Regardless of the film’s wayward third-act direction, “World’s Greatest Dad” is an insightful, if somewhat thinly layered dark comedy.
World’s Greatest Dad (2009, DVD)
Directors: Bobcat Goldthwait
Producers: Various
Writers: Bobcat Goldthwait
Features: * Commentary * Documentary * Outtakes * Deleted Scenes
Characters:
Robin Williams ... Lance Clayton
Alexie Gilmore ... Claire
Daryl Sabara ... Kyle
Henry Simmons ... Mike Lane
Genre: Drama
Review:
Available on Blu-ray and DVD December 8, 2009.
Robin Williams is the sort of actor we often forget has range. He won over our hearts in "Good Morning Vietnam," "Good Will Hunting" and "Dead Poets Society." But as of late, Williams has been slumming it in dreary slapstick comedies ("Old Dogs") or laughable indie fare ("House of D"). And while I can’t blame him for his choices -- it’s fun to just let-loose sometimes -- it’s nice seeing him return to a more serious tone with "World’s Greatest Dad."
The film, written and directed by "Police Academy"-alum Bobcat Goldthwait, follows a lowly schlub named Lance Clayton. Clayton is an aspiring, but mostly failed, author whose entire life has been met with disappointment. He’s divorced. His books have been turned down by nearly every publishing company out there and his poetry class is on the rocks, overshadowed by a creative writing course taught by a guy who looks like The Rock (played by Henry Simmons). To make matters worse, he’s dating the school’s sexy art teacher, a woman who’s way out of his league. But Clayotn’s biggest burden is his abrasive, sex addicted son (Daryl Sabara, "Halloween").
What starts out a little cheeky slowly evolves into a very real examination of a mentally unstable child, his dark sexual self-abuse and Clayton’s tempered fatherhood. Williams balances the film’s bleak elements with the darker comedic aspects of the story, making his character all the more compelling. And Sarbara delivers an Oscar-worthy performance, adding a unique spark to the oft-clichéd "troubled son" role.
Then things change. The tone of the narrative takes a sharp, dark turn -- which, at this point, was rather welcome. But what follows in the second and third act quickly seeps into well-worn territory as the film evolves into a loose reworking of "Heathers."
Gone is the fascinating examination of the characters, replaced by two-dimensional templates and less inspired dark comedy. Obviously, this is writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait’s feature, and not mine, but he was heading somewhere compelling, and this alteration to that fine-tuned narrative compromises the vision of the first act for something far less interesting -- not to the mention to massive plot holes it leaves in the wake.
Regardless of the film’s wayward third-act direction, "World’s Greatest Dad" is an insightful, if somewhat thinly layered dark comedy. The performances are terrific (with just a few exceptions). Goldthwait’s direction is low-key but involving, and the tone of the first act is absolutely perfect. The film is appealing beyond this mark, but only as cult entertainment. By this time, the layers have been pealed back and all that remains in a "Heathers" clone, albeit a fairly good one.
Film Report Card:
Entertainment Value: B+
Film Value: B
Final Grade:
B
HD REVIEW:
Video:
Click on the image above to see a full-res DVD screengrab!
"World’s Greatest Dad" is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Quality here is a touch spotty. Images are often either faded or washed out by high contrast levels. But at least the print is sharp, and mostly clean (just a few minor white specks intrude the transfer). Considering Magnolia’s iffy track record for quality DVD transfers, this one ranks pretty high, and it looks pretty decent for a low-budget indie.
Audio:
Audio choices are English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 with Spanish subtitles. The film’s sound field is never really as engaged as it could be, but the mix gets its point across just fine. Rear surrounds are almost never used and LFE are minimally activated. Dialogue is clear, however, and front surrounds are given most of the work -- and they complete their job with ease.
Extras and Packaging:
The screener copy of the DVD, provided from Magnolia, came packed in a black amaray single-disc DVD case. Extras are fairly impressive, particularly considering this film mostly went straight-to-disc.
• Commentary -- Writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait walks us through the production. It was odd hearing the comedian without this raspy, crazed voice. I didn’t even sound like the same guy. Goldthwait does hit a few dry patches, and he undersells the point of his movie towards the end, but on the whole this is a great track mixed with story and tech trivia.
• Featurette: WWBCD? (19 minutes) -- A terrific fly-on-the-wall look at the production directed by Bobcat Goldthwait’s own daughter.
• HDNet Featurette (5 minutes) -- A quick five-minute EPK.
• Deleted Scenes (4 minutes) -- A fine collection of character extensions and deleted bits.
• Outtakes (2 minutes) -- A few minutes of Robin Williams having a good time. This feature is broken in smaller sequences.
• Music Video (4 minutes) -- "I Hope I Become a Ghost" by the Deadly Syndrome. It’s a shame there wasn’t a music video from Bruce Honsby.
Final Thoughts:
"World’s Greatest Dad" may stray a little too far into "Heathers" territory during the final act, but film’s shockingly true first act makes this a must-see film. The DVD looks and sounds fine. It won’t shake your house or drop your jaw, but it’s not meant to, either. And the bonus goodies do compliment the film rather well.
DVD Report Card:
Video: B
Audio: B
Extras: B+
Packaging: A
Recommendation: Well worth your time and money.
***
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...808...
----R. L. Shaffer