The World According to Garp

"Robin Williams is Garp. He's got a funny way of looking at life."

1982 2h 16m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 400

DramaComedy

Synopsis

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A struggling young writer finds his life and work dominated by his unfaithful wife and his radical feminist mother, whose best-selling manifesto turns her into a cultural icon.

“Robin Williams is Garp. He's got a funny way of looking at life.”

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Cast

Robin Williams
T.S. Garp
Mary Beth Hurt
Helen Holm
Glenn Close
Jenny Fields
John Lithgow
Roberta Muldoon
Hume Cronyn
Mr. Fields
Jessica Tandy
Mrs. Fields
Swoosie Kurtz
The Hooker
Brenda Currin
Pooh

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: George Roy Hill
Writers: Steve Tesich
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

ERA

Did you know

44 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by George Roy Hill, shot by Miroslav Ondříček. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Stephen A. Rotter shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Robin Williams and Mary Beth Hurt and Glenn Close carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Robin Williams is Garp. He's got a funny way of looking at life.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0084917 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

George Roy Hill directs. Miroslav Ondříček behind the camera. Stephen A. Rotter cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

144 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by George Roy Hill, shot by Miroslav Ondříček. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Editor Stephen A. Rotter shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Robin Williams and Mary Beth Hurt and Glenn Close carry the top of the cast.
5Marketing tagline: "Robin Williams is Garp. He's got a funny way of looking at life.".
6IMDB entry: tt0084917 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Classified under 15 themes, including "based on novel or book", "pregnancy", "wrestling", "wrestler".

The technical file

Cinematography: Miroslav Ondříček
Editing: Stephen A. Rotter
Production design: Henry Bumstead
Costume design: Ann Roth
Makeup / hair: Robert Laden
Runtime: 136 min · 2h 16m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $17,000,000
Box office: $29,712,172
Return: 175% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The World According to Garp (1982)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

George Roy Hill

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

badelf2026-06-15
★ 8/10
My Robin Williams Retrospective: The World According to Garp (1982) Robin Williams surprises here with a character so unlike what we typically associate with him. T.S. Garp is lower energy, even-tempered, thoughtful; there's no manic improvisation, no volcanic bursts of comic energy. Instead, Williams plays restraint, playing a man navigating the absurdities and tragedies of his peculiar life with quiet determination. He's grounded, present, entirely credible as a writer and father trying to make sense of a world that keeps intruding on his domestic aspirations. It's a beautiful performance, one that reminds us of Williams' incredible range, his ability to disappear into character rather than dominate the frame. The casting of John Lithgow as Roberta Muldoon is nothing short of brilliant. Lithgow brings warmth, humor, and complete authenticity to the role of the former football player turned trans woman. He could have played it as caricature; instead, he finds the humanity, the loyalty, the fierce friendship that defines Roberta. It's a performance that holds up remarkably well, tender and funny and utterly without condescension, earning him a well-deserved Oscar nomination. Glenn Close, in her film debut, delivers solid, commanding work as Jenny Fields, Garp's fiercely independent mother whose unconventional life and feminist manifesto make her a cultural lightning rod. Close embodies the character who spearheads the film's central question: can we tolerate viewpoints that challenge our own? Can we accept lifestyles that don't conform to societal norms? Her Oscar nomination was well deserved; she gives Jenny both strength and vulnerability, making her more than just an ideological figure. And the brief appearance of Amanda Plummer is a real treat, a small moment of connection that becomes even more resonant when you remember her later pairing with Williams in The Fisher King. Even here, you can see the chemistry, the way Williams meets unconventional energy with openness and generosity. This is Williams proving he could anchor a literary adaptation, that his gifts extended far beyond comedy into genuine dramatic range.

Production companies