15 Of The Finest Robin Williams Movies You Need To See

Quick Facts

movies are among the finest movies one can get to see. The legendary comedian and actor who was born in 1951 enjoyed what was simply a very successful career that spanned more than 4 decades from 1972 to 2014 when he was tragically lost.

Since making his debut in the 1977 film, Can I Do It… ‘Til I Need Glasses?, Robin appeared in many more films, TV shows, and Broadway performances. In the process, he got many nominations, winning a good number including an Academy Award, six Golden Globe Awards, Kids’ Choice Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, among others. While he is mostly regarded for his work as a comedy actor, his versatility has taken him across genres.

We have collected some of the greatest films Robin Williams has been involved in from the time he started his career until his death.

Finest Robin Williams Movies

1. Dead Poets Society (1989) 

Portraying John Keating, Robin Williams was simply amazing in this drama film that was directed by Peter Weir. It tells the story of an English teacher, Keating, who uses poetry to help his students in an emotional performance. The film earned Williams a Golden Globes nomination as well as an Academy Awards nomination.

The movie was received positively and made it big at the box office with $235.9 million on a production budget of $16.4 million, and also won several awards.

2. The Fisher King (1991)

In this comedy-drama which is often underrated, Williams does not disappoint in any way and his effort was lauded with a Golden Globes Award as well as a Saturn Award and Academy Award nominations.

This is another masterpiece of the actor directed by Terry Gilliam. The story revolves around how a friendship was built between Parry (Robin Williams), a completely homeless man and Jack (Jeff Bridges), who is somehow responsible for the death of Parry’s wife. It evokes the power of friendship and its ability to make people whole again. It made a hit of $42 million at the box office on a budget of $24 million.

3. Good Will Hunting (1997)

Directed by Gus Van Sant and written by and , the story centers on a young janitor, Will Hunting who was sent for a therapy session with a famous professor for assaulting a police officer. A mathematical genius, he got to work on his relationship with himself first of all, as he tries to fix his past against his future, and then have a rethink on his relationships with his girlfriend and best friend.

While rating the finest Robin Williams movies, this will always have a special place, thanks to his timeless acting and engaging storyline. The movie got nine Academy Awards nominations and won two of them while Robin Williams took home an award in the category of Best Supporting Actor. It was a box office success, grossing more than $225 million from a $10 million budget.

4. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)

This movie was set in Saigon in 1956, during the Vietnam war and the story revolves around a Radio DJ (Robin Williams) who was sent to Vietnam to entertain the troops with his comedy, but somewhat annoys his superiors. He later fell in love with a local Vietnamese girl who paints a first-hand experience of the war to him. He got to win so much praise for his appearance in the movie mostly because of how he was able to bring together his comedy even in a war story.

For this movie – directed by Barry Levinson, Robin Williams won a Golden Globe award for best actor-motion picture and musical or comedy and got nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. The movie made $123 million at the box office on a budget of $13 million.

5. Insomnia (2002)

This movie directed by and stars Robin Williams and  is a tale of how a veteran police detective (Al Pacino) and a primary suspect (Robin Williams) in the murder of a teenage girl were involved in a psychological game of cat and mouse. It made $113 million at the box office on a budget of $46 million.

6. Aladdin (1992)

The animation centers on Aladdin, an Arabian street urchin and how he found a magic lamp that contained a genie. He altered his appearance and took the form of a rich prince which enabled him to hide the lamp from the Grand Vizier.

Probably the greatest voice acting in a feature film, the actor won himself a Golden Globe Award for his role in the animation. It hit big at the box office with $504 million on a budget of $28 million.

7. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

One of the unforgettable roles of Robin Williams which made it clear he is one of the best there can be. The iconic actor disguises himself as a maid, Mrs. Doubtfire who is hired by his ex-wife  – a prank he played in order to see his children after losing custody of them to his wife.

Directed by , this movie earned him his fourth Golden Globe Award. From a budget of $25 million, the film made $441.3 in Box Office.

8. The World According to Garp (1982)

The movie was directed by George Roy Hill and the story is based on John Irving’s book of the same name. It tells the story of how a nurse, Jenny Fields (Glenn Close) became pregnant for a dying pilot and birthed a son named T.S Garp (Robin Williams) whom she raises alone and he grew up to become a successful fiction writer while trying to understand the world of his feminist mother.

The movie made $29.7 million at the box office on a budget of $17 million.

9. One Hour Photo (2002)

Directed by Mark Romanek, the movie follows the story of a professional photographer named Sy Parrish (Robin Williams) came to know that one of his customers, Wil Yorkin, is having an affair despite being married.

A highly underrated movie, the chilling performance of Williams in the film earned him a Saturn Award. The movie made $52.2 million at the box office on a budget of $12 million.

10. Jumanji (1995)

Directed by Joe Johnston, this fantasy adventure is an adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg children’s book of the same title. In the movie, Williams portrays a man who got lost in the world of the board game and he remained in the world of Jumanji for 26 years before he got to make it out. The new Jumanji film by and is a bigger hit, but that still doesn’t take anything from the performance of Williams in the former.

For his performance, he got a Saturn Award as well as the Alan Parrish. From a budget of $65 million, it made $262 million in Box Office.

11. Awakenings (1990)

An adaptation of the 1973 memoir of Oliver Sacks of the same title, this film is directed by Penny Marshall. In the extraordinary work, Robin plays Dr. Malcolm Sayer who had extensive work with survivors of the encephalitis lethargica epidemic of 1917-1928. While working with the catatonic patients, he used the drug L-Dopa on them and after decades, they are now awakened. He appeared in this movie with who played Leonard Lowe, one of the patients.

The movie made $52.1 million at the box office on a production budget of $29 million. It was also nominated for three Academy Awards, including one for Robin Williams.

12. Patch Adams (1998)

In Patch Adams, a movie directed by Tom Shadyac, Robin Williams played the role of a mental patient, Dr. Hunter Patch Adams who was out to change the usual practice of medicine as he believed humor is important.

While it is not the most successful of his films critically, Robin earned a Golden Globe nomination for his efforts. More so, it was financially successful, making $202 million in Box Office from a budget of $90 million.

13. The Birdcage (1996)

This Mike Nichols film is a remake of La Cage aux Folles, a Franco-Italian film first released in 1978. Williams takes the role of Armand Goldman, an openly gay man who is in a relationship with Albert (Nathan Lane). Now, they try to act all straight for the in-laws of their son who is straight.

The movie made $185 million from a $31 million budget and gave Williams his first-ever Screen Actors Guild Award.

14. Moscow On The Hudson (1984)

During the peak of the Cold War, a soviet musician named Vladimir Ivanov (as portrayed by Williams) was on tour to the United States where he decides to defect. This is one of his earliest works and still remains among the most significant Robin Williams movies.

His role in the movie earned him a Golden Globe nomination. It made only $25 million in Box Office from $13 million budget.

15. What Dreams May Come (1999)

The movie is a story of how Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams) dies in a car crash; finding his way in the afterlife through the guidance of his spirit guide, Albert (). The world he saw there was beautiful as he could be or have anything he wanted if he just imagined it. The problem though is his wife, who was on earth had just committed suicide and would not join him in this beautiful world (heaven) as she may be going to hell.

The film was directed by Vincent Ward and didn’t do well at the Box Office as it raked in only $71.5 million despite its almost $90 million budget.

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