Im going to venture that the majority of remembrances of Robin Williams will begin with “O Captain! My Captain!”, and lets be honest, and lets be honest, thats probably where they should start. Dead Poets Society really showed the world what he could do in a dramatic role. I didnt like Robin Williams until then, but once I saw that movie, my love was undying. I had Mork and Mindy pajamas growing up but I didnt watch the show enough to understand it and he just seemed too crazy to me. Mr. John Keating, however, really spoke to me, and, indeed to many in my age group. That movie is a cultural touchstone, and there are few in gen X or Y, who think of Whitman first upon hearing “O Captain! My Captain!”. We think of Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke standing on his desk, and poor Robert Shawn Leonard, who just wanted to be an actor, Uncle Walt is a distant fourth if he is remembered at all. I imagine some few will crassly reference his “Its not your fault.” moment in Good Will Hunting, and while I think its a wonderful scene, this isnt the time, its cheap and a little disrespectful. Id actually like to start with a quote from Bicentennial Man, “One is glad to be of service.”. The number of times that I watched Dead Poets Society is uncountable, but it pales in comparison to the amount of time I have spent with Andrew Martin, his character in Bicentennial Man. Anyone who knows me to any decent degree, knows that this is my favorite movie of all time. Im not the least bit shy about expressing my love for it, or telling you that I think it is the greatest realization of Isaac Asimovs vision to date*. This is a quiet little movie about the struggle for humanity and love and life and happiness and is to my eye, nearly perfect. Unfortunately, it is a little too quiet and Williams audience doesnt really want quiet from him in this way. Asimov is a great science fiction writer, but possibly not for the masses. When you couple these two things together you dont have a blockbuster, which is unfortunate. Williams portrayal of a robot/android and his quest to be human, is a touching story of love and loss and he executes the role as well or better than he does any other. It was poorly received, though, which is probably what led him to make fun of it himself when I saw him do his stand up in the late 2008. I remember being livid, because it seemed like he was sad and frustrated in his acknowledgment that the movie wasnt a mega hit. I wanted to yell at him, I wanted him to realize that he had made something special, I wanted him to love himself and his performance the way that I did. It was in that moment that I saw a scared man, frustrated that his lifes work was not enough, that he somehow wasnt getting the acclaim and recognition that he so needed to survive. I always wanted to write to him and tell him what the movie meant to me, to beg him not to use it as a punchline, not to use himself as a punchline, but life gets in the way sometimes and the thought of sending a letter out into the void to try to communicate with someone with whom it would be very difficult to get access to always took a back seat to changing diapers or making dinner, or, lets be honest, rewatching Bicentennial Man. Ive lost my opportunity to tell him that he meant a lot to me, that his work touched me and moved me in ways that no one elses ever has. So Im telling you. Robin Williams will forever hold a place in my heart and character and psyche that few, if any, will ever match. So, into the real void, I now throw the words I never did when he was alive. You were of service, you were of service to me, in so many ways, and yes, in the end, you are My Captain, and I will miss you very much. *Please do not talk to me about the Will Smith movie if you want to remain friends, I like it fine as a movie, but it has nothing to do with Asimov.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 03:01:02 +0000
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