World's Greatest Dad (2009)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tyler C

  
  A twisted,deadpan yet very funny satirical dark comedy from the very odd mind of comedian-turned-writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait. Robin Williams turns in one of the most overlooked performances of his career, in addition to Daryl Sabara standing out as his… More
  A twisted,deadpan yet very funny satirical dark comedy from the very odd mind of comedian-turned-writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait. Robin Williams turns in one of the most overlooked performances of his career, in addition to Daryl Sabara standing out as his manipulative,hostile,sex-obsessed son. A very underrated independent gem.

• Sam B

  
  As dark as comedies get, the story of a father who tries to save his despicable son's terrible reputation after his death boasts an amazing performance from the always-great Robin Williams. World's Greatest Dad can be depressing, but it will shock viewers into understanding… More
  As dark as comedies get, the story of a father who tries to save his despicable son's terrible reputation after his death boasts an amazing performance from the always-great Robin Williams. World's Greatest Dad can be depressing, but it will shock viewers into understanding what it means to be human, to be trapped by dishonesty, and to love unconditionally.

• Melvin W

  
  Lance Clayton: You guys didn't like Kyle. That's okay. I didn't either. I loved him. He was my son. But he was also a douchebag.  "Lance Clayton is about to get everything he deserves." Black Humor at it's best is on display in World's Greatest… More
  Lance Clayton: You guys didn't like Kyle. That's okay. I didn't either. I loved him. He was my son. But he was also a douchebag.  "Lance Clayton is about to get everything he deserves." Black Humor at it's best is on display in World's Greatest Dad. Not many movies can be so relentlessly funny and extremely sad at the same time. World's Greatest Dad works in both respects because of it's development over the first 30 minutes. We see what Kyle Clayton is like. We see what he likes(looking at vaginas) and what he doesn't like(everything else). We see how Lance is affected by his son and we also see how Kyle's fellow classmates feel about him.  The film is awkward, dark, disturbing, sad and hilarious. All these characteristics are on display during the film and most at the same time. When the events unfold we are left with a decision to make; do we laugh or do we cry. I chose to laugh, but I'd would get emotionally involved at times with Lance. It's hard not to feel sorry for his character. Robin Williams plays Lance so well. Daryl Sabera plays Kyle very well also. It is weird though to think that just a few years ago he was running around as one of the Spy Kids, trying to save his parents. But hey, people change. I can see why people would be turned off by this. The first time I watched it I was shock. The shock came as a result of knowing absolutely nothing about the film though. I didn't know it was R-rated. To me it looked like a PG movie from the title and cover. It took about 5 minutes for me to realize that this was not intended for children. I was happy about that too and I really ended up loving this movie. Not for everyone for sure, but fans of dark humor will really enjoy it. If you only like light humor go watch 50 First Dates.

• Dan S

  
  A biting, funny satire of the fascination concerning the recently deceased, and how a burned-out dad (Robin Williams) decides to exploit his jerk son's (Daryl Sabara) death in order to fulfill some of his own aspirations as a writer. You wouldn't expect such a mature,… More
  A biting, funny satire of the fascination concerning the recently deceased, and how a burned-out dad (Robin Williams) decides to exploit his jerk son's (Daryl Sabara) death in order to fulfill some of his own aspirations as a writer. You wouldn't expect such a mature, well-rounded dramedy from a goofball director like Bobcat Goldthwait, but he does a mostly phenomenal job tackling this subject and exploring many different scenarios of it. It always helps when you get an outstanding, riveting performance from your lead actor (Williams never ceases to astound with his versatility), as well as still leaving the viewer with plenty to chew on after the movie has concluded. It does have flaws, notably some poor acting by some of the kid actors in the movie. However, Williams' uncomfortable performance drives this movie completely, since his character is someone you completely sympathize with, even to the point where you think he deserves some of the fame he eventually gets, despite attaining it under false pretenses.

• Gordon A

  
  Jet black satire on our attitudes to suicide is enlivened by a cracking central performance from Williams. He manages to balance humour and feeling but real credit also lies with Goldthwait who constructs a truthful scenario and then has great fun playing with our perceptions and… More
  Jet black satire on our attitudes to suicide is enlivened by a cracking central performance from Williams. He manages to balance humour and feeling but real credit also lies with Goldthwait who constructs a truthful scenario and then has great fun playing with our perceptions and expectations. A less hard edged 'Heathers'.

