Favourite Robin Williams films

Sam Mac · 12-08-2014 03:09PM #1

After the tragic and sudden death of the beloved Robin Williams, I would love to know, what everybody's favourite film of his is.

Mine would have to be One Hour Photo. His performance was so genuinely creepy and the film itself is very underrated.

I know his film career is vast, so if you are finding it hard to choose, just pick one of your favourites, or even let us know all of your favourites!

Rest in Peace buddy.

FortuneChip · 12-08-2014 04:00PM

There's a lot of movies with outstanding performances, but his most iconic movie has to be Mrs Doubtfire. Endlessly quotable, and pretty unforgettable to anyone that grew up in the 90's.

I'll agree on One Hour Photo, and Insomnia was a good turn too.
Good Will Hunting, goes without saying. His scenes with both Matt Damon & Stellan Skarsgard make the movie what it is.

And one a little more obscure; his character Rainbow F*cking Randolph in Death To Smoochy!

Roquentin · 12-08-2014 04:00PM

Good Will Hunting

NinjaTruncs · 12-08-2014 04:03PM

Bicentennial Man is my favourite movie of his, not sure what it is about it I just really really liked it.

johnny_ultimate · 12-08-2014 04:15PM

Looking through his filmography, it strikes me how few of his films I actually like - a lot of them are very mediocre fare, not to mention his infamous series of flops. There are only a handful of true keepers. But one thing has to be said - even when the films let him down, he was almost always a very strong screen presence, radiating a charisma, charm and enthusiasm. He certainly earned his success and recognition through natural acting ability, even if few films really took advantage of his unique gifts.

As for favourite films? I really enjoyed World's Greatest Dad, and his downbeat performance was a big part of that film's success. But maybe my favourite appearance isn't a film at all, but rather his fantastically weird, funny and ultimately poignant appearance during season three of Louie.

krudler · 12-08-2014 04:35PM

His appearance in Louie was excellent. Film wise I thought World's Greatest Dad, One Hour Photo, Good Will Hunting, The Birdcage and Good Morning Vietnam were his best performances.

Snickers Man · 12-08-2014 04:39PM

Loved Robin Williams. But mainly as a stand up or during interviews where his genius for improv was evident.

Some of his film comedies were a bit twee but as Johnny Ultimate says, Williams was always compelling viewing, whatever the script.

But there's one of his films I really didn't like. Here's what a conservative political author (Jonah Goldberg) had to say about Dead Poet's Society

Is there any doubt that a young Hitler would have given Dead Poets Society a standing ovation?

The film begins with the students learning poetry by formula, plotting its “perfection along the horizontal of a graph” and its “importance” on the vertical in order to find the “measure of its greatness.” You can almost hear Hitler denouncing such a “Jewish” way of gauging art. Along comes Mr Keating, played by Robin Williams, who tells his students simply to rip those pages from the book!
.....
Following his example the truly “free” students join a secret society where they adopt pagan names and meet in an old Indian cave to “suck the marrow out of life” make new gods, and read Romantic poetry.

...Another student rebels against his bourgeois father’s pressure to become a doctor. He wants to live a life of passion as an actor....When his father forbids him to indulge his passions any further, [the student] chooses suicide over compromise—a similar ending to Hitler’s favourite play, Der Koenig [which] Hitler saw 17 times in three years.

The tragedy of the suicide shatters the school, and Mr Keating is fired. The surviving members of the Dead Poets’ Society risk expulsion if they even look at Mr Keating; yet they cannot resist his charisma. One by one, they stand on their desks, defiant of their new teacher. These beautiful young overmen, united in their will, look to their “captain” and away from traditional authority.

All that was missing were the Nazi salutes.

Not sure that I'd go along with all that, but there was something about that film I always thought was very off putting.

Still I admired Robin Williams enormously. Such a talented man. A very sad day.

Tipsy McSwagger · 12-08-2014 04:43PM

Aladdin

He played a man cursed with having to be something he hated and who's job was to make other people happy while he was trapped in a dark little lonely space.

Telecaster58 · 12-08-2014 04:55PM

Most of his comedies were dire. His best performances, I think, are those that went against type like One Hour Photo, Insomnia, and The Fisher King.

Roquentin · 12-08-2014 05:27PM

Snickers Man wrote: »

Loved Robin Williams. But mainly as a stand up or during interviews where his genius for improv was evident.

Some of his film comedies were a bit twee but as Johnny Ultimate says, Williams was always compelling viewing, whatever the script.

