Movie Review

World's Greatest Dad

Bobcat Goldthwait (yup, the guy from the “Police Academy” movies and the voice for the stuffed bunny in that WB sitcom) is officially a filmmaker to watch. His new film, "Worlds Greatest Dad," is one of the most unconventional movies you’re likely to see this year.

Robin Williams plays Lance Clayton, a writer who gets no respect from the students he teaches poetry too, the girlfriend (Alexie Gilmore) who’s more emotionally available to the hunky divorced Lit teacher (Henry Simmons), or from his jerk of a son, Kyle (Daryl Sabara, “Spy Kids”). In fact, scratch jerk and put in unruly, profane, rude, and a good example for why parents should beat their kids.

Lance's last chance at being a published writer hinges on selling his latest manuscript. He gets his wish, in strange way. Kyle has a thing for masturbation combined with far-out sex practices, one of which is strangulation. It goes badly one night and Kyle croaks. Eager to protect his son’s image, Lance makes it look more like a suicide and crafts a suicide note that captures the hearts of his high school class, who before really couldn’t have given a shit about him.

Goldthwait deals with things not many films would. Kyle is into the dirtiest and kinkiest of sexual pleasures, even jerking off to the old lady with the big tits next door, but the broader theme of how death has become profitable, both for the image of the deceased and the hangers-on, is relevant today. Look how the public opened its arms to Michael Jackson again or how the forgotten Ryan O’Neil’s and Brooke Shield’s of Hollywood found their way back into the spotlight.

Kyle is stupid, crude, mean, and friendless but that doesn’t stop Lance from creating a whole new persona for him; a sensitive, profound, and loving son who soon becomes the new “cool” thing around the sigh school. Kids wear T-shirts and buttons in his honor and try to make his death meaningful for them, even though they barely knew him. Lance’s class attendance and love life improve, and people are reading Kyle’s manuscript, which is actually Lance’s, but Kyle’s infamy is what gets it read. Only, can Lance live with the lie?

The screenplay is dark, intermittently funny, with a few good lines. Sabara is obscenely effective and carelessly mean in his scenes with Williams. You understand perfectly when Lance says, “If you don’t act right at dinner, I’ll stab you in the face.” And after Kyle’s death, Lance breaking down as he walks past a stand of pornos, and some of how he milks his son’s death, does lead to chuckles, primarily because Williams gives a very good performance as a man who does love his son (way more than Kyle deserves), but who’s such a piss-ant that you praise him for finally working towards his own benefit. “Dad” isn’t a movie for everybody but there are a few laughs here and some very interesting morality material if you’re willing to go along with it.

Craig's Grade: B

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%