 |  | The World According to Garp |  |
Although it is a good book and the actors do a wonderful job of portraying the characters, one MUST read the book. The film does not do the book justice at all!!
February 3, 2008| | | GARP: Still fun,but very scattered.VHS better than DVD | |
After all these years,watching GARP again I am even more convinced that as charmingly odd and well acted this film is,it still is very scattered and uneven it's story.As always with John Irving books that get adapted to screen, the problem is how to catch the essence and stay true to the work.The screenplay by Steve Tesich (BREAKING AWAY) has it's moments that are genuinely fun,but still at 136 minutes there are a lot of themes and characters to get through,and Tesich does this only mediocre at best.This film is full of interesting characters and situations, as well as platitudes on life,but it still has that "cram-it-all-in feeling" while sacrificing character development and plot line themes.Still this film showcases the likes of Glenn Close,John Lithgow,Mary Beth Hurt and Robin Williams doing fine work.Williams seems to me still oddly miscast for the part,even though he seems comfortable in the role.
John Irving writes about unconventional things.GARP is still unconventional,but the performances and situations keep this film floating at 3-3 1/2 stars.The VHS tape is superior to the DVD in both matting and sound.Stick with the tape!
November 29, 2007"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!!
April 22, 2007This movie is one of my top 10 favorites. If you have ever read any of John Irving's books then you will love this film. Although it doesn't compare to the book it is a great film full of lust, comedy, tragedy, well-developed characters, and great acting. It portrays sex in a very real light.
February 9, 2007I enjoyed this movie, because the plot is slightly off kilter and the cast is great. The acting in this movie was superb, and although it varied from the book, it was still good in itself. I recommend it for people who like something different.
January 11, 2007More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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