empty shortening of john irving novel strives for profundity courageously but end up be absurd . it a quirky and goofy and bittersweet string of sketch and attempt to explain a man growth from birth to adulthood and how he deal with the vice of lust and fanaticism that surround him . garp be bear to a formidable unmarried mother and jenny field and play by glenn close . ( the various stage of garp childhood be play by three young actor before robin williams take over a garp reach adulthood . ) the story follow him through childhood at a boys prep school and where jenny be the school nurse and through his high school passion wrestle and write and and sex to marriage with his high school sweetheart and child and marital problem and a writing career . jenny meanwhile have become a famous feminist and espouse an unorthodox cause . the plot detail an abundance of comic and tragicomic episode and outlandish adventure . williams give a cherub face performance . this script be not fit for his wildness and anarchy and thus his talent be waste . he like an injured bird sputter out of control . john lithgow role a a father like transsexual and imparting wisdom and also doesn not make sense . this movie be able to attract some reasonable attention in 1982 and due to the popularity of robin williams and his new entry into movie . williams have recently shed his mork and mindy pursuit and focus more on stand up comedy and movie . audience be confuse by this film and especially by it arbitrary and inexplicable end .