Robin Williams, I hardly knew ye!

I've debated starting a blog to do some writing for a few months, mostly just for a new outlet for doing some critiques and analysis of things i like (or don't)

But Robin Williams passed yesterday, and it's the first time I really felt compelled to write about something, especially something like a celebrity death. I've talked about this with a few friends and we've discussed sort of the weird over arching feeling sadness his death brought, and regardless of how he went, I wanted to try and figure out why this was such a big deal to me.

As someone approaching his 30s, I think I'm part of a generation gap when it comes to Robin Williams, unlike my parents I didn't know him as Mork from Ork, or from his manic performance on SNL or his improv stuff with Billy Crystal, or as a cocaine fueled party machine on the Stand-up Circuit.

And I was too young to really latch unto his first foray into films, Good Morning Vietnam,Dead Poet's Society, The Fisher King were all flicks that were way too adult when I was way too young to understand them, so I missed his initial rise to prominence.

The Robin Williams I knew was a movie star already, and he did a lot of stuff across a lot of genres, but I recall him best in 4 films, Aladdin, Hook, Mrs Doubtfire, and Jumanji, because before I had turned 12 I had seen each movie approximately eleventy billion times. And Robin Williams was the man, until he wasn't. He was essentially the first movie star who seemed to be a movie star for kids. Guys like Arnold, or Van Damme or Stallone, were action stars, but those guys were bad ass. Robin Williams wasn't bad ass, Robin Williams like a giant kid, the class smart ass that winked and nodded to the kids to keep them in on the joke. He was Mister Rogers with an attitude. Those movies I mentioned above, are child wish fulfillment, Robin is a magic Genie, Peter Pan, Living in a board game and a dad who would literally do anything for his kids. He was a movie star who only acted in roles kids would want.

Williams worked steadily and even joked that there were years that movies were promoted as "not starring Robin Williams" But there was some stuff that was not so great in there, Flubber, Father's Day. Bicentennial Man. Mostly stuff that I skipped, but not everyone based on the number of tributes I've read this week.

But a funny thing happened, he became a cool ass actor when I was an teen/adult. Maybe they were movies that came out when I was coming of age or stuff I'd seen as uni student, It's easy to love Williams in What Dreams May Come, Good Will Hunting, World's Greatest Dad.

Shit I even loved him in stuff that got panned like Death to Smoochy, Man of the Year, One Hour Photo

Then I saw his Standup:
Robin Williams Live on Broadway is about as close to a recent classic we have in terms of standup comedy specials, Filmed in 02, in a post 9/11 world, Williams had a manic take for a lot of stuff, and while some the accents and mannerisms may date his material, It was funny in a time where not a lot of people were willing to be (though Carlins' Complaints and Grievances came out right after 9/11, and I thought that show was awesome). But Lord only knows how much material Williams had and how much he was just riffing on stage. Williams was a bit manic on stage but I loved the guy, even if the act has to be watched in stages, because you can't possibly get everything in one sitting.

Recently I've dug his return to the small screen, The Crazy Ones wasn't the best show to premiere this last season, hell I doubt it was the best new show to be cancelled, but it let Williams just riff. The blooper reel at the end of the show was always fantastic, watching his co-stars try and keep up with him. His bit on Louie was fantastic as well

It's a strange thing but If you look as his filmography he'd become the kids guy again, Night at the Museum, Robots, RV, Happy Feet, He'd cycled back for people who were surly teens when I was kid, to entertain their kids, which is really kind of awesome.

 

It just bums me out that Williams ended up being the punchline to this joke, which is cruelly fitting for a man who dedicated his life to making people laugh (Credit goes to Patton Oswalt for making this connection for me): Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says "Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears. Says "But, doctor...I am Pagliacci"

Robin Williams we hardly knew ye, which is weird because we totally felt like we did

Right Craig Ferguson?

Rest in Power Robin Williams, and thanks for all the Laughs, and for teaching me that divorce wasn't really the end of the world.