• Michael S

  
  A great film... one of Robin Williams' best performances.

• Lenny M

  
  Dark, twisted black comedy. Really hard to watch. Broken relationships and bizarre characters, especially Robin Williams' son in the film. Robin Williams does give his best performance that I've seen in a while. The script is original and clever, but a hellified dark… More
  Dark, twisted black comedy. Really hard to watch. Broken relationships and bizarre characters, especially Robin Williams' son in the film. Robin Williams does give his best performance that I've seen in a while. The script is original and clever, but a hellified dark animal. Probably won't watch the film again but Robin Williams was great.

• Leigh R

  
  Eh! I hated the son with a passion and it threw off the whole rest of the film for me I think. There were a few great characters, like the best friend of the son, he was awesome. Not on my to watch again list but critics seemed to like it so I am unsure what I'm missing.

• Tim S

  
  There are some really funny and poignant moments in this film. I was really surprised by Robin Williams, who gives one of his most reserved performances in a long time. I think the entire idea behind the film is pretty interesting, but would have like to have seen it in the hands of a… More
  There are some really funny and poignant moments in this film. I was really surprised by Robin Williams, who gives one of his most reserved performances in a long time. I think the entire idea behind the film is pretty interesting, but would have like to have seen it in the hands of a more experienced director. The best and funniest moments come from Daryl Sabara who is hilarious and realistic as the son. There are some head-scratching moments, but, overall it was enjoyable and it's nice to see that Robin Williams can still act.

• Al S

  
  A smart, twisted, disgusting, foul-mouthed, original and savagely funny film. Robin Williams is terrifically hilarious in one of his best performances in the last few years. It's not a great film nor is it a classic but it does have some surprisingly affectionate moments that… More
  A smart, twisted, disgusting, foul-mouthed, original and savagely funny film. Robin Williams is terrifically hilarious in one of his best performances in the last few years. It's not a great film nor is it a classic but it does have some surprisingly affectionate moments that make it work. A thoughtful, bold and outrageous film that you have to see at least once. Even with its vulgar and disturbing background of the father faking his sons accidental death with a suicide and making a fake journal of what he was, is well making the character less likable but does the honorable thing in the end. It also shows the side of people in tragedy's and how they might of thought of the deceased and shows how they might of thought of that person. A dark comedy with something to say. It brakes all the rules and has fun with it with a satisfying conclusion.

• Conner R

  
  Extremely funny and bold, if only more comedies could be so dark. Robin Williams brings forth his twisted side that is usually only seen in his stand up and truly is the world's greatest dad. It's a great premise that no one should know going in, it's just way too… More
  Extremely funny and bold, if only more comedies could be so dark. Robin Williams brings forth his twisted side that is usually only seen in his stand up and truly is the world's greatest dad. It's a great premise that no one should know going in, it's just way too hilarious to ruin. The humor is intelligent and twisted. I think it's actually one of the best comedies i've seen in a while.

