt there were many scenes were dissappointing. FOr instance, I found the end very dissapointing. I won't say what happens, but thats just my opinion. Read the book, much better then the movie.
  
  
• What a world!
  By A2CW9IQAPFEYLM on 2005-09-11
  So strange, so full of surprises, so illigically logical, it's an impossible movie to describe. Robin Williams is Garp, born out of wedlock and raised by his loving (but strange) mother (Glenn Close). The movie traces his (and his mother's) life: both become writers - his books are very highly acclaimed by critics but go unread; her one book becomes a feminist manifesto and is extremely popular. Garp marries, has kids, whom he loves dearly and dotes on. His wife has an affair with disastrous consequences; his mother is eventually assassinated. That's the skeleton description of what's actually a very full-bodied movie. It's an extremely ambitious and unique "story" film. Long at 136 minutes, it never lags in interest. Steven Tesihch wrote the screenplay; based very closely on John Irving's novel. An excellent movie, definitely worth a watch.
  
  
• A Great Adaptation of John Irving's Novel
  By on 1999-08-18
  THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP is an unbelieveable piece of cinema. I will always think of it as Robin Williams' best film. All the acting is incredible. Glenn Close gives a great performance as Garp's protective and offbeat mother. A great adaptation of John Irving's novel. It should've been nominated for more Academy Awards.
  
  
• This is my favorite movie of all time!!
  By on 1999-07-22
  This movie made me a Robin Williams fan for life, and also a John Irving fan for life. It is funny, sad, gripping and exciting...just like life. Watch out for the Undertoad!!
  
  
• Excellent and Unusual Movie
  By on 2000-11-16
  This movie eventhough it is unusual is excellent. Robin Williams and John Lithgow both play an excellent part. This movie has some twists to it. Robin Williams is a wrestling coach in this movie. Robin Williams wrestled in High School in real life.
  
  
• Great,...untill,...
  By A37UQQKF8B0131 on 2001-06-02
  this movie is interesting in parts, and reall over the top in other. Now I can appreciate an offbeat plot,...believe me I am tired of the conventional "marriage drama" but outside of the conclusion of the film being "easy and neat" it also has some nagging plot twists that while possible,...are a bit weird,... That being said, I still liked most of the film with fantastic performances by Robin Williams and Mary Beth Hurt which send the "too" offbeat plot in a direction and keep it together and flowing,...
  
  
• GREAT FILM!
  By A3IKY2EW86W37O on 2002-09-04
  A truly enjoyable film. It made me go through a range a different emotions, from laughter, to tears. A truly inspirational film, and I have never read the novel, but this film inspires me to.
  
  

• The Hotel New Hampshire
• The Cider House Rules (Miramax Collector's Series)
• The World According to Garp (Modern Library)
• The Fisher King
• Dead Poets Society