Watch The World According to Garp

This 1982 film blends comedy and drama together in a surprising blend with dark twists and turns and a harrowing look at relationships and also the topic of feminism. Glenn Close, in her debut in a major motion picture, was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Jenny Fields, a WWII nurse who impregnates herself from a dying soldier, wanting a child but not a husband. She becomes a champion of the feminist cause and the film follows the adventures of her son Garp and the challenges he faces in his own relationships. Garp is portrayed by Robin Williams in one of his first major roles in a motion picture. John Lithgow portrays an ex-football player transvestite, and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Neither he nor Close won in their respective categories, but the film itself continues to provide a unique look at how our relationships with our parents (or parent) can shape our outlook on things like sex and other interpersonal relationships. There are many feminist themes that are also portrayed throughout the film, and the film explores how feminism can lead to hatred of all men in general. Jenny eventually gathers a cult like following of feminists around her and when she dies, they try to keep her only son Garp away from her funeral. He manages to slip inside but is discovered by one of the feminists, who chase him away. Later he takes a job as a gym instructor at an elementary school and the woman who chased him away from his mothers funeral shoots him. The movie ends with Garp looking up to the clouds and it is left to our imagination as to whether or not he survives his attack.