World's Greatest Dad :: SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board

World's Greatest Dad, Robin Williams' latest, is probably gonna go unnoticed for a good while. It's only natural when you're an indie flick opening against Inglourious Basterds. I'm not sure I would've even heard of it had the red band trailer not garnered some attention on the Internet. Nevertheless this pitch black comedy has the makings of a cult classic, not to mention it's timing is on point what with the recent death of Michael Jackson. I'll explain later...

First off, the plot. Lance Clayton's (Williams) life is in the shitter and from the looks of it, this has been the norm for sometime. He's a failed novelist making a living as a poetry teacher whose class is about to be cut from the curriculum. He's got a fling with one of the younger teachers but she's constantly blowing him off, reluctant to go out with him in public and seems much more interested in one of the younger teachers, a basketball player whose creative writing class is partially responsible for bumping Lance's own class off the face of the earth, not to mention one of his own pieces has just been published by the New Yorker. But worst of all is Kyle (Daryl Sabara). Kyle is Lance's perverted, lethargic, antisocial, homophobic and, above all, hateful teenage son who is pretty much the bane of Lance's existence. One day, Lance comes home to find his son dead. A few days later, a suicide note is released into the public and Kyle quickly becomes a saint and inspiration to everyone in the community. Suddenly, Lance is seemingly important and has everyone marching to the beat of his drum as he is the keeper of knowledge on all things Kyle. Unfortunately, the truth about Kyle's death (not a suicide) and his suicide note (not his own) are known only to Lance and it isn't long before he starts to believe his own bullshit. Keeper of knowledge indeed.

I'd say more but I wouldn't want to spoil the juicy bits of this fantastic movie.

First off, Williams is great. He's usually great. Lance is a sad but extremely sympathetic character. He's a tad wimpy and something of a pushover but it's impossible not to feel something for him. Still, he ain't the star. Sabara is and boy, is he a tour-de-force. I never wouldn't thought the scrawny redhead in short shorts from Spy Kids could be so hilarious. Practically every line this kid spews out is out of the ball park. The first act is pretty much 99% him. Then he dies and the film takes an unexpected turn.

The rest of the film is basically a slap in the face of community grief and how phony and parasitic people become when anyone, even someone as absolutely repugnant as Kyle, dies. Every character in the film except for Kyle's best friend, Andrew, is a vile, hypocritical leech because every character has something bad to say about Kyle when he's alive. Lance isn't all that bad. I mean, he deserves a break. But he still profits from the pathetic sucking up of others. And when I say pathetic, I mean pathetic. Kyle is the lowest of the low and the very idea of him being put up on a pedestal is laughable. Lance has plenty of moments where he can't hold it in any longer.

The ending of the film is brilliant. There've been lots of similar films that have followed the same formula and yet a significant facet of Williams' character completely turns it on its head and changes the message of the film entirely. I can't say what happens but it's as satisfying as could possibly be... and all to the tune of Queen's Under Pressure.

Overall, brilliant film. Hilarious at times although the humor is extremely dark, even by American standards. This is probably Williams' darkest film and that includes One Hour Photo. But yeah. If you like that sorta thing... The commentary is also on point and I'm very glad director Bobcat Goldthwait had the guts to explore such an issue. It really points out how cynical and opportunistic the media and really people in general can be.

Top 5 movie and #1 comedy this year. That's me of course but I wouldn't be surprised if this has a massive following in ten years or so. Go see it while you still can!