There’s nothing more disgusting than a sweaty adolescent male. In Bobcat Goldthwait’s World’s Greatest Dad, Daryl Sabara vies for the grubbiest performance in cinema history. It isn’t just the frequent, elaborate masturbation that makes him gross (we all have needs) it’s the fundamental selfishness that comes from each one of his unwashed pores. Sabara’s Kyle is repulsive in the most real sense of the word. If people try to befriend him, be it his dad or the nice, wimpy classmate, he blocks them with scorn and vulgarity. Really, all he wants to do is to beat off and stew in his misery.
Robin Williams’ Lance probably started his life filled with sunshine and sparkle. But here he is middle-aged, divorced, with sole custody of a hateful teen and teaching a high school poetry class that may very well get cut next semester. He gets occasional solace from a hot-and-cold girlfriend and sixty seconds of uninterrupted Bruce Hornsby on his car stereo.
Lance truly is the World’s Greatest Dad. Despite daily evidence that his son is a worthless POS, he keeps trying. I couldn’t help but think of some of the problem kids I knew back home. I had a friend whose younger brother was such an impossible loser, but yet his parents still stayed warm and welcoming. I never quite knew how they did that.
There’s a wonderful twist in World’s Greatest Dad and woe be to any critic who spoils it for you. Suffice to say some event happens that sends World’s Greatest Dad spinning into comic complications. Ultimately, the film paints itself into a bit of a corner and fails to deliver the true, crushing satire I was hoping for, but on a scene-by-scene basis the film will keep you engaged with misanthropic glee.
World’s Greatest Dad is a dark film, but it retains a likability factor from a very unexpected source: Robin Williams. Like you, no doubt, I have no time for Robin Williams. Nothing will bring up last night’s dinner quicker than thinking of Williams bouncing off Jay Leno’s couch promoting Patch Adams or Bicentennial Man. But in World’s Greatest Dad Williams brings the goods. His sad clown shtick elevates some of the more rushed scenes and, hot damn, he’s actually funny. The film ends with a cathartic epiphany that doesn’t really work for me, but a performer other than Williams would have made it a disaster.
World’s Greatest Dad isn’t sitting on the same shelf as Heathers, Welcome to the Dollhouse or any of Alexander Payne’s uncomfortable masterpieces. But it gets major points for trying.
Goldthwait’s films suffer, perhaps, from their very small budget. With more money there would be more time to shoot, more options in editing, more rehearsal etc. I’m hoping World’s Greatest Dad does some respectful business so the man can finally put his Police Academy life to bed and grow into a genuine, respected filmmaker. The potential is clearly there.
Ratings:
Overall: B
Vitals:
Release Date: August 21, 2009
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Director: Bobcat Goldthwait
Cast: Robin Williams, Daryl Sabara, Alexie Gilmor
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: R