• Nate Z

  
  The name Bobcat Goldthwait doesn?t exactly make you think accomplished filmmaker. Goldthwait is best known for his screechy, nervous voice utilized in animated features and the hallowed Police Academy series. But he?s also a writer and a director. His first effort was 1991?s Shakes… More
  The name Bobcat Goldthwait doesn?t exactly make you think accomplished filmmaker. Goldthwait is best known for his screechy, nervous voice utilized in animated features and the hallowed Police Academy series. But he?s also a writer and a director. His first effort was 1991?s Shakes the Clown, starring Bill Murray as an inept bank-robbing clown. Then he wrote and directed a 2006 movie called Sleeping Dogs Lie that centered on the romantic foibles of a woman who, on a whim, once gave her dog oral pleasure. I can?t see Hollywood touching that one with a ten-foot pole. These sort of unconventional, risky artistic concepts might prepare you for Goldthwait?s newest black comedy, the ironically titled World?s Greatest Dad. Lance Clayton (Robin Williams) is an underappreciated man. His teenage son, Kyle (Daryl Sabara), hates him. He cannot find anyone interested in published his many manuscripts. His colleagues think little of him, students don?t attend his poetry class, and his quasi-girlfriend, Claire (Alexie Gilmore) is showing more interest in Mike (Henry Simmons), the new hunky, successful English teacher that got a story published in the New Yorker on his first try. Then everything changes. Lance comes home to find his son dead of autoerotic asphyxiation. He rearranges the body and writes a suicide note, attempting to spare his son from being mocked in death. But then the school hacks into the police system and prints Kyle?s suicide note. The entire school is awash in grief and discovers what an insightful, troubled young man Kyle was. They all want to know everything they can about Kyle, and suddenly Lance has found an outlet for his writing. The movie satirizes grief culture with sharp acuity. Kyle?s classmates all react with horror and look back with extreme rose-colored glasses. Suddenly their fallen peer has transformed from the kid nobody liked into the wounded soul that touched all their lives. Bullies reexamine their behavior, girls that never would have given him the time of day now immortalize Kyle, and the faculty that wanted to expel him now wishes to rename the library in his lasting memory. This warm, fuzzy gauze of grief is Goldthwait?s target. He is satirizing how people turn tragedy into hypocritical attitude shifts. He ridicules the easy revision of history under the guise of collective sympathy. Not every youth is necessarily taken before their time. Not everyone was going to grow up to contribute selflessly to society, making the world a better place to live. Not every youth is deserving of canonization. Some people are just jerks from beginning to end, and Goldthwait proposes we do a disservice when we whitewash reality in the name of kindness and good taste. The only person who can see through this wave of hypocrisy is Kyle?s only friend, Andrew (Evan Martin), who doesn?t remember his crabby buddy being deep, articulate, or remotely smart. Goldthwait?s screenplay is seriously dark and twisted, but it?s also routinely hilarious, notably utilizing a deranged sense of irony. Lance uses his own son?s death as the vessel to become a respected writer. He uses his own dead son as his literary pen name. For once in his life, Lance now has an insatiable and adoring audience for his writings, and to top it all off they won?t dare be critical. Lance is manufacturing his son?s legacy and gaining unbeknownst critical praise. That?s fairly dark and fairly amusing stuff. It?s also funny that Kyle?s death has a greater positive effect on the community than Kyle being alive. The school rallies together and students use the death to justify personal growth. The fake journal of Kyle?s touches and enlightens, which further pumps up Lance?s ballooning ego and sense of purpose. At one point, a talk show host raises the question of whether it?s better to be a good person or thought of as a good person, and this gets to the heart of Lance?s dilemma. His actions are morally questionable. What started as an effort to protect his son?s dignity has morphed into personal gain. Is the world a better place because of this false rendering