by Georgia Thompson
As the death of beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams continues to break millions of hearts across the globe, I’m taking a fond look at the 1996 film Jack, one of his more underrated roles.
The film is a bizarre and gut wrenching cross of comedy and tragedy, as the best films often are. I will try and get through this without tearing up, but I’m sure you’ll forgive me if I fail.
As the death of beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams continues to break millions of hearts across the globe, I’m taking a fond look at the 1996 film Jack, one of his more underrated roles.
The film is a bizarre and gut wrenching cross of comedy and tragedy, as the best films often are. I will try and get through this without tearing up, but I’m sure you’ll forgive me if I fail.
The story centres on Jack Powell, a young boy in a man’s body. Due to a severe case of Werner Syndrome, a rare aging disorder, it soon becomes apparent that Jack (Williams) is aging at four times the normal rate. This results in his extremely premature birth in the first scene. Unsure of how to handle such a strange and delicate situation, Jack’s parents do the only thing they know how – they try to protect their sun. Keeping him generally hidden away in the house, Jack is home schooled by a private tutor and has only his mother and father for day to day companionship. Trying to keep her son happy, Karen Powell (Diane Lane) plays childish games and does anything she can to make up for the lack of friendship. The neighbourhood kids speculate on who or what the hidden occupant of Jack’s house could be, telling horror stories of the “monstrosity” who dwells within. Soon enough, however, it is decided that Jack should go to school.
He encounters bullying; young love and heartbreak, as young boys always do, and yet has to deal with the controversy of his size and appearance. He is used by kids to win basketball games and buy adult magazines, and yet ultimately he is able to find a friend in a young boy named Louis. We catch a glimpse of a young Jennifer Lopez in her early acting career as the boys’ teacher, Ms Marquez, but the performance that shines throughout is that of Robin Williams.
He encounters bullying; young love and heartbreak, as young boys always do, and yet has to deal with the controversy of his size and appearance. He is used by kids to win basketball games and buy adult magazines, and yet ultimately he is able to find a friend in a young boy named Louis. We catch a glimpse of a young Jennifer Lopez in her early acting career as the boys’ teacher, Ms Marquez, but the performance that shines throughout is that of Robin Williams.
Jack is, on the inside, just a 10 year old boy. The premise is a little unbelievable even though it is based on a genuine disease, and in the hands of any other actor it would have been a wholly cringeworthy disaster. But Williams’ Jack so effortlessly encapsulates the child like mind behind the misleadingly aged face.
The film was marketed as a children’s film, with a low PG rating, and yet has tragic undercurrents of mortality. Originally it received a poor reception from critics who claimed that the juxtaposition between the comedy elements and the tragedy was in poor taste and made the movie less believable. Personally I feel that nothing is more believable than a constant battle between comedy and heartbreak; they are, in essence, the key factors in life.
Admittedly, the script is a little shaky and the more serious of the scenes do sometimes come across as a little abrupt. However, the film is not without a heart and certainly not without a soul; with a gut wrenching climax as always delivered beautifully by Williams, it may not be a classic, but it will always resonate with me as an important reflection of Williams’ versatility and commitment to his art.
The film was marketed as a children’s film, with a low PG rating, and yet has tragic undercurrents of mortality. Originally it received a poor reception from critics who claimed that the juxtaposition between the comedy elements and the tragedy was in poor taste and made the movie less believable. Personally I feel that nothing is more believable than a constant battle between comedy and heartbreak; they are, in essence, the key factors in life.
Admittedly, the script is a little shaky and the more serious of the scenes do sometimes come across as a little abrupt. However, the film is not without a heart and certainly not without a soul; with a gut wrenching climax as always delivered beautifully by Williams, it may not be a classic, but it will always resonate with me as an important reflection of Williams’ versatility and commitment to his art.
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