The World According to Garp

The World According To Garp (1982)

  • 79% of critics liked it
    (14 reviews)

  • 75% of users liked it
    (20,063 ratings)

The 1982 film version of the John Irving novel The World According to Garp attempts to captures the quirky spirit while condensing the Irving original. Robin Williams plays the title character, the son of unmarried, unorthodox feminist Jenny Fields (Glenn Close, in her film debut). Every effort made… More

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R,
Directed By
Genres
Drama, Romance, Comedy
In Theaters
Jul 23, 1982 Wide
Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

  • Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum

    Robin Williams displays the acting chops that would later win him an Oscar

  • Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

    Good effort, sometimes nearly great

  • Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

    True to the spirit of the novel, the film compels us to consider the ambiguities of love, death, sex, and violence that characterize modern life.

  • James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

    seems to waver between almost sitcom-like normality, and bizarre outlandishness

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Universal D


    Scattershot cutaway look at John Irving's involving work ain't too bad, but the large source material refuses to be simply condensed into movie form and what suffers is the work's emotive impact. Mom sleeping with a dying guy, potent sure, but given short shrift in the… More

  • Lucas M


    Drama, comedy and romance. A wonderful film, full of surprises, showing delicate theme, how: bastard sons, homosexuality, feminism, adultery and infantile sexuality. All this recounted by the protagonist, T.S. Garp. A great black romantic comedy, that commotion your spectator.

  • Anthony L


    Williams, Close and Lithgo's performances are brilliant in this perfect Sunday afternoon film! Tragedy and hilarity go hand in hand in this adaption of John Irving's excellent novel.

  • Tim S


    It's the rare kind of movie that makes you want to read the book because I can only imagine how good that is. I also want to go rent more George Roy Hill movies.

  • Dean M


    Dazzling! Magnificent drama movie! The acting is impressive, with first-rate turns by Robin Williams as the title role, Glenn Close as his mother, and John Lithgow as a kindly transsexual.

Read all 14 featured audience ratings

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Cast

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