What Dreams May Come

What Dreams May Come

Interscope Communications

October 2, 1998

Fantasy

DVD
D+

This felt artificial, and not just because of the "after-life" part.  It's based on the novel by Richard Matheson, and directed by Vincent Ward.

Patch Adams

Patch Adams

Blue Wolf etc.

December 25, 1998

Drama

DVD
D

Yeah, not one of those Robin Williams movies I like.  This is based on Gesundheit: Good Health Is a Laughing Matter by Patch Adams and Maureen Mylander.  Tom Shadyac directed the year before Liar Liar.

One Hour Photo

One Hour Photo

Fox etc.

August 21, 2002

Drama

DVD
C

Too creepy for me but I could see it might be an effective psychological thriller further in than the first fifteen minutes.  Mark Romanek wrote and directed.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

20th Century Fox etc.

May 22, 2009

Fantasy, Comedy

DVD
D+

I haven't seen any of the movies in the series before, but I found this pretty flat.  Robin Williams is of course the best thing about it, and he's playing an unrecognizable version of Teddy Roosevelt.  (I mean characterization, not appearance.)  Shawn Levy directed, and I tagged the people I recognized in the first quarter hour.

Mrs. Doubtfire

Mrs. Doubtfire

20th Century Fox

November 24, 1993

Comedy
DVD
C

I'd avoided this movie since the time, since the clips and quotes I saw and heard just never struck me as funny.  I made it to the halfway point, since I actually liked the very beginning, with Robin's character playing a temperamental actor, even if that was a little too close to Tootsie all things considered.  The acting was better than I expected, including poor miscast Sally Field as the Yuppie wife-mother.  But the random racism, sexism, and, yes, transphobia (including a throwaway joke about one of Robin's phone personalities), as well as the EXTREME, even for this sitcomic setup, implausibility (an acquaintance notices that two characters have the same eyes but the wife and children don't?), finally got to be too much.  Still, I've certainly seen worse, including from Williams.

This movie is based on Anne Fine's novel Alias Madame Doubtfire, which I think I did attempt reading in the last twenty years, but I wouldn't swear to it.  Chris Columbus directed, three years after Home Alone.

House of D

House of D

Lionsgate

April 15, 2005

Historical Drama, Historical Comedy

DVD
D+

A man flashes back to his messed-up life at 13 in 1973.  David Duchovny wrote and directed.

Hook

Hook

TriStar

December 11, 1991

Drama

DVD

D+

The first quarter-hour is about Williams as a workaholic father.  Spielberg directed.

The Best of Times (1986)

The Best of Times (1986)
Universal
January 31, 1986
Sports Comedy
DVD
C-

I wanted to like this movie, because I read the very positive Pauline Kael review ages ago (not quite at the time, but a few years later), and I like Kurt Russell and sometimes love Robin Williams.  Unfortunately, I disliked Williams's character, who is the protagonist, as he's a whiner and a cheater and just not funny.  Too bad.  It would be nice to like a sports comedy for a change.

Roger Spottiswoode directed.