This movie has gotten a lot more attention because it deals with suicide, and it stars Robin Williams. It’s a shame, because I think it deserves much more attention for the smart script by Bobcat Goldthwait. I enjoyed God Bless America, although that movie keeps stirring different feelings as you watch it. This one felt much more uniform, and it’s really strong.
The son, Kyle, is unbelievable in how broadly he was written. There isn’t much depth there, but that’s part of the point. There are a few moments of complete absurdity, but they seem completely believable. When Kyle claims that he hates music, and that he hates movies, these are things that should be laughable. Instead, they seem strangely believable. They paint the kid as an insufferable prick. Every action that the kid does is so completely reprehensible, and this makes the whole thing work.
It’s easy to feel like the father is making a mistake by doing what he does, but he gets constant reinforcement from the people surrounding him.
As a person who fluctuates between being suicidal and being fairly normal, I expected that more of this movie would make me stake sides, but there’s no exploration of suicide. There is an exploration of the human response to suicide.
It’s almost as if one of the elements of Heathers was stretched out into feature length. This isn’t derivative at all. There’s a beautiful sequence as characters read the forged suicide note, and we see them see their own unhappiness reflected through the prism of Kyle. This sequence is just fantastic. It expresses the idea smoothly, accurately, artistically. As delusional as these characters are, it’s easy to understand why they get so taken with the legendary version of Kyle.
This is much more palatable than God Bless America, but that might depend on who is watching.
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