by David C. Terr

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Title: The World According to Garp

Director: George Roy Hill

Starring: Robin Williams, Mary Beth Hurt, Glenn Close, John Lithgow

Release Date: July 23, 1982 (USA)

Running Time: 136 min

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Commentary
The World According to Garp is an unusual story about a man named Garp who's mother, a nurse and blatant feminist, decided to impregnate herself with the sperm of a dying patient in order to avoid having a husband. The film follows his life, from his birth during World War II to the late '70s, when he gets killed. Based on the 1978 John Irving novel with the same title, The World According to Garp is very philosophical about life, love, family, and tragedy.

The World According to Garp is one of Robin Williams' earliest films, and also one of his best in my opinion. His acting is outstanding in this one. He expresses his deep love of life and family as well as his humorous side. Glenn Close also does a terrific acting job as his mother, as does Mary Beth Hurt as his girlfriend and wife. John Lithgow has an amusing role as a transgendered female family friend.

Plot Summary

• Introduction: Jenny Fields (Close), a nurse who treated wounded soldiers during World War II, returns to her parents' home in New England with a baby named Garp. She explains to her parents' shock how she'd gotten herself pregnant from a dying soldier in order to have her baby. Garp grows up in New England next to some neighbors with a very flirtatious girl Garp's age and a nasty ugly sister who never talks or smiles. In high school, Garp (Williams) falls in love with a girl named Helen Home (Hurt) who turns out to be the daughter of his wrestling coach. Helen tells Garp she wants to marry a writer, whence he decides to become one.
• New York: Jenny moves with Garp to New York when he finishes high school, where both of them write. Jenny writes a huge feminist book, while Garp writes a sad story called "The Missing Gloves". Shortly after moving to the Big Apple, Jenny ends up taking Garp to a prostitute, to whom he loses his virginity.
• Return to New England: Once they return, both publish their works. Jenny's book becomes a huge success. Garp's story goes nearly unnoticed, but Helen falls in love with him after she reads it. Shortly thereafter, Garp and Helen get married. They buy a house right after a plane crashes into it, Garp commenting on how it's "pre-disastered". They have two children, whom Garp adores.
• Ellen James: Jenny becomes interested in a case involving a young girl named Ellen James who'd been raped and had her tongue cut off. She attracts a group of hard-core feminists who cut their own tongues off in protest to what happened to her. Garp is deeply sympathetic with Ellen but not at all with the protestors. Eventually even Ellen expresses her strong opposition to the Ellen James Society, whence Garp writes a book called "Ellen", which tells her story. Eventually Garp meets Ellen, who appreciates what he's done. But shortly thereafter his old nasty neighbor, who'd become an Ellen Jamesian, finds him and shoots him to death.

Tragic Loss
Death is a big theme in The World According to Garp. Several characters die during the story, and their deaths deeply affect the lives of loved ones.

• Garp's father: Though not shown in the film, Garp's father was a pilot during the war who's plane was shot down. One of his last words before he died was the nonsense word "garp", which is how Garp got his name. All his life, Garp dreamed of being a pilot like his father, whom he'd never met.
• Jenny's father: Also not shown in the movie, Jenny's father dies when Garp is five. After his death, Jenny tells Garp that the important thing is to get as much out of life as possible while you're alive.
• Walt: Garp and Helen's youngest son Walt is tragically killed in a car accident at age four. After he dies, Garp and Helen decide to have another child.
• Jenny: At a huge reception, Jenny gets assassinated by a madman. Though Garp and his family are not present, Garp seems to sense that something awful has happened before hearing about her death.
• Garp: As mentioned, Garp is also killed at the end of the movie. While being flown along with his wife in an emergency helicopter to an hospital, his last words are, "I'm flying!", in reference to his father, who'd also flown.