MovieChat Forums > The World According to Garp (1982) Discussion > Is this worth watching?

Is this worth watching?

posted 22 years ago by Figaro4444
36 replies | jump to latest

Hi, I really enjoyed the book and was just wandering if anyone who has read the book was dissapionted with the film? I want to see it but dont want to ruin the book.

[–] helen-240 18 years ago

Believe me you have no worries about it ruining the book, in fact the reverse applies...the film is a major disappointment compared with the book. Williams plays a mere shadow of the man in the book and the story has been hacked about so much that it is an outrage. The film is absolute crap compared with the book.

[–] girlonthewing 18 years ago

i was hugely disappointed by the movie. this is my favorite book EVER. robin williams was, in my opinion, horrible for the part of Garp. Just totally wrong. The only casting i liked, in fact, was John Lithgow as Roberta. I really don't recommend this movie. Compared to the book, it was just horrible. But if anything, it will just strengthen your love of the book, because you'll see how much better it was.

[–] Pandjy 18 years ago

This is one of my all time favorite movies, however, no one else I know likes it. I really think it is one that you have to see for yourself. I watch it every couple of years and I cry every time.

I did read the book a few years ago and I enjoyed that too.

[–] tjantus 18 years ago

I thought that the movie was about as good as could be made from the book; it captured most of the same feelings and sense of wonder of life. If they'd tried to stick too closely to the novel, it would have been 6-hrs long and a complete bore. The characters were well cast, and I thought the acting superb.
I laughed, I cried...it was everything.

And I don't much care for Robin Williams in most other things.