of Kyle? Is the lie better than the ugly truth? Is the lie justifiable? I honestly never expected to be confronted with tricky ethical questions while watching a movie made by Bobcat Goldthwait. This is the best work Robin Williams has done in years, which I understand might not be saying much considering his recent slate of brain-dead family comedies. He hasn?t shown this much restraint, and talent, since his 2002 World Tour of Evil that included One Hour Photo and the masterful Insomnia. Williams drops every pretense of his well-known manic funnyman shtick and plays an actually subdued character. Lance is beaten down by the disappointments of his job and fatherhood. Williams effectively coveys the exhaustion of a man who repeatedly fails to connect with his brat of a boy. He doesn?t know what to do; the kid is practically a sullen stranger in his own house. Williams endures such slights and misfortunes with deadpan humor and sarcasm and the audience actually vaguely sympathizes with him through much, if not all, of the second half. Williams is mostly reactive and can come across like a calculated striaghtman to Goldthwait?s cracked-out script. You feel for the guy when he can capitalize on his son?s death and you practically want him to get away with it all. Sabara has grown up considerably since being the chubby little tyke in the Spy Kids movies. It?s amazing how much you will detest his character. This kid is perverted, repugnant, obstinate, and just plain idiotic. He hates music (?All music? You hate all music??), he hates movies, and he dislikes pretty much everything other than extreme pornographic fetishes. Kyle is a nightmarish child with no redeeming value. He had to be in order for the satire to work. World?s Greatest Dad is a misanthropic hoot of a movie, but that doesn?t mean it is without flaws. Goldthwait has yet to prove any particular style or vision behind the camera. His direction isn?t a distraction by any means but it mostly just presents the story in an unobtrusive fashion. He also has the annoying habit of using music selections as a storytelling crutch. He?s prone to using several songs that describe the onscreen drama to a literal level. For a script as biting and clever, it?s disappointing that Goldthwait feels the need to use songs to spell out his implicit drama. This being satire, by nature the characters are mostly going to be thin. The classmates are little more than a cross sectional representation of high school stereotypes, ready to slide in for a joke. Other side characters are weak due to being underwritten or dropped. Claire is a shallow love interest flitting from suitor to suitor, offering little more than a conquest. Mike works as a foil to Lance but then is completely forgotten about in the second half. There?s one interesting scene where Mike, Lance, and the principal are all golfing and the roles are reversed, Lance is the confidant and respected colleague and Mike is jockeying for approval. But that?s pretty much the last you?ll ever see his character in a meaningful way other than taking up space in the background. In the end, World?s Greatest Dad is not a comedy that will leave your sides aching or seams in need of stitching. It?s dark and disturbing but unlike the earlier Observe and Report, this movie actually provides an entry point for empathy. It?s provocative and twisted but it never pushes the audience out of the story. The intriguing steup is explored with careful consideration. The characters manufacture a false love for a kid that was all but ignored, and everyone is worthy of scorn to some degree. Even Lance is worthy of derision considering he?s exploiting sympathy to find the success that has eluded him his entire life. But Williams? performance and Goldthwait?s sharp screenplay keep the film grounded amidst its satirical targets. Most surprising of all, there?s a a sweetness that emerges from this film?s black core. Lance regains a sense of humanity and purpose, and so do we due to his journey. Golthwait has come up with an unusual, morbid, and cynical comedy that manages to be somewhat life affirming by its final reel. I can?t believe I?m saying this, but I believe Bobcat Goldthwait is establishing himself as a strong comedic voice in the world of film. I eagerly await the next movie by the guy who did all the funny voices in Police Academy. Nate's Grade: A-

