The World According to Garp

1982 "Robin Williams is Garp. He's got a funny way of looking at life."
7.1| 2h16m| R| en| More Info
Released: 13 August 1982 Released
Producted By: Warner Bros. Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

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.

Genre

Drama, Comedy

Watch Online

The World According to Garp (1982) is now streaming with subscription on Max

Director

George Roy Hill

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime.
Watch Now
The World According to Garp Videos and Images
View All
  • Top Credited Cast
  • |
  • Crew

The World According to Garp Audience Reviews

Scanialara You won't be disappointed!
Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.
Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
namashi_1 Based on the novel of the same title by John Irving, 'The World According to Garp' is A Strange, Wonderful Film, that talks about life & relationships. Its sensitively handled & performed superbly.'The World According to Garp' chronicles the life of T S Garp, and his mother, Jenny. Whilst Garp sees himself as a "serious" writer, Jenny writes a feminist manifesto at an opportune time, and finds herself as a magnet for all manner of distressed women.'The World According to Garp' is at times, funny, and at times, depressing. Garp is a character full of melancholia, who has to face his overbearing, dominating mother & also deal with his wife's infidelity. Its a sympathetic character, whose journey appeals, because he has a charm of his own.The Late/Great Steve Tesich's Adapted Screenplay is often heartbreaking, but engaging at most parts, nevertheless. Only hiccup, lies in its running-time. The film overstays its welcome by 20-minutes. Some trimming was needed for sure. The Late/Great George Roy Hill directs this story with genuineness. Cinematography is fair. Editing could've been sharper.Performance-Wise: The Late/Great Robin Williams is simply magnificent as Garp. He enacts the sympathetic protagonist with rare ease & restrained. This performance has to be among his finest. Glenn Close is simply fantastic as the mother, delivering an act that's both, affecting & yet loathsome. John Lithgow is astonishing as the transsexual activist. He stands out. James "J.B." McCall as young Garp, deserves a special mention. On the whole, 'The World According to Garp' is quite a memorable film, despite a few flaws. Definitely, worth watching!
brchthethird "Wow" is almost all I can say at this point, having just finished watching it. I knew Robin Williams was a great actor, but this has to be the best dramatic role I've ever seen him in so far (keeping in mind that I haven't seen quite a few of his dramatic roles yet). He lays his emotions bare as T.S. Garp, the "bastard son" of Jenny Fields. The film is quite an emotional roller coaster, taking you from laughter, to shock and tears at various points throughout the long, but never dragging, narrative. It basically the entire life of Garp squeezed into about 130 minutes, consisting of snapshots and various episodes that he experiences as he gets older. His mother Jenny, played by Glenn Close (in her film debut) with motherly tenderness and wisdom, was also highly impressive. Even though it's Garp's story, his mother plays an integral part in shaping his worldview, which is unique to say the least. There's so many great moments in this film, that it's impossible to pick just one. Although, there is a couple scenes towards the end that were particularly poignant in the wake of Robin Williams' untimely death. I'm not afraid to admit that I cried a couple of times. There was even some of the relationship drama that struck a chord with me due to recent events in my own life that I'm still getting over. In short, I think this is one of the best films I've ever seen in my life, and is certain to be one of my favorites in years to come. On a side note, John Lithgow has a outstanding supporting turn as a trans-woman named Roberta. While Jared Leto might have done an excellent job in DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, Lithgow did it first and better in my opinion. There's also a small cameo by Amanda Plummer, in what was probably one of her first roles. So, it is with no hesitations that I can wholeheartedly recommend this film. It is honest, unpretentious and sentimental without being sappy (for the most part). A must-see for Robin Williams fans and cinephiles in general.
Jan_W Never read the book but watched this movie in the '80-s in a cinema. This was one of the movies in those days everyone went to see. Great characters and a wonderful storyline. This is one of the pictures only Americans can make (like Big Fish): a sort of modern fairytale with lots of unusual people but goodhearted and rich in sub plots. Watched it again on TV ages ago and never saw it again. Which is a true shame. Dear folks at Warner Bros: please re-release this gem on BD and DVD! Give it the credits it deserves. Take your time for some restoration, put some extra's on it (interviews with director and cast, a look back, etcetera) but give this movie back to the fans. We're waiting for it too long. Thanks!
Baron Ronan Doyle I went out of my to track down this film, the big-screen adaptation of one of my favourite novels. George Roy Hill delivers a consistently faithful cinematic realisation of John Irving's wonderful The World According to Garp.The film is the life-spanning story of T.S. Garp, the unusually obtained son of stern, stubborn, and self-sufficient wartime nurse Jenny Fields. Raising Garp without a father, she watches him grow up, becoming a famed novelist and family man as she herself gains renown as a powerful feminist voice.The World According to Garp is notable as Robin William's first lead role, one he takes and soars with. He is the perfect Garp, bringing to life the beloved character from the pages. In fact, this is true of all the characters and actors, the replication of Irving's story on film well achieved by the faithful Hill. The film is incredibly loyal to the source, and therein is its downfall. Memorable scenes from the novel are featured rather unnecessarily to the movie narrative at times, and ultimately it fails to translate particularly effectively to film, resulting in an overall mediocrity and general lacking. The life spanning plot does not quite work in the film, a consistent storyline only really forming in the last half hour; a half hour which ends up feeling rushed and forced. This medium is simply unsuited to the epic length covered by the far more allowing original text, many scenes finding inclusion when they're really just not needed. For those unfamiliar with the book, the film may well seem messy and inconsistent.Though commendable for its devotion to its literary origins, The World According to Garp fails to construct a fully engaging and engrossing story for its cinematic audience. Nice to see for fans of the book despite this, it boasts a great cast and strong performances which rescue it from ill fate.