It started for me with Mork & Mindy when I was young at home, 22 minutes of escape from my mother and her alcoholic rants/abuse. Then as a young adult and before the boys, I was enamored by his rendition of Popeye of which I was a fan from the Popeye Show with Tom Hatten. I felt he had hit it on the mark with Popeyes ramblings and stature. Popeye as a three dimensional character leaped out at me and Shelly Duvall as Olive Oyl was perfect.
Good Morning Vietnam was funny, sentimental, outrageous, a different look at a horrible war. It brought an interest around for me on a time and place I hadn't really looked at. It was a small thing, but nonetheless left me impacted. The mix of hard and soft although subtle was there for me as war is that. Hard with violence, soft with communication/relationships.
For the boys he had done a voiceover for Pecos Bill, again maybe nothing that significant on the surface but it brought a recorded tall tale to life for us when everything was so in your face. We had to listen to the voices, the tale and where the adventure was taking us. It created an interest in radio as a visual as it had been in our tv-less past. thus the boys went to record a show at the TV Radio Museum in Beverly Hills. I still have that recording. This bridge from a voiceover created a world for Chris in recorded funny renderings for us, crazy narratives, etc... Again I still have these, his little voice is so commanding in its intent and Ian in contrast could be heard annoyed by his brothers profound abilities to entertain. Much like my brothers and I's small MGM musical productions for my Mom and Stepdad. I wanted to be Gene Kelly in our livingroom.
Dead Poets Society, I loved this movie. I have fondness for films about boarding schools that are transitional, struggling with tradition vs progress, angst, etc... I still reference "O Captain, My Captain", Whitmans great poem. Not everyone knows what the reference it and nor do I expect them to, but it has stance that I do uphold. In my amiability I wanted to be that student who stood on their seat and declared "O Captain, My Captain". I wanted to have that wherewithal, that strength. It also renewed my love of Whitman and other poets and how it can be incorporated into my everyday. Profound.
Awakenings was just a great film that was availble during my bought with depression and would frequently go to the movies alone. It catapulted me away from my mundane, sad existence only broken up by the boys and personalities. I followed with Fisher King, fantasy and its ability to maintain itself on the streets in your darkest hours. Finding a way to be when it was a moment you could have chosen not to be and how that transforms and touches lives.
This followed immediately with the clever, fantasy of Hook.I live in fantasy and the need for it. Thanks to my Omi, she showed me the strength and wisdom of it, I in turn took that to the boys. This would pull me through my harsh childhood. So when Hook came out it had all the bells and whistles I desired for myself and the boys. It is something we watched over and over. Maggie Smith as Wendy, Hoffman as Hook, Robin as Peter. The loosing and finding of the marbles, the tale of a boy catapulted to adulthood and its trials. I know we had bought action figures for this. Surprisingly this was an important movie for me and my family, I still find myself watching it looking for the clever subtle references to the literary version. Peter as an adult still findings his happy place and believing, I found that for me.
This didn't miss a heartbeat with the underrated Toys, Joan Cusak, MIchael Gambon and Robin. The power of toys, fantasy and the need for children to have these in the ever changing world presenting itself to children. The meaning was so overlooked and although it faded away quickly, I watched this repeatedly. Whether for Bettleheims clarity on play as important for adulthood, a moment of Magritte in a music video or Robins fight to maintain a philosophy and aesthetic. It transformed and thrust you somewhere else.
Aladdin, we saw this at the El Capitan on the Blvd. Ian was 7, Chris was 6 and we had our fosterchild Everett who was 1.5. This was a great spectacle with Robin larger then life as the Genie. The boys were speechless, entertained, transformed, laughing hysterically, singing the musical numbers, making references to Robins lines, it was all things wonderful. Everett was Aladdin for Halloween, enough said.
The boys continued their fondness with Jumanji which continued their inspiration for gaming which they had been doing since before they could read with Dungeon and Dragons and now were avid Sega players, including me. Jumanji brought that passion they had to springboard the game and characters to life with a twist. Robin made the unexpected possible.
The Birdcage, it was a pure sense of entertainment. Having seen La Cage, this managed to bring it forward to a new generation but in a fresh individual manner. Again another film I watch over and over. His character is priceless and peerless. Against Nathan Lane and Hank Azaria, you wanted to be their friends, work for and with them and come to the club. I don't know how many times we have imitated lines from this movie with all their "Guatamalanness", Martha Graham etc... This was a happy movie that just made my day on some of my bleakest. Chris does this movie pricelessly, he can be Azaria and Robin with a drop of the hat. He is superb.
One Hour Photo, not my usual ride with Robin but it made me realize he had diversity. He could play the psychological thriller. He shared the ever-growing solitary lives that we lead and our fantasy to interject ourselves in scenes, scenarios and with others. This was coupled later with a very clever Law & Order: SVU that showed his range as the psychological criminal that appears benign. Just mind bending in the most clever manner and I so appreciate that.
Robots and the two Night at the Museums are fun and continue the legacy that has been set in place as well as standard I have grown to love and expect. But my most favorite Robin was an interview with Charlie Rose, who started his interview stating that he loved interviewing Robin but found he had to just let Robin go throwing out the structure of his show. An hour and a half where I drown out my daily dealings and just joined the ride. I have since purchased a DVD and when I need to be "removed", I pop it in, block out everything and just LOL!!!
So to my question above, Who do you go to when you are that someone that people go to in desperate bleak times? I don't know. It is a profound thought.
RIP
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