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  What a different movie. In a good way. Worlds Greatest Dad is a movie loosely about a dysfunctional relationship between a father and his son, but more so about a man that learns that the things you want most aren't necessarily the things that will make you happy. Robin… More
  What a different movie. In a good way. Worlds Greatest Dad is a movie loosely about a dysfunctional relationship between a father and his son, but more so about a man that learns that the things you want most aren't necessarily the things that will make you happy. Robin Williams portrays a man named Lance Clayton, who is a struggling author. He had dreams of being a rich and famous writer, but has only managed to become a school poetry teacher. He has a son named Kyle (Daryl Sabara) who is just awfully rude and could care less about anything and anyone besides his pornography. Soon tragedy strikes Clayton and with that comes the best opportunity of his life. But it also comes with a price. One of the best films I have seen Robin Williams in. Haven't seen anything good with him in it for awhile, so it was nice seeing him at his best again. Really thought this movie was twisted a little bit. Dark comedy. Had a strong message. Really enjoyed it. My favorite quote from the movie would had to be from Robin's character Lance when he said, "I use to think the worse thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worse thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel like your alone." Great stuff. The only thing I didn't really care for in this movie, is seeing all Robin's bits and pieces..lol.. Could have went a life time without that.. But it was really a good movie.. lol..

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Lance Clayton is about to get everything he deserves."</i> A comedy about a man who learns that the things you want most may not be the things that make you happy, and that being lonely is not necessarily the same as being alone. <center><font… More
  <i>"Lance Clayton is about to get everything he deserves."</i> A comedy about a man who learns that the things you want most may not be the things that make you happy, and that being lonely is not necessarily the same as being alone. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> This movie worked very well as a dark comedy. It followed no set boundaries and goes its own way. The results are incredibly dark, sometimes being almost twisted. There are some scenes where the viewer doesn't know whether to laugh or feel sad. Robin Williams delivers his best performance in a while as Lance Clayton, a struggling writer striving for success and hell-bent on not dying alone. I personally found it rather impressive that it was both written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait because I'm personally not too big of a fan of his stand-up and this was a far departure from it. However, the one thing that I saw as holding the movie back was its climax, which I believed took the right route, but could have been more powerful or had a bit more of a sting to it. I think Robin Williams portrayed his character extremely well. His mix of emotion, sarcasm and humbleness flowed together excellently whilst moving consecutively, and concurrently at times. Robin Williams has shown time and time again that he is not just a rifting comedian but instead a true artist and lover of his craft, this film is no exception. Daryl Sabara has branched out into a medium of film I truly think he belongs. Who would have thought the little boy from Spy Kids could be so inviting as such a rightfully harsh and depraved character. I think this proves Bobcat Goldthwait as much more than people's general perception of him. Overall, this movie, like Observe and Report released earlier in 2009, won't be for everyone, but it works very well in its own way.

• Aaron N

  
  Lance Clayton: We can go to the video store later and rent a movie. Kyle: Are you stupid? I hate watching movies. Writer/Director Bobcat Goldthwait has made a dark comedy that stars Robin Williams in what actually seems to be his best performance in years. The rest of the review… More
  Lance Clayton: We can go to the video store later and rent a movie. Kyle: Are you stupid? I hate watching movies. Writer/Director Bobcat Goldthwait has made a dark comedy that stars Robin Williams in what actually seems to be his best performance in years. The rest of the review will delve into a twist in the story that occurs about a third of the way into the movie, so if you don't want to hear minor spoilers, know that this is a good movie. Lance Clayton: Does anyone else have their haiku? Williams stars as Lance Clayton, a teacher who wishes he could be a published writer. He works at a school, has an unpopular class, a secret relationship with another teacher, and a teenage son, who is pretty much the biggest asshole you can know. After getting the dynamic across between Lance and his son, Kyle, a funny thing happens. Kyle accidentally kills himself while masturbating. Choosing to hide the embarrassment of the situation, Lance sets up the scene to make it look like Kyle killed himself, and goes as far as forging a suicide note. While this works, another funny thing happens. The suicide note is leaked into the school and everyone seems to forget how much of a dick Kyle was, and instead embraces the situation. Lance is now faced with the possibility of the fame that he has wanted due to some more factors that follow, as long as he plays along with the charade. I guess you can say this film is kind of weird. It stars out as a comedy filled with awkward humor and one-liners, but then turns into a dark comedy with some satirical elements involving the school's reaction the Kyle's death. At the center of all this is Williams. Williams has the kind of performance here that I really enjoy. He's being very funny, without seemingly trying. He's dialed down and playing the role straight, but with a sort of charm that transforms over the course of the film. The subject matter is dark, but Goldthwait manages to handle the tone pretty well to never make the film reach a low sad point in emotion. He has toyed with irony in a way that works and given Williams the chance to be in a good comedy again. Neighbor: That's your son, I thought he was a zombie. Lance Clayton: I wish, I like zombies.

• Luke B

  
  Gobsmackingly brilliant. World's Greatest Dad was one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises of my film watching life. I'm amazed that Bobcat Goldthwait has managed to write and direct one of the best films of the last 10 years. World's Greatest Dad is a dark… More
  Gobsmackingly brilliant. World's Greatest Dad was one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises of my film watching life. I'm amazed that Bobcat Goldthwait has managed to write and direct one of the best films of the last 10 years. World's Greatest Dad is a dark comedy, very dark, very funny and very, very moving. The film literally had me in hysterics, just before I wept like a little bitch. At times my face made expressions and shapes that it had never made before, as it awkwardly contorted itself to something that represents that place between laughter and crying. Williams is a revelation, see him act in scenes too difficult describe and too complex to understand what his character must be feeling at that time. He always remains believable, as do all the characters. The film has such heart that it manages to depict people acting like pricks and doing terrible things, without creating misguided hate towards them. On top of all this we also have a bucketload of themes covered. From unconditional love, to the hypocrisy of fame, to the morbid side of recognition after death. It's a brave film, and easily an unlikable one if you misinterpret some of the intentions. For me, this is a film that is brave enough to say how things truly are, by dealing with incredibly depressing subject matter, but also manages to be one of the most uplifting films ever made. Alone and lonely are different, it's better to be hatefully remembered than loved by a bunch of phonies. This film has endless rewatchability and I would genuinely like to thank Bobcat Goldthwait for making something this perfect..

