Remembering a Legend

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?" — John Keating, "Dead Poets Society"

It's been a hard year for fans of the movies, as a number of talented people have passed away. Yesterday, we lost another of those talented people in Robin Williams. The facts surrounding his death are tragic, and his loss has impacted many. It's been moving to hear people talk about what his performances meant, and read the touching tributes from everyone, including President Barack Obama.

Williams was a great and talented comedian. Many people think of those films when they think of his career. But like so many great comedians, I think we forget how great Williams was in serious and meaningful roles. When I think of Williams, I don't think of "Mrs. Doubtfire," I think of some of his moving portrayals.

Below are three of my favorite Williams performances and movies. Honorable mention goes to "The Fisher King," which is a powerful movie and a powerful Williams performance.

* "Insomnia" (2002). I love Christopher Nolan, which is no surprise to frequent readers of this column. "Insomnia" is one of his more under-rated films. It stars Al Pacino, Hilary Swank, and Williams. This was a different kind of movie, and a creepy role for Williams. Many have pointed to his creepy turn in "One Hour Photo," and that was good, too, but I loved what he brought to this movie. He was the villain, and playing off Pacino this worked very well. It's not the typical Williams performance, but it's a memorable one.

* "Good Will Hunting" (1997). I think "Good Will Hunting" is an under rated film. Sure, it won some Academy Awards, but I don't think people think about it much any more. Williams plays a serious mentor role to Matt Damon's Will Hunting in the film, and he offers some of the most memorable scenes. He does beautiful work, and he and Damon are magic together on the screen. Williams won his Academy Award for the movie, and I think he makes it what it is.

* "Dead Poets Society" (1989). I have seen this movie several times over the years, and even used it as one of the lessons when I was teaching Faith in Film. There is a subtle beauty to Williams performance here. He is magnificent as teacher John Keating, and his inspirational words stick in your head long after the film closes. His beautiful speech — quoted above — was used in an advertisement for Apple last year, and it gave me chills. Not because of the commercial, but because of the inspiration contained in it, and because it made me remember the film. Williams had a gift for comedy, but his greatest gift might have been the way he poured himself into roles like John Keating.