Customer Reviews

The World According to Garp

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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.

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]

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.

"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!!

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.

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?

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"

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.

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.

This was a good movie (I love anything with Robin Williams). However, I was quite dissapointed that the filmmakers did not follow the book more closely. Instead of going to Vienna, Austria, they go to New York. I would have been happier had they followed what was written. Otherwise, the film was great.