• Michael M

  
  The sci-fi western Firefly is one of my favorite TV shows, if not my all time favorite. My favorite line from my favorite episode comes from Mal who says: "it's my estimation that every man ever got a statue made of him was one kind of son of a bitch or another. It… More
  The sci-fi western Firefly is one of my favorite TV shows, if not my all time favorite. My favorite line from my favorite episode comes from Mal who says: "it's my estimation that every man ever got a statue made of him was one kind of son of a bitch or another. It ain't about you, it's about what they need." But I'm not here to talk about Firefly. So what relevance does that quote have? More than you might think. On the surface Worlds Greatest Dad is a pitch black comedy about how a man profits from the death of his son. On a deeper level, it's an interesting study on the true nature of the people we turn into heroes. Kyle Clayton (Daryl Sabara) is an underachieving, foul-mouthed, sex-obsessed, antisocial, disrespectful, and genuinely unlikable 15 year-old. His father Lance (Robin Williams) is a socially awkward unpublished author who teaches poetry at Kyle's school. Neither of them is particularly likeable, but you end up sympathizing for Lance somewhat, if only for the fact that he gets so much abuse from his son. The relationship between the two is violent to say the least. Kyle verbally and emotionally slanders his father, and Lance is too timid to speak back. I would say Sabara was overacting, were it not for the fact that I've known teenagers who behave exactly like him. You don't have to deal with him for too long though, as shortly into the movie Kyle accidentally dies by choking himself while masturbating to photos of Lance's girlfriend. This is where the movie gets interesting. On a whim, Lance positions Kyle's body to make it look like a suicide, and writes a suicide letter. The note leaks onto the Internet and is read by the entire student body. With its popularity Lance releases Kyle's journal, also written by him. In life Kyle was the most hated student in school, in death he becomes a hero. People who never knew Kyle claim to have been close to him. Students start wearing t-shirts with the words "What Would Kyle Do?" May seem a little excessive, but think about all the people who wear Che Guevara shirts and have no idea who he was or what he stood for. We like to create heroes in people (especially posthumously) it's our nature as humans. Many of our heroes are probably undeserving of their praise. But is this inherently a bad thing? One student comes up to Lance and tells him that he was thinking about killing himself, but reading Kyle's "journal" helped him get through his depression. Do the ends justify the means? At the same time, there is an interesting critique on literary publishing in that Kyle's journal becomes such a success, when all of Lance's previous works were rejected. The film is not without it's problems. Williams's performance, while superb the majority of the time, can start to feel a little hammy during some of the more dramatic moments. It's also clearly the work of an amateur director, and it can feel a bit clunky at times. Then there's the ending. Now I have mixed feelings about this part. On the one hand, it seems too contrived and theatrical. On the other hand, it worked well enough for what it was and I'm not sure I would change much were the project in my hands. The film as a whole was very thought provoking for me. It's not always a pleasant film to watch, and in fact it can get downright miserable sometimes. Not all of it worked, but I admire how bold and unconventional it is. Even though it never provides definitive answers, it asks some very interesting questions. Highlights Directed by: Bobcat Goldthwait Screenplay by: Bobcat Goldthwait Starring: Robin Williams, Daryl Sabara, Alexie Gilmore, Evan Martin Pros: An admirable boldness and thought provoking subject matter Cons: Clearly the work of an amateur director, a climax that's a bit too theatrical Rated: R for crass sexual material, a scene of male nudity, strong language and crude sexual talk, some disturbing images Should You See it?: If you're not turned off by the dark subject it's interesting and at times very funny

