It's the only movie I have ever liked more than the book it was based on. In this case, I'd say "loved". This movie was my #1 favorite for years, and, considering how much I love movies, that's saying something! In his early years, Garp keeps pushing and pulling, and trying to steer, but life doesn't work that way, and all he can really do is hold on for dear life and watch out for the undertow. I love the symmetry - the comforting idea that life's experiences are all woven into a circle that eternally repeats, it's all coming around again, you know -for better or worse. Jenny Fields, Garp's mother, is a hilarious and wonderful character - strong and wise, but with blind-spots in the strangest places(Garp: "What does she know about lust? She's never felt it - not once!"). My favorite character is Roberta Muldoon, Jenny's transsexual friend and protector, and Garp's best friend. Even though Roberta used to play for the Philadelphia Eagles(Roberta: "(I was)Number 90 - Robert Muldoon. I had a great pair of hands")he traded in his football(among other things)to bat for the other side. John Lithgow brilliantly-embodies this complex person in a way that is both subtle and endearing. There are lines in this movie I will never forget, and moments that still make me tear-up after 25 years of repeat-viewings(Garp and Jenny on the front porch - I call it "The Undertow Look" - it's one of the best "Life is a Circle" moments in the film, thanks to Glenn Close and Robin Williams' ability to communicate volumes in a single glance). Anyway, don't take my word for it; watch it yourself. Find your own special moments. There are plenty to choose from.
Review of The World According to Garp
