# Worst Robin Williams movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 31, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951 "2004-01-31T21:40:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/41 "2004-02-02T11:35:20Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Michael Caine? Of course! How could we forget the legendary Caine-Hackman Theory? ---
**Author:** ![3Much](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/4af34b/32.png) [@3Much](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3Much)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/42 "2004-02-02T12:44:41Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > Yeah, maybe a better question would be, “Is there any current actor/actress who has starred in more big-budget stinkers than Robin Williams?” Kevin Costner. Hands down. Not only MORE big-budget stinkers, but two of THE MOST EXPENSIVE STINKERS EVER. They lost more money than any other movies in history. And that includes ISHTAR. Waterworld Postman ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/43 "2004-02-02T14:27:10Z")
Have we all forgotten _The Survivors_? So dull and unfunny it doesn’t even turn up on Comedy Central at 7 am, at least _Club Paradise_ still gets seen from time to time. Robin Williams, Walter Matthau, and _Jerry Reed_, what were people thinking? I was annoyed by the ads for _Patch Adams_. I knew it was supposed to be a touching comedy, but call I kept thinking was, “This is the last person I’d want to be my doctor.” Couldn’t make it through _What Dreams May Come_, _Father’s Day_ (although part of that fault goes to my loathing of Billy Crystal) or _Jack_. _The Birdcage_ - another misguided Hollywood remake. _Cadillac Man_ - just annoying and flat. _Toys_ - the video game style soundtrack makes me want to hit a reset button. The first time I saw it, I was convinced they hadn’t actually finished filming it since it was such a disjointed mess. _Good Will Hunting_ - not Williams’ fault, he gives a good performance. The story just seemed like a warmed over “bright, troubled kid overcomes his problems” TV movie. _Jumanji_ - every time this one comes on TV I know I won’t be watching that channel for a long time. And with commercials, it seems to last forever. However, I’d guess the careers of , Dan Aykroyd, Christopher Lee, Franco Nero, or Udo Keir contain more stinkers, just by way of sheer volume, than bigger names like Williams, Caine, Connery, or Hackman. ---
**Author:** ![JackaRoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@JackaRoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackaRoe)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/44 "2004-02-02T14:36:12Z")
I remember a movie called “Kentucky Fried Movie” where Robin Williams played a sperm cell. “The World According to Garp” is a great book, and I liked Williams performance in the movie too. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/45 "2004-02-02T15:18:18Z")
Wasn’t Jack a Coppola movie? It was about a young child who is aging rapidly, trapped in the body of a 40-year-old and about to die soon…and its a comedy. Horrible ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/46 "2004-02-02T18:56:52Z")
I liked **Death to Smoochy** I imagine this is going to be embarrasing to admit in this crowd, but I also liked **Patch Adams**. The butterfly scene made me cry. This probably means that my esthetic sense is not cynical or edgy enough, but what the hell. One day I’m sure I’ll be called to account for my taste in music as well. Worst Robin Williams film I’ve ever seen was **Father’s Day**. However, most of the ones mentioned in this thread I haven’t seen at all, so I can’t say with any authority that it’s the worst overall. ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/47 "2004-02-02T19:49:17Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Sean Connery certainly gives him a run for his money. Connery has probably been in more awful movies than any other living actor: I’d argue that Sean Connery is often cast to “lend credibility” to movies; he’s been in tons of movies where his presence was the ONLY draw. On another note, haven’t pretty much all of Robin’s movies been mentioned here? Has Robin Williams ever starred in a _good_ movie? I remember Dead Poets’ Society being hot shit when it came out, but after the fact it was pretty widely derided as sappy and predictable. Good Will Hunting? Pretty highly regarded, I guess, but I don’t hear much about people watching it nowadays. I thought Hook was decent, though I haven’t seen it for years. I’m not that big on RW as an actor, simply because he always seems to be playing himself; also, his schtick (which I don’t like) is always an element of his characters. ---
**Author:** ![captainQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@captainQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/captainQwark)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/48 "2004-02-02T20:05:10Z")
> [@occ](#): > > I’d argue that Sean Connery is often cast to “lend credibility” to movies; he’s been in tons of movies where his presence was the ONLY draw. > > On another note, haven’t pretty much all of Robin’s movies been mentioned here? Has Robin Williams ever starred in a _good_ movie? I remember Dead Poets’ Society being hot shit when it came out, but after the fact it was pretty widely derided as sappy and predictable. Good Will Hunting? Pretty highly regarded, I guess, but I don’t hear much about people watching it nowadays. > > I thought Hook was decent, though I haven’t seen it for years. I’m not that big on RW as an actor, simply because he always seems to be playing himself; also, his schtick (which I don’t like) is always an element of his characters. Wasn’t _Insomnia_ considred _good_ movie? ---
