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The Fisher KingA Film Review by Roger CrowUnited States, 1991 BBFC Classification: 15
Cast: Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Amanda Plummer, Mercedