Today marks two years since Robin Williams died at the age of 63 after his struggle
with depression. I'm still in shock, I can't believe he's gone.
He made so many films that brought happiness to so many people and that was because of his sense of humour.
However, he was also amazing at dramatic acting, winning an Oscar for his role
as therapist, Sean Maguire, in Good Will Hunting.
In this blogpost, I'll be listing my five favourite films that he was in and the ones I will always remember him for.
Honorable Mentions
These are the Robin Williams performances that are, in my opinion, underrated
and deserve a mention.
Fender - Robots (2005)
Robin Williams' most iconic voice work was as the 'Genie of the Lamp' in the 1992 Disney animated film, Aladdin. As much as I loved him in Aladdin, I think his voice work as Fender in the underrated animation, Robots, deserves a mention. I remember watching this at the cinema at the age of 8 and his character, who is friends with the main protagonist Rodney (voice of Ewan Mcgregor), made me laugh a lot. Over a decade later, I still enjoy watching this film because of Williams' voice work. Like with the Genie, he improvised most of his dialogue which made the character even more likable.
Bob Munro - RV: Runaway Vacation (2006)
This is another film I loved watching when I was growing up. I thought the idea of a father taking his family away in a large vehicle was very funny and it didn't disappoint. Williams plays Bob Munroe who promised his family that he would take them on holiday to Hawaii, unfortunately, he is forced to break that promise because of his job. However, he has a meeting in Colorado and takes his family on holiday there in a large recreational vehicle. This film is full of mishaps and plenty of hilarious moments, especially when Bob and his family meet another family on holiday in a RV. Unfortunately, they're very annoying and won't go away. Williams brings a lot of comedic elements to this film and is the main reason I love watching this film.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower - The Butler (2013)
Robin Williams has proved that, while he may be remembered as a comedian, he can pull of serious and dramatic roles. In my opinion, I think The Butler is underrated as it focuses on a black man, Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), who has a job as a butler at the White House and the many Presidents and life changing events he witnesses. One of the Presidents he meets is Dwight Eisenhower who is portrayed by Williams. It's short but one of the best performances in the film.
John Keating - Dead Poets Society (1989)
A lot of people will remember Robin Williams for his role as John Keating in Dead Poets Society. Keating was a teacher at an all-boys school who teaches them English and, throughout the film, provides memorable dialogue and says iconic quotes. This is definitely one of Williams low-key performances but no less compelling. The moment Keating begins teaching the class, we become drawn in and feel like we are one of his students learning a lesson. Keating is also accepting of every student for who they are and gives them advice which is a contrast to the other parents and the students' parents. This is an incredibly moving drama and is worth watching if you haven't seen it already.
5. President Teddy Roosevelt - Night At The Museum (2006)
I remember watching this in cinema and thinking it was a great film. I loved the idea of museum artifacts coming to life. Ben Stiller played the night guard, Larry Daley, and is horrified, at first, to discover that the museum comes to life at night. One of the waxworks that comes to life is President Teddy Roosevelt who is portrayed with wit by Robin. I don't think this film would've worked as well without Robin. Larry soon befriends Roosevelt as he helps Larry to take care of the museum. Despite being full of humour, he also has a softer side as he has unrequited feelings for the Sacajawea waxwork but can't interact with her as she is behind glass and she can't hear him. Fortunately, the two manage to finally meet after he saves her life. Williams returned to the role in both of the sequels, The Battle Of The Smithsonian and Secret Of The Tomb.
4. Alan Parrish - Jumanji (1995)
This film used to scare me as a child but, now, it's one of my favourite films. It's full of adventure and features one of Robin's best performances. He plays Alan Parrish who has just been brought out of the board game, Jumanji, after being trapped there for 26 years. In the beginning of the film, we see Alan as a teenager (Adam Hann-Byrd) playing the game with his crush, Sarah Whittle (Laura Bell Bundy), but, unfortunately, things go horribly wrong after a certain move sees him being sucked in the board game. In 1995, his house is now occupied by a woman and her niece, Judy (Kirsten Dunst), and nephew, Peter (Bradley Pierce). The two siblings find the board game and this is where the adventure begins. Alan is brought out of the game but he tells Judy and Peter that the game can't be completed without him and Sarah (now played by Bonnie Hunt). The story is really compelling as we watch the four characters face different things such as: a lion, a group of monkeys, a stampede, a giant spider and many other things. While Hunt, Dunst and Pierce all bring strong performances to the role, Williams stands out because of his sympathetic performance as Alan. Of course, he also brings humour to the character making him really likable.