**Author:** ![captainQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@captainQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/captainQwark)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/49 "2004-02-02T20:06:52Z")
whoops, that should be “a _good_ movie” ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/50 "2004-02-02T20:24:14Z")
> [@occ](#): > > Has Robin Williams ever starred in a _good_ movie? I enjoyed _Insomnia_ quite a bit. And I thought Williams was good in it. Most of these other ones are pretty bad though. I once thought I’d like to see _The Fisher King_. Was that any good? ---
**Author:** ![seriousart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@seriousart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seriousart)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/51 "2004-02-02T22:44:03Z")
Funny that Williams, in the interviews I’ve seen, seems to have issues with Popeye (Which I thought, as a kid, was great) the most. “If you play it backwards, it has a happy ending.” I’ve heard him speak of Garp, (which I also liked) too. He bemoaned the fact that it’s often found in the comedy section of the video store. “Yes! It’s the comedy where everyone dies.” I gotta go with Toys, though. In the 80’s/ early nineties I was a pretty hardcore Williams fan, but even I couldn’t stomache that one. Just… creepy. No laughs, just creepy. Years later, I thought I was the only one in America who didn’t find Ms Doubtfire even a tiny bit amusing. I’m surprised no one’s menitoned The Fisher King. I’m a pretty big fan of that one. Rather underrated flick by one of my favorite directors, Terry Gilliam. He was also pretty great in Aladdin. While I thought the film itself was pretty mediocre, he did put a really good performance in One Hour Photo. Playing very much against character, he proved he had acting chops in that one. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/52 "2004-02-02T22:53:41Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > “Worst Robin William movie?” Hmmm, kinda like asking me if I hated the poke in the _left_ eye with a sharp stick, or the poke in the _right_ eye . . . I have to agree here. I liked _Mork & Mindy_, _Good Morning, Vietnam_, and _Death to Smoochy_… and I loved _Shakes the Clown_ but thought Robin Williams’ role in it sucked (he just recycled his stand-up jokes)… …other than that I mostly think he’s annoying. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/53 "2004-02-02T23:00:42Z")
> [@Eutychus](#): > > Has everyone forgotten _The World According to Garp_? I still have a hard time trying to explain to people what that was all about. I liked _Garp_, but probably because I’d read the book first, so I knew what the hell was going on. I did really like _The Fisher King_ at the time, but I don’t remember much of it to say whether I’d still like it… ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/54 "2004-02-03T00:03:02Z")
Thank Og I became diabetic AFTER I watched **What Dreams May Come** or that movie may have finished me off (though now that I think about it I became diabetic about a year after that movie I also became an Atheist later that year…coincidence?) my GF of the time came out all weepy eyed saying how great it was when I was like “what a slap dash bunch of new aged crap…(actual line of the movie) ‘where’s god? He’s up there…somewhere shouting down he loves us and wondering why we can’t hear’” WTF??? It didn’t have the guts to say anything about god the afterlife or anything that would have made the movie at least interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/55 "2004-02-03T00:31:16Z")
> [@cuauhtemoc](#): > > I once thought I’d like to see _The Fisher King_. Was that any good? Great movie. One of my favorites. Directed by Terry Gilliam, which should be all you need to know. For the hell of it, here’s a list of Williams’ compete filmography as an actor, and what I thought of each ('cause I know you all care _so much_ what I think. 😉 ): Insomnia - Haven’t seen it Death to Smoochy - Fantastically funny One Hour Photo - Haven’t seen it Artificial Intelligence: AI - HSI Bicentennial Man - HSI Jakob the Liar - HSI Patch Adams - HSI What Dreams May Come - Sucked. Good idea, poorly executed Good Will Hunting - A good performance in a decent movie. Flubber - HSI Deconstructing Harry - HSI Fathers’ Day - Mel Gibson has a funny cameo. Other than that, pure crap. Hamlet - He does a decent job in a mercifully tiny role. Overall a very good movie. Secret Agent, The - Never even _heard_ of this one. Jack - HSI Birdcage, The - Not too bad, but I’ve never seen the original. Jumanji - Bad but not unwatchable To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar - HSI Nine Months - Godawful. Being Human - HSI Mrs. Doubtfire - I thought it was funny. Not funny enough to ever see a second time, though. Toys - Badly flawed, but still had a lot of interesting things. Fantastic visuals. Aladdin - One of the best of the latter-day Disney flms. From Time to Time - Never heard of it. FernGully: The Last Rainforest - NSI Shakes the Clown - Great, great movie, and he was damned funny in it. Wish for Wings That Work, A - I haven’t bothered with his TV work, but this _Bloom County_ Christmas special is always worth mentioning. Hook - Not as bad as everyone says. Fisher King, The - Wonderful film, wonderful performance from Williams. Dead Again - Was this the one with Kenneth Brannagh? Didn’t care for it. Awakenings - Good movie, good performance from Williams and Robert DeNiro Cadillac Man - Underrated and often overlooked Dead Poets Society - Formulaic but well executed Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The - One of my all time favorite movies. Good Morning, Vietnam - I liked it when I was eleven. Haven’t seen it since. Seize the Day - NSI Club Paradise - Cheapie comedy flick. Not particular good, but not unwatchable Best of Times, The (1986) - I have fond memories of this, but haven’t seen it in years and years. Moscow on the Hudson - I love this movie, especially the final scene in the diner. Survivors, The - Just bad. World According to Garp, The - Great book. Don’t remember the movie too well. Popeye - “A” for effort. Generally speaking, Williams makes an awful lot of bad movies. But when he makes a good movie, it’s usually really, really good. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/56 "2004-02-03T02:57:58Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > For the hell of it, here’s a list of Williams’ compete filmography as an actor, and what I thought of each Hey, sounds like fun! (Remember, though, that Williams’ credits include a LOT of cameos. It’s not like he’s the star in each of these.) Insomnia - Saw it; he was quite good Death to Smoochy - Haven’t seen it One Hour Photo - Saw it; he was very good Artificial Intelligence: AI - Disliked it, but he had a small part IIRC Bicentennial Man - HSI Jakob the Liar - Saw it; not bad. He was believable Patch Adams - HSI What Dreams May Come - HSI Good Will Hunting - Saw it; A good performance in a decent movie. Flubber - HSI Deconstructing Harry - Saw it and liked it, but again he had a small role (Woody Allen movie) Fathers’ Day - HSI Hamlet - Saw it; I thought his was stunt casting Secret Agent, The - HSI (seldom-seen) Jack - HSI Birdcage, The - Saw it; liked his chemistry with Nathan Lane Jumanji - Saw it; he wasn’t bad OR good - the effects were the star To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar - Saw it; another tiny role Nine Months - Saw it; thought he was funny Being Human - Saw it; thought he was awful Mrs. Doubtfire - Saw it; thought it was hysterical the first time I saw it, but it didn’t hold up at subsequent viewings Toys - Saw it; awful Aladdin - Saw it; one of the best of the latter-day Disney flms. From Time to Time - Never heard of it (me either) FernGully: The Last Rainforest - Saw it; he did a good job (he was “Batty”) Shakes the Clown - HSI Wish for Wings That Work, A - I haven’t bothered with his TV work, but this _Bloom County_ Christmas special is always worth mentioning. Hook - Saw it; he was okay but the movie wasn’t too good - misguided. Fisher King, The - Saw it; I agree (Wonderful film, wonderful performance from Williams.) Dead Again - Saw it; thought he was great - unbilled, too Awakenings - Saw it; agree (Good movie, good performance from Williams and Robert DeNiro) Cadillac Man - Saw it; it was okay. Dead Poets Society - Saw it; disliked it intensely when it first came out. Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The - Saw it; he did a good job with his small role Good Morning, Vietnam - Saw it; one of my favorites Seize the Day - Saw it; he was outstanding - little-seen movie Club Paradise - Saw it; pretty stupid, but not harmfully so Best of Times, The (1986) - Saw it; also pretty stupid Moscow on the Hudson - Saw it; I’ll always remember him hiding under Maria Conchita Alonso’s skirt. Lucky bastard Survivors, The - Saw it; pretty bad World According to Garp, The - Saw it; didn’t like the movie much Popeye - Saw it; really bad ---
**Author:** ![Galena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@Galena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galena)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/57 "2004-02-03T04:55:10Z")
This might be a little off topic, but… Sure, a bunch of Robin Williams movies really suck, but if you really want to watch something good of his, forget movies all together and go for the standup! I just saw HBO’s special and he had, hands down, the funniest stand-up I have seen in ages. 😃 Absolutely great. It more than makes up for the bad movies of his that I’ve endured…which include Mrs. Doubtfire and Being Human… ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/58 "2004-02-03T05:19:41Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by Eve > “Worst Robin William movie?” Hmmm, kinda like asking me if I hated the poke in the left eye with a sharp stick, or the poke in the right eye . . . Were truer words ever spoken? Ever? It’s kind of a toss-up between _Patch Adams_ and _Dead Poets Society_. It’s nearly impossible for me to watch either of them without wanting to put my thumbs through my eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/59 "2004-02-03T06:24:26Z")
**What Dreams May Come** is a movie for people who really like to watch movies. My wife was in the “One of the worst films ever” group until she saw it with me and I educated her on it. Certainly most disappointing was **Father’s Day**. I once saw Robin Williams and Billy Crystal do stand up together and was laughing the whole time. I really wanted to see these two in a movie together and well… ick… **Good Morning Vietnam** was his most overrated film. The scenes where he was on the radio were funny but the rest of it was dull. As for Sean Connery… One of my favorite lines on MST3K was when they were showing a film starring his brother Neal Connery and they showed a chart following the two mens careers. “Here is the only point when Sean’s career was lower than Neal’s, when he did Highlander II” ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951/60 "2004-02-03T12:41:15Z")
> [@JackaRoe](#): > > I remember a movie called “Kentucky Fried Movie” where Robin Williams played a sperm cell. I own this one and I don’t recall any sperm cell scenes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-robin-williams-movie/226951.md?page=4)