Robin Williams passes away

[adamb100]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/12/movies/robin-williams-oscar-winning-comedian-dies-at-63.html?module=Notification&version=BreakingNews&region=FixedTop&action=Click&contentCollection=BreakingNews&contentID=18597691&pgtype=Homepage&_r=0

 

Apparently it's a suicide...

[TooLiveBrew]

WHAT

[homer]

Man, that's so sad.

[TURBO]

RIP Mork from Ork...

[RobDeer 45]

One of those tough ones to swallow.

[Surhoff5]

This is just so sad. I saw this on another site, but Mt. Rushmore of Williams movies?

 

I am going with: Goodwill Hunting, Dead Poets Society, Good Morning Vietnam, and Mrs. Doubtfire

[Patrick425]

This is just so sad. I saw this on another site, but Mt. Rushmore of Williams movies?

 

I am going with: Goodwill Hunting, Dead Poets Society, Good Morning Vietnam, and Mrs. Doubtfire

 

Pretty much agree, but I would replace Mrs. Doubtfire with Awakenings. Patch Adams would be my 5th.

[TURBO]

I would replace Mrs. Doubtfire with JACK...

 

Also really liked BEST OF TIMES.

 

Mrs. Doubtfire is my least favorite of all the ones mentioned, but is probably his most famous work.

[Surhoff5]

This is just so sad. I saw this on another site, but Mt. Rushmore of Williams movies?

 

I am going with: Goodwill Hunting, Dead Poets Society, Good Morning Vietnam, and Mrs. Doubtfire

 

Pretty much agree, but I would replace Mrs. Doubtfire with Awakenings. Patch Adams would be my 5th.

 

I know critics hated it, but I also really enjoyed Patch Adams. Cannot believe Williams and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are both gone.

[Patrick425]

turborickey, good call on Best of Times. Forgot about that one. Also, remembered another one last night that I liked a lot...The Fisher King

[DocLuna7]

Both Good Will Hunting and Dead Poet's Society are two of my favorite movies of all time. I know it's a cartoon and a kid's movie but I think the job he did as the genie in Aladdin was pretty epic as well. He was a real versatile guy. RIP.

[adamb100]

I never saw William's older stuff but I do remember him from Flubber, Mrs. Doubtfire, and One Hour Photo.

[TURBO]

One Hour Photo, that is another good one. I often felt I was the only one that liked that movie!

[Menotti80]

One Hour Photo, that is another good one. I often felt I was the only one that liked that movie!

 

Yes, 1 hour photo was a good one and really showed his versatility. I believe he did back to back movies as a villain/non-comedic role with 1 hour photo and insomnia.

[I Heart Brewers]

Anyone see 'Worlds Greatest Dad'? Kind of a black comedy written and directed by Bob Goldthwait. It's eery to watch now. It's about his son dying in an embarrassing way and him covering it up by staging it as a suicide. Overlooked, but powerful. Not for everyone but it is one of my favorites.

[Menotti80]

Not enough love for Jumanji in this thread. Very underrated movie IMO.

[LouisEly]

His HBO comedy special back in the mid-late 80's is one of the funniest comedy shows of all time. Just left me in tears the first time I saw it.

 

RIP Robin. Oh captain, my captain!

[lcbj68c]

My favorite Robin Williams film is Jakob the Liar. He will be missed.

[Invader3K]

One Hour Photo, that is another good one. I often felt I was the only one that liked that movie!

 

I remember seeing that one in the theater and liking it. I think it wasn't all that well received because a lot of people just weren't comfortable watching Williams play a psychopath type of character.

[HiAndTight]

Anyone see 'Worlds Greatest Dad'? Kind of a black comedy written and directed by Bob Goldthwait. It's eery to watch now. It's about his son dying in an embarrassing way and him covering it up by staging it as a suicide. Overlooked, but powerful. Not for everyone but it is one of my favorites.

 

 

He also talked about suicidal thoughts, slitting his wrists, hanging himself among other methods in a recent podcast. He was talking about how he felt after having heart surgery.

 

It was really....not sure how to even articulate, profound, enlightening...about how depression doesn't discriminate. He said things like, "then I look around and say, hey, I've got a great house, nice car, great family, life is good, so lets table that(referring to suicide)."

 

The wealthy, poor and everyone in between suffers from it. I'm sure everyone knows someone who's suffered from depression, but it's hard to deal with. I remember being really insensitive when I was younger and my mother had it. I remember asking her, "what DO you want, what is your problem." I've come to see that type of depression isn't the same as feeling down because work isn't going good, or because of everyday mundane things. It's because of a chemical imbalance and isn't logical..and people who don't suffer from it can't understand it.

 

 

 

By the way, for my money, Good Will Hunting is far and away his best movie.

[Point Beer Is Best]

I had seen an article written by another comedian (and can't find the link now) that really articulated why depression is so rampant among comedians. It's really the rule, rather than the exception. They naturally crave attention and companionship, and fear being alone. Basically the gist was, "show me a comedian and I'll show you someone with a messed up childhood."

 

The author referenced the death of Chris Farley as an example. His last words were "Don't leave me!", which he spoke to a prostitute that he had hired to keep him company (as he often did) after he collapsed on the floor. She wrote him a nice note about what a good time she had, and stole his watch and left him to die alone. Adored by millions of people, yet he had to pay hookers to keep him company.

 

Williams was such a fixture on the USO tours, which many people don't know about or realize. I think he's spent more time with our troops overseas than any other performer. Hopefully that's part of his legacy that people will remember when they think about him.