• Walter M

  
  In "World's Greatest Dad," Lance Clayton(Robin Williams), an English teacher, is a frustrated writer who has had four novels rejected by publishers with number five on the way. To add insult to injury, Mike Lane(Henry Simmons), a fellow teacher, has just had a story… More
  In "World's Greatest Dad," Lance Clayton(Robin Williams), an English teacher, is a frustrated writer who has had four novels rejected by publishers with number five on the way. To add insult to injury, Mike Lane(Henry Simmons), a fellow teacher, has just had a story published in the New Yorker on the first try. Lance's son Kyle(Daryl Sabara) attends the same high school his father teaches at and has a disturbing taste in pornography, is homophobic, in desperate need of sensitivity training and one step away from special education. Kyle's only friend is Andrew(Evan Martin). At least Lance has a girlfriend, Claire(Alexie Gilmore), who is taller and much younger. "World's Greatest Dad" is an ironic, amusing and intermittently outright funny black tragicomedy that does not really cover any new territory. Just so we are clear, the movie does not target tragedy, but the reactions afterward, which in this case is how religions get started. A large part of the movie's appeal comes from its sympathy for its characters which is reinforced by a controlled performance from Robin Williams, in what is more a character turn than anything else, as a man who acts out of love at first, more than earning the movie its title. And it is the one movie where the lead character needs to be a writer. Along the way, it also tackles status and where better to do that than a high school? I especially loved the final statement of being alone is not the worst thing that can happen, but being with people who make you feel alone is.

• Mike N

  
  On sheer ballsyness mixed with sincere emotion, World's Greatest Dad more than earns its keep as a great movie. It's a deadpan, dark, and daring comedy that flew completely under my radar during its paltry theatrical release, and only in DVD land did its buzz catch up to… More
  On sheer ballsyness mixed with sincere emotion, World's Greatest Dad more than earns its keep as a great movie. It's a deadpan, dark, and daring comedy that flew completely under my radar during its paltry theatrical release, and only in DVD land did its buzz catch up to me. And I am thankful that it did. It's surprisingly great, especially given how loopy and gauche it could've gotten. I think World's Greatest Dad takes a great premise nearly all the way to genius: Robin Williams being a failed writer and struggling high school English teacher and father of a jackoff son and student at the same school, and through gut-wrenching tragedy he finds a way to gain writing success, even if it means hoodwinking the public. At least, there were sequences of simultaneous heartbreak and hilarity that were pure genius. I've never felt such pathos while laughing so hard, however good-natured. I was simply astonished that this movie could achieve that. If I'm being vague about the plot, forgive me. If you've not seen this movie, I want to preserve the shocker that occurs mid-way through that sets the wheels of savage dark comedy in motion. It went to WTF-levels of gutsiness after that, and if nothing else, you have to respect the film for that. Heck, I even found myself rooting for redemption for characters in need of it in this film, even if it was already too late. Robin Williams does a terrific job at portraying the detached yet loving character necessary for the role, and the movie itself creates a world that's almost believable, even if it's all kind of a flight of fantasy in taking the concept further than reality would. Still, the emotions were genuine and deeply-affecting - in fact, I still can't quite shake the ribbons of feeling I had while watching it. The movie concludes a little too "indie film," but the net impact is unforgettable. And weirdly enough, Bobcat Goldthwait left his gig as a Citizen on Patrol to write and direct this whackily brilliant movie.

• Glenn G

  
  Let me preface this review by saying that I am NOT a Robin Williams fan. I love him in THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP and....well...nothing else...until now. I LOVED his performance as the Doormat Dad in this film so much, that I'm almost willing to forgive the out-of-nowhere and… More
  Let me preface this review by saying that I am NOT a Robin Williams fan. I love him in THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP and....well...nothing else...until now. I LOVED his performance as the Doormat Dad in this film so much, that I'm almost willing to forgive the out-of-nowhere and somewhat unwelcome satirical turn this film takes after a painfully realistic first act. Daryl Sabara as the world's worst son gives a truly startling performance as the type of teenager you rarely get to see in film - a total asshole with absolutely nothing sweet or kind about him to get in the way. He's mesmerizing. I don't want to give anything away, but it's pretty easy to see that the satire is a bit warmed-over...a little bit of HEATHERS, a little bit of ELECTION (both done better). But I TRULY loved Robin Williams' performance as a guy who truly has to search himself to figure out what's the right thing to do in your life. Writer/Director Bobcat Goldthwait is truly onto something here....and almost nails it. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys satire and looking at truly painful situations without flinching. Everyone else, you've been warned.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings