WORLD'S GREATEST DAD

Don’t be misled by the title. Don’t be misled by the posters. They merely show that Hollywood suits simply have no clue how to market a film which deals with issues as complex as those found within World’s Greatest Dad. It’s something of a relief that director Bobcat Goldthwait (what a great name) is in better control of his material than the men behind the advertising campaign. This movie could have been such a mess if handled incorrectly; instead it comes across as nothing less than a glorious success. Just don’t go in expecting a light-hearted romp in the same vein as William’s schlocky family comedies Patch Adams or What Dreams May Come. The title actually invoked in me expectations similar to those brought about by Will Smith’s The Pursuit of Happyness, but this is way off mark too. In that film a series of challenges were laid out before Will Smith who was able to come through and ensure that he could provide for his kid. In short, he proved himself to be a great dad. Robin William’s, in response to the challenges in World’s Greatest Dad, proves himself to be an exploitative grief-hound who manipulates his son’s death to serve his own ends.

Whereas The Pursuit of Happyness attempted to be life-affirming through the overcoming of hardships, World’s Greatest Dad is life-affirming in an equally unsubtle way: through contrasting life with death. It is about the way death shapes those who are still living – how it can give direction to some and take it from others. This is a comedy about the cult of suicide and as such it’s slightly staggering how many laughs it’s good for. This can only be down to Bobcat Goldthwait’s controlled direction – he is in control of the tone throughout. The proceedings never feel overwrought or as if they are trying to manipulate a reaction from the audience. All Goldthwait expects from us is that we laugh and have a good time. Of course the film’s subject matter makes it easy to find a message in the film, but it in no way demands that we do so.

Lance Clayton (Williams) is a single father and failed author who provides for his unruly teenage-son Kyle (Daryl Sabara, who has come a long way since the Spy Kids movies). The boy is a true brat – I doubt there’s a son in a movie as undeniably puerile, immoral and reprehensible this side of 1976’s The Omen. He bullies and manipulates everybody that he can – this includes his dad and his only friend Andrew (Evan Martin). He has a dirty mouth – “Andrew, you have to understand that fucking pussy's virgin shit, alright”. He is without any discernable interests (he hates both movies and music) beyond playing videogames and onanism. It’s his bad habits and his penchant for autoerotic asphyxiation that proves his undoing. One evening his father returns home from a date with a flakey fellow school-teacher, to see Kyle’s body perched lifelessly in front of his computer. To protect Kyle’s dignity he types up a suicide note which is soon leaked across the school where he works.

Death, it is well known, has a funny way of romanticising a person. All the kids who wouldn’t have anything to do with Kyle up until that point (and who could blame them) upon reading his suicide note realise what a delicate soul the boy truly was. Kyle’s PR is never stronger than it is after his death and an outpouring of love spreads throughout the school. Sensing an opportunity, Lance writes and publishes diaries he claims to be written by his son. He manipulates the grief of those around him for sex, money and fame. Despite committing loathable acts we never come to loath Lance himself – in some respects these people deserve to be manipulated – they didn’t know or like Kyle up until this point, they have merely been enticed by the cult of suicide. They worship not the Kyle that existed in reality, but the phantom idealized Kyle that resides only in their minds.

The controlled tone of the movie is moved along by a bravura comedic performance from William’s. It’s his best film for quite some time, perhaps since 2002’s Insomnia. You only wish that William’s would push himself harder and seek out more films as edgy and dark as this instead of the blunted, watered-down family fare we’re most used to seeing him in. With movies like this, Insomnia and One Hour Photo, he’s certainly proved himself capable of tackling meaty roles. World’s Greatest Dad is not perfect by any means. The ending feels unearned and forced. Lance’s moral u-turn towards the end of the film happens too quickly - almost ex nihilo. The music was also somewhat off-putting at times. Beyond the excess of Bruce Hornsby, the soundtrack also has central roles for ‘Don’t Be Afraid You’re Already Dead’ by Akron/Family and ‘I Hope I Become a Ghost’ by The Deadly Syndrome. Despite the song titles, neither really fit in with the tone or tempo of the film. These considerations do not stop me from heartily recommending World’s Greatest Dad, one of 2010’s best comedies.