After so many years, I finally saw the movie and was moved. I haven't yet read the book, but will now to fill in the pieces like why Pooh hates Garp.
The movie discusses, albeit appropriately cursorily, the difference between feminism and extreme cult behaviour using feminism as the excuse, and the irony is that Jenny had a boy, not a girl. Robin Williams was terrific as the suffering Garp, dealing with complex issues such as the surrounding the unique circumstances surrounding his birth which he seems to ignore while focusing on the idea of a dad. Garp was a man of unrealized dreams that he blamed both on his dad and his mom his dream of flying and his dream of popular writing. Both his parents apparently achieved their dreams, much to Garp's quiet chagrin.
But Garp did achieve a marriage and to his college sweetheart no less. But even that was faulted, and almost ended up in destruction. What is particularly vexing in this relationship is how he could have forgiven her for the circumstances surrounding Walter's death, and even more perplexing, how she could have forgiven herself? And strictly in respect to the movie, was Helen supposed to be blandly and badly acted by an actress with absolutely no character, no personality, no charisma, and very ordinary in the attractiveness department? I watched, I looked at different angles, I concentrated but Helen was not a person that lit up the screen in any way, and there was no chemistry between her and anyone. I am hoping that was deliberate, and upon the reading the book I shall find out. If it wasn't deliberate casting, then this would be the one truly disappointing factor in the whole movie.
Glenn Close and John Lithgow were tremendous. Glenn Close was strong and stood up straight and proud she reminded me of an Ayn Rand heroine except that she was a bit of a do-gooder in the end. That said, was she really? Why did she open up her house to these women? Was she simply lonely and had all this money and nothing to do with it? Did she feel guilty about stealing her son's literary limelight? She didn't write the book because she wanted to help women. But then, what was her motivation for writing the book? Why did she write it when she knew it would compete with her son? She is not well-explained in the movie, but ultimately her comment at the end that she "didn't want to be the granny in the house" seemed to underline her "selfishness" which is not unhealthy at all (she does not live vicariously through others or through the controlling of others she lives for herself and is true to herself). I do believe that Jenny was modeled after an Ayn Rand heroine. Three cheers!!! I am going to read more John Irving books to see if he has other Ayn Rand influences of if this was just a fluke. With that said, one comment I will make is that Ayn Rand never really deals with children and she had none of her own I believe, so her philosophy doesn't always extend well to parents and this may be John Irving's attempt (unintentional or not) at that which I do appreciate. By the way, a character of Ayn Rand's epic "Atlas Shrugged" is named Galt it may be interested to reread and note any similarities between Garp and Galt.
Definitely a movie to see, especially single moms and sons which have very special issues associated with the missing role model "dad".
The movie discusses, albeit appropriately cursorily, the difference between feminism and extreme cult behaviour using feminism as the excuse, and the irony is that Jenny had a boy, not a girl. Robin Williams was terrific as the suffering Garp, dealing with complex issues such as the surrounding the unique circumstances surrounding his birth which he seems to ignore while focusing on the idea of a dad. Garp was a man of unrealized dreams that he blamed both on his dad and his mom his dream of flying and his dream of popular writing. Both his parents apparently achieved their dreams, much to Garp's quiet chagrin.
But Garp did achieve a marriage and to his college sweetheart no less. But even that was faulted, and almost ended up in destruction. What is particularly vexing in this relationship is how he could have forgiven her for the circumstances surrounding Walter's death, and even more perplexing, how she could have forgiven herself? And strictly in respect to the movie, was Helen supposed to be blandly and badly acted by an actress with absolutely no character, no personality, no charisma, and very ordinary in the attractiveness department? I watched, I looked at different angles, I concentrated but Helen was not a person that lit up the screen in any way, and there was no chemistry between her and anyone. I am hoping that was deliberate, and upon the reading the book I shall find out. If it wasn't deliberate casting, then this would be the one truly disappointing factor in the whole movie.
Glenn Close and John Lithgow were tremendous. Glenn Close was strong and stood up straight and proud she reminded me of an Ayn Rand heroine except that she was a bit of a do-gooder in the end. That said, was she really? Why did she open up her house to these women? Was she simply lonely and had all this money and nothing to do with it? Did she feel guilty about stealing her son's literary limelight? She didn't write the book because she wanted to help women. But then, what was her motivation for writing the book? Why did she write it when she knew it would compete with her son? She is not well-explained in the movie, but ultimately her comment at the end that she "didn't want to be the granny in the house" seemed to underline her "selfishness" which is not unhealthy at all (she does not live vicariously through others or through the controlling of others she lives for herself and is true to herself). I do believe that Jenny was modeled after an Ayn Rand heroine. Three cheers!!! I am going to read more John Irving books to see if he has other Ayn Rand influences of if this was just a fluke. With that said, one comment I will make is that Ayn Rand never really deals with children and she had none of her own I believe, so her philosophy doesn't always extend well to parents and this may be John Irving's attempt (unintentional or not) at that which I do appreciate. By the way, a character of Ayn Rand's epic "Atlas Shrugged" is named Galt it may be interested to reread and note any similarities between Garp and Galt.
Definitely a movie to see, especially single moms and sons which have very special issues associated with the missing role model "dad".