Acting Taken To Another Level

Acting Taken To Another Level

Actor, comedian, producer Robin Williams was born on July 21, 1952 in Chicago Illinois.  He started with a great deal of success with stand-up comedy during the 1970s, including time at Los Angeles Comedy Store in his own showcase.  After performing on the revival of the Laugh-In series in 1977-78, he went on to landing a guest role on the popular sitcom Happy Days as Mork, a lovably odd space alien from the planet Ork.  Regardless of Williams' undeniable success with audiences by way of his television work and stand-up comedy, his film career got off to a fairly slower start.  He made his film debut in the role of a disappointing live action version of Popeye (1980), which didn't make it very big and gave him little fame.  1987 however, became the year when he was noticed as one of the best actors because of the Oscar nominated performance in Good Morning Vietnam.  This comedy/drama was about a deejay assigned to a radio station for the U.S. Armed Services in Vietnam.  Even on the set of the movie, Williams' improvisational skills became famous, and he became known for ad-libbing many scenes.  His ability to entertain people became his trademarks, which then lead him to a number of entertaining roles such as Dead Poets Society (1989), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Jumanji (1995), The Birdcage (1996), Flubber (1997), and Patch Adams (1998).  All of these films and many others had his familiar funny antics that us (the viewers) have grown to love.  However, there comes an instance where an actor is put to the test.  When they're asked to perform in a contradictory film from what they're not accustomed too.  From the customary humor in Patch Adams, to one of his recent films One Hour Photo, Williams displays his remarkable skills of an actor, by showing us no matter the plot, he'll provide an outstanding performance.

In Patch Adams he entertains by showing conflicts with the serious conventions in the establishment of medical school, while attempting to inject humor and humanity into his treatment of the patients.  The scene when the gynecologists visit the medical school for a tour, and are welcomed by a mold of a woman's legs spread apart as the entrance into the school displays this common humor associated with Robin Williams.  Although everyone loves his type-casted films filled with laughter, the greater acting challenge comes when he pursues a film he's unaccustomed to.

Robin Williams, transcending from his usual comic territory, was definitely the right choice for Sy Parrish in One Hour Photo, for the unusual is sometimes a challenge, and with that challenge he makes it one of his finest performances.  Scene after scene had an eerie sense with unspoken meanings (something he's not grown to do).  Of course his other movies were outstanding, but for him to leave his comfort zone and pursue a film that is abnormal to the usual, shows true superiority compared to recent films.

The movie One Hour Photo, in the simplest terms presents that life is nothing more than a string of moments that fill our time from birth to death.  People reflect on their lives through memories and images the mind perceives from past experiences.  Sometimes snapshots preserve the good memories, but no one takes a picture of something they want to forget.  That's why Sy (Robin Williams) takes his job so seriously.  Sy doesn't view himself as evil, just fulfilling his duties; Williams uses this subtle mentality to challenge the audience.  We feel sympathy for him and understand his loneliness, but also want to keep our distance as we sense unsteadiness and possible danger.

Williams' work is easily compared to that of an artist, in that an artist grows and learns, then displays a certain style and continues to convey that style with their works.  Like the famous artist Georgia O'Keefe who painted flowers and other works of art, but was undoubtedly known for her flower paintings.  It's difficult when an artist is known for a particular piece or works of art to then try something entirely different.  Yet Williams does exactly that, and for most moviegoers he still remains an unusual commodity in Hollywood: a talented comedic actor, who can also deliver sincere, affecting dramatic performances.

Through Williams' career we see that it's common for him to be able to relate to the comical movies due to his success in the past.  It's difficult for us to picture him in anything else, but those types of movies.  However, to push the very limits of acting, and to be considered one of the best, one must drive towards different than the accustomed too.  This same suggestion is expected in our every day lives.  Our jobs themselves require us to be different so that we stand out from the regular, yet we are familiarized to staying with what we know instead of pushing our limits.  If we were to stand away from the regular we are then put into a higher position in our workplace or are fired.  Robin Williams chose to stand away from his norm and now can honestly be recognized, as far more than just the comedic actor we know today.