Warner Bros. Pictures
Not part of a collection.
The World According to Garp
Robin Williams is Garp. He's got a funny way of looking at life.
A struggling young writer finds his life and work dominated by his unfaithful wife and his radical feminist mother, whose best-selling manifesto turns her into a cultural icon.
- Original title
- The World According to Garp
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- $17,000,000
- Revenue
- $29,712,172
badelf
Jun 15, 2026 · via TMDB
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.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Robin Williams
T.S. Garp
Mary Beth Hurt
Helen Holm
Glenn Close
Jenny Fields
John Lithgow
Roberta Muldoon
Hume Cronyn
Mr. Fields
Jessica Tandy
Mrs. Fields
Swoosie Kurtz
The Hooker
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Helicopter Pilot
Ron Frazier
Stephen
Eve Gordon
Marge Tallworth
George Roy Hill
Pilot (uncredited)
Henry Bumstead
Production Design
Miroslav Ondříček
Director of Photography
Ann Roth
Costume Design
George Roy Hill
Director
Marion Dougherty
Casting
George Roy Hill
Producer
Robert Crawford Jr.
Producer
David Shire
Music Arranger
John Irving
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Jul 23, 1982
