REVIEW: World's Greatest Dad

I'd heard about Bobcat Goldthwait's World's Greatest Dad for some time now; I'm a sucker for both pitch black comedy and Robin Williams, so imagine my delight when this happens to be one of the greatest black comedies I've ever seen, featuring one of the greatest Robin Williams performances I've ever seen.

Lance Clayton (Robin Williams) is a high school poetry teacher and failed author, living with his son, Kyle (former Spy Kid, Daryl Sabara). Kyle is generally disliked in school and has few friends, mostly because he's an ill-tempered, lecherous underachiever. Any time not spent watching porn on his computer is most likely spent either heaping scorn upon his beleaguered father or hanging out with his only friend, Andrew (Evan Martin, whom I would really like to see in more after this). After returning home one night from a date with a fellow teacher (Alexie Gilmore), Lance discovers his son's lifeless body; while he was away, Kyle died in a humiliating accident. In an attempt to grant him some modicum of dignity, Lance arranges the scene to look like Kyle hung himself, even going so far as to forge a poignant suicide note. The school is rocked by the news of Kyle's passing; after his suicide note is released to the public, a massive outcry of support rises from the students and faculty, resulting in an almost cultlike following of Kyle's memory. As time goes on, the lie gains more and more influence over Lance's life and he is forced to decide between the seemingly idyllic (but fake) situation he's made for himself and the distinctly less glamorous truth.

To address the elephant in the room early on, yes, this is a movie starring Robin Williams which deals heavily on the subject of suicide. World's Greatest Dad was released in 2009, five years before Mr. Williams himself passed away; as such, I would imagine it's impossible to view this movie with the same mindset that one would have viewed it with when it first premiered. There were more than a few moments in the film that leave an unintended impression, when viewed in present context. As time goes on, society changes and context evolves with it. Art, however, is a product of the time it was made; while art can appear timeless, there will always be some factor (whether it be based in technology, technique, or cast) that will tie it down to a specific era. For example, there are aspects of classic films like King Kong and The General that feel out of place when viewed today. Just as a slapstick comedy that portrays a Confederate soldier as a protagonist may feel a tad off in today's world, so might a movie about suicide starring Robin Williams. As I mentioned, there are a small handful of moments in this film that have taken on a new meaning since his death. However, none of these moments feel intrusive or detrimental to the film as a whole. We simply know a little more now than we did then, which grants us insight into the feelings behind what we're seeing on screen. So for those of you worried that this movie is irreparably damaged, fear not; most likely, it will just make you shed a few tears (which honestly is the reaction the scenes in question seemed to be going for in the first place).

As you may have gathered by now, Robin Williams is absolutely perfect in this. The character of Lance Clayton is the definitive okay guy who does terrible things with the best of intentions. He keeps digging himself deeper and deeper, and the film obviously raises the question of whether he's keeping up the charade for his own benefit or everyone else's. As funny and sardonic as it is, this movie also manages to be a really excellent criticism of the way suicide is treated by society. With the exception of Andrew and Lance's shut-in neighbor, Bonnie (Mitzi McCall), literally every character involved in the whole facade wants to exploit Kyle's memory in some way, shape, or form. Students who bullied him while he was alive suddenly claim that he was their best friend, whom they miss dearly. The school grief counselor is overjoyed that so many students are coming to talk to him; not only is he helping young people sort through their personal issues, but he's also getting his name out there and publishing a book in the process. A major theme of the story is the point of the good that can arise from a tragedy; is it truly "the greater good" if it serves a specific person rather than society as a whole? As the influence of Kyle's memory spreads throughout the school, we see some students who are inspired to better themselves after reading the suicide note and journal that Lance attributed to his late son. Is it worth it for the vultures to reap fame and fortune from a tragic event, so long as a small minority take something genuinely beneficial away from it all? These are the questions that the movie constantly asks, all while being sharply-written and darkly hilarious throughout.

In the supporting cast, we've got Daryl Sabara as Kyle Clayton; he and Williams have amazing chemistry in the worst way. In every scene that they have together he's just such a cringe-inducingly terrible kid, which really provides a stark contrast to the way everyone views him posthumously. Evan Martin is really excellent as Kyle's gawky friend, Andrew. Andrew is the first one to suspect that all might not be what it seems and ends up as something of a foil to Lance as the film goes on. I particularly enjoyed his performance here, considering how Andrew feels like he could easily have ended up as a one-note joke character. Instead, he's given a really strong amount of pathos for how little screentime he has; I feel like everyone knew someone like Andrew in high school. Really, there are no bad performances here. It's a great cast playing great characters reading from a great script and working under great direction. As one would expect, all of these elements make for an all-around great film.

World's Greatest Dad is a movie that manages to toe the line between being a pitch-black comedy and oddly touching while providing some of the most biting and brutally accurate social commentary I've ever seen. It pulls absolutely no punches at all and was clearly constructed with the utmost care and effort for it to turn out as good as it is. If you're interested in seeing one of the most underrated performances of Robin Williams' career, I highly recommend you give this one a watch.