But there's one of his films I really didn't like. Here's what a conservative political author (Jonah Goldberg) had to say about Dead Poet's Society

Not sure that I'd go along with all that, but there was something about that film I always thought was very off putting.

Still I admired Robin Williams enormously. Such a talented man. A very sad day.

is she(political author) trying to say that dead poets society has some hidden nazi meaning. ridiculous. Very good film

Agent Coulson · 12-08-2014 05:49PM

Not a film but one of my favorites was his guest appearance in Law and Order SVU's 200th episode "Authority".

A telephone voice impersonating a police officer asks people to do morally questionable and illegal things. SVU detectives learn that this plan was orchestrated by an engineer Merritt Rook (Robin Williams) in order to convince the public to be more discerning and oppose authority. Rook turns his trial into a media circus and seizes an opportunity to abduct Olivia Benson. With the help of Rook's co-worker (Ka-Ling Cheung), Elliot is able to learn about the man's tragic past and track him down. In an apparent hostage situation, Rook tries to make Elliot inflict pain on her by way of a Milgram experiment.

SouthTippBass · 12-08-2014 05:50PM

Forgot all about One hour photo, great movie, he was such a creep in it!

I'v never seen Good Will Hunting, but have it ready for this weekend.

Bepolite · 12-08-2014 05:51PM

GOOOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAAAAAAM

realgirl · 12-08-2014 06:51PM

1. Good Will Hunting - a firm favourite of mine
2. Dead Poet's Society

RIP

catallus · 12-08-2014 06:52PM

One Hour Photo was a pretty terrifying performance.

Kinbe · 12-08-2014 06:55PM

The Fisher King , Good Morning Vietnam , Good Will hunting....RIP

Kinbe · 12-08-2014 06:56PM

The Fisher King , Good Morning Vietnam , Good Will hunting....RIP

constitutionus · 12-08-2014 07:17PM

NinjaTruncs wrote: »

Bicentennial Man is my favourite movie of his, not sure what it is about it I just really really liked it.

really sticks in my mind too.

that film doesnt get the credit it deserves.

Warper · 12-08-2014 07:24PM

One Hour Photo, Insomnia (RTE are showing it this Thurs night) and Mrs Doubtfire

Reg'stoy · 12-08-2014 07:57PM

Along with the more obvious choices, one of my particular favorites is What Dreams May Come , mightn't be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it and I thought he was excellent in it.

groucho marx · 12-08-2014 08:01PM

Oh sir I saw them,some angry member of the kitchen staff. Did you not tipp them? It was a run by fruiting :-D

nix · 12-08-2014 08:27PM

Death to smoochy, more people really need to see it, that one went under the commercial radar.. tis a good watch though, i enjoyed it!

fryup · 12-08-2014 08:30PM

one hour photo

its just so un'robin williams

efb · 12-08-2014 08:31PM

Mrs Doubtfire

Yeatz · 12-08-2014 08:47PM

Hook was my favourite childhood film, and I still love it.

is mise spartacus · 12-08-2014 08:51PM

RV and Mrs Doubtfire!

OldRio · 12-08-2014 09:14PM

Good Will Hunting is on BBC 1 this Thursday at 10.35.

Reebrock · 12-08-2014 09:35PM

Doubtfire really pulls my strings on a deep personal level.

BionicRasher · 12-08-2014 09:35PM

The world according to Garp and Awakenings are 2 great movies. Must dig them out and watch again.
Also like One Hour Photo where he played Seymour Parrish. Only just realised that in Jumanji he played Alan Parrish. Any ideas on a connection?

krudler · 12-08-2014 09:40PM

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Not a film but one of my favorites was his guest appearance in Law and Order SVU's 200th episode "Authority".

He was in an early episode of Homicide: Life On The Street (which was a sort of precursor to The Wire) as well as a grieving husband.

Snickers Man · 12-08-2014 09:42PM

Roquentin wrote: »

is she(political author) trying to say that dead poets society has some hidden nazi meaning. ridiculous. Very good film

Er. It's a he. And yes. That is exactly what he's saying. Which is just a tad OTT, I think.

Still. Never liked that film. Thought the plot could have been written by Enid Blyton.

I'd prefer to remember Robin Williams for his stand up monologues which are a bona fide art form in their own right. Anything that can make you laugh out loud, even after multiple viewings deserve veneration.

"Don't say lesbians, say women in comfortable footwear"

Favourite Robin Williams films

What is your favourite Robin Williams film? 193 votes

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