3. Daniel Hillard/Mrs Doubtfire - Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
I remember when I first watched this after I bought the DVD when I was about 12/13 and laughing so hard at this film. This is, by far, his best comedic performance. He plays Daniel Hillard who has recently been divorced by his wife, Miranda, as she sees him as irresponsible. She is granted full custody of their three children, Lydia (Lisa Jakub), Chris (Matthew Lawrence) and Natalie (Mara Wilson), much to Daniel's dismay. After failing to get a job and living in an inadequate apartment, Daniel comes up with an crazy yet hilarious idea: to dress up in drag and act as his children's nanny, Mrs Doubtfire. Robin looks unrecognisable as the title character under the wig, make-up and prosthetics. We see Daniel end up in many awkward situations as Mrs Doubtfire and plenty of mishaps. However, it's the sequence at the restaurant that really shows Robin's comedic talent. Daniel has a job interview at the Bridge's Restaurant, coincidentally, this takes place on the same evening as Miranda's birthday and she has asked Mrs Doubtfire to attend her birthday meal which is taking place at the same restaurant. Unfortunately, Daniel can't say no to either and ends up attending both by changing from Daniel to Mrs Doubtfire and then from Mrs Doubtfire to Daniel. This sequence is hilarious to watch and I doubt any actor would've given as good as performance as Robin. It has been said that he adlibbed a lot of his lines which isn't surprising.
2. Genie of the Lamp (voice) - Aladdin (1992)
Like I mentioned earlier, Robin also voiced the character, Fender, in the underrated animated 2005 film, Robots, but it's his voice work as the Genie of the Lamp that stands out. Like in Mrs. Doubtfire, Robin adlibbed the majority of his lines in this animated film and the many impressions that the Genie does are improvised by Robin himself. He also sings two of my favourite Disney songs, Friend Like Me and Prince Ali. The film focuses on Aladdin (voiced by Scott Weinger) who falls in love with Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin). Unfortunately, he is a common street walker and she is of royalty and is being forced to marry someone she doesn't love. However, after being sent to retrieve a magic lamp from inside a cave by the evil Jafar (Jonathan Freeman), he rubs it and out comes the Genie and this is where the film starts to become even more enjoyable. Like in the classic tale this is based on, the Genie grants Aladdin three wishes so he can win the love of his life. I think the reason this film was so popular was because of Robin's performance. It entertained both children and parents alike. Children liked the Genie because of his connection with Aladdin and parents loved the many impressions the Genie did. It was the highest grossing film of 1992 (earning over $500 million) which is no surprise. This film will always bring me happiness whenever I watch it because of Robin's incredible voice work as one of the most iconic secondary characters in animated film history.
1. Sean Maguire - Good Will Hunting (1997)
Robin's performance as Sean Maguire is, by far, his best. Maguire is a therapist who is hired to help the title character, Will Hunting (Matt Damon), realise his true potential and direction in life. The film mainly focuses on Will and his relationships with his friends, Chuckie Sullivan (Ben Afflect) and Skylar (Minnie Driver) who Will is in love with. He is also a maths genius and, after assaulting a police officer, begins seeing Sean Maguire. We see Will go through therapist after therapist but none of them help him until he meets Sean. In his sessions with Sean, Will re-evaluates his relationships with his best friend, his girlfriend and himself, facing the significant task of confronting his past and thinking about his future. The scenes featuring Will and Sean in their therapy scenes are the most compelling to watch as we learn more about Will and also Sean. One of the best scenes involves the two sitting outside on a park bench and features a moving monologue from Sean. Another great scene involves Sean telling Will about how his wife used to 'fart when she was nervous'. This scene, of course, was improvised by Robin on the spot and both Matt and the cameraman were generally laughing and so were the many viewers who were watching, including me. I'm so happy Robin won an Academy Award for his performance as Sean, it was well deserved.
So those are Robin William's five best performances, in my opinion.
Robin is still missed by many everyday. Every time I watch a film that he features in, I feel sad but I then feel happy knowing he is no longer in pain and is at peace.
Thank you for reading this blogpost.
RIP Robin Williams (1951-2014)
❤
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