World's Greatest Dad

2009 "Lance Clayton is about to get everything he deserves."
6.9| 1h39m| R| en| More Info
Released: 20 August 2009 Released
Producted By: Magnolia Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://www.worldsgreatestdadfilm.com/
Synopsis

In the wake of a freak accident, Lance suffers the worst tragedy and the greatest opportunity of his life. He is suddenly faced with the possibility of fame, fortune and popularity, if he can only live with the knowledge of how he got there.

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Reviews

Perry Kate Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.
ThrillMessage There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.
Kamila Bell This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
qormi Just the right mix of pathos and comedy.,Williams was a very good dramatic actor. Why this film bombed at the box office is beyond my comprehension, as Williams' performance was Oscar worthy. The supporting cast was really great...his son, his girlfriend, the principal, his rival, the neighbor... as well as minor characters all were portrayed very convincingly. The film was totally engrossing and very intelligent. I would certainly recommend this obscure and underrated film.
Ashutosh Sharma I watched this movie after watching Robin William starer Dead Poets Society and i was surprised that same actor in same role of a English poetry teacher, can deliver two contrasting characters with such brilliance. If you want to watch a dark comedy where you are laughing at the plight of characters and the situation no matter how weird it may seem can bring out the laughter, go for it.It is also a reflection that once someone is dead same people who them you for a fool or never cared, show how much they meant to them.The movie also brings out the fact that all of us have some peculiarities of our own. You need more reason to watch it, the movie has a Queen-Bowie song...:P
bowmanblue 'The World's Greatest Dad.' Hardly the world's greatest title to a film and, in my opinion, misleading.The front cover shows cuddly, lovable Robin Williams and in most of the film's descriptions, we're told it's a 'comedy.' Fair enough, we think and go on to expect some happy-go-lucky, silly, daft, frivolous, slapstick affair, possibly on a par with something like American Pie, or Mrs Doubtfire.Wrong.The World's Greatest Dad is more at home among Robin William's other film One Hour Photo. Yes, there are moments of humour, but they are surrounded by a great deal of tragedy. In the film, Robin Williams' son accidentally kills himself (I won't say how - you'll have to find out) in an embarrassing way. To cover this up, Williams makes it look like a suicide.By doing this both he (and his son's) status changes. This film is about the human reaction to death. Suddenly, his son was no longer an outsider and freak - now he's a saint. Now Robin Williams is no longer a meek, underdog, but a hero, struggling to cope with life.I won't give away too much of how the story unfolds. However, I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a decent 'black comedy drama.' I've seen it criticised by people who say 'Where's the humour?' Sure enough, there are few traditional jokes. It's more a cringe worthy exercise as Robin William's character digs a deeper metaphorical hole for himself and finds it increasingly harder to get back out.Also, I've seen this film accused of having 'no likable characters.' Again, possibly true, but, I think that's half the point.Don't expect belly laughs, just a film that somehow manages to raise a slight smile through the face of tragedy. But, when you consider the main crux of this film is a teenage boy's death, it does what it's supposed to.
brchthethird While it might not rank as THE best comedy Robin Williams has ever done, it is a darkly funny film that takes advantage of his comedic and dramatic skills effectively. Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, WORLD'S GREATEST DAD is about Lance Clayton (Williams), a failed writer who teaches poetry at the high school where his son attends. He also has trouble with his son (Daryl Sabara), who is quite a jerk to him and everyone else in his life. However, when his son accidentally dies, he sees an opportunity to get the respect he deserves. While not laugh-out-loud funny, this film was nevertheless able to take serious subject matter and get some mileage out of subverting it, while also making a statement on the legacy of the dead and how people will use it to their advantage. Robin Williams gives one of his best performances in years as Lance Clayton who, if you think about it, is like a cynical version of his John Keating character from DEAD POETS SOCIETY. The deadpan manner in which he reacts to things was also a change of pace from the manic comedy he did in the past. Daryl Sabara was really good as his jerk son. Another aspect which I liked was how, after Lance's son dies, everyone comes out of the woodwork as having liked him when, in fact, they were just responding to Lance's cover-up out of sympathy. It's amazing how far misunderstanding can go, and the film portrays this in a bold and satirical way. Still, this film could rub some people the wrong way, given how life sort of imitated art. However, this is only in retrospect. I highly doubt that Bobcat Goldthwait was anticipating what Robin Williams would eventually do, but it is really odd that things turned out the way that they did. Overall, this is really dark comedy that might turn some people off, but I thought it was a welcome return-to-form for Robin Williams.