Movie Review: The World According to Garp

The World According to Garp

What can I say about "The World According to Garp" other than, 'in the world according to Garp, we are all terminal cases.'  It's the most haunting last line in all of literature, and after reading the book by John Irving, I felt so touched I decided to start this blog.  I just needed to get some emotion out, and this is where I turned.  That was November 2004 - it's been a long time.

I started the blog to remember my thoughts on books that I read, because I had a hard time learning that things I read eventually left my head.  Ironically, if you asked me what the plot of the book was about before I watched the movie, I would only give you snippets.  I remember Ellen James and I remember a horrible scene in a driveway.  And I remember the last line.  Haunting.  It was so powerful, and it lead me to read more John Irving... some, like 'A Prayer for Owen Meany' I fell in love with, while others, such as 'The Fourth Hand' fell short.

Book: "The World According to Garp" by John Irving
Movie: "The World According to Garp"
Book Publication Date: 1978
Movie Production Date: 1982
Read: November 2004
Watched: February 2011
Stars: 4

When this movie began, I felt it was not penetrating me.  The time flew by as I watched it, but I did not really feel it at all.  I'm not sure if I felt this when reading the novel, but I do remember that the book was like the movie... a lot was packed into the end.  After the 1 hour and 30 minute mark, I was hooked, and the last 45 minutes were haunting and emotional.

I must state that the movie did the book justice, and I was really afraid that it would not.  The memories of the book came flooding back, and I remember some of the passion I had for the novel I read more than six years ago.  That said, the movie will never be what the book was to me... though, it was a good experience and I'm glad I watched it.

I expected a good performance by Robin Williams, though I was expecting him to be 'sillier' - probably a reason I wasn't that excited about giving the movie a try.  He was much truer to character than I thought he would be, and I was glad for that.  Another thing that surprised me was seeing John Lithgow as the transgender woman.  Honestly, I think he stole the performance from Robin Williams.  I didn't look it up, but I hope he won something for it.  I liked John Lithgow from the moment I saw him as a child in 'Harry and the Hendersons', but he won me over with his performance in '3rd Rock from the Sun', one of very few programs that I have ever been attached to - 99% due to his performances.

Anyway, I am rambling on here and I am probably doing a disservice to the movie with this shoddy review, but I am not a fan of giving away the plot and I think you should always read the literature first.  My primary intention in this post is to let you know if the movie does the book justice, and I'm happy to report that in this case, it does.

Would love to know your thoughts.

The World According to Garp | John Irving

I have just finished the book "The World According to Garp" by John Irving. Period. The book was, to speak simply and inarticulately, one of the best books I have ever read. It is definitely what would be referred to as a 'modern day classic' which I assume will eventually become a book spoken in the same likeness as "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. As you all know, Salinger's novel is my favourite book of all time.

"The World According to Garp" touched me beyond belief. I quite honestly, was close to tears. At points, I was prone to fits of laughter. Some lines were spoken so eloquently that they made me appreciate the beauty of the english language, and of human thought. As far as I am concerned, our world is split into two categories: those that have been touched by "The World According to Garp," and those who have yet to read it. Quite simply put, you must read this book before you leave this earth.

"In the World According to Garp, we are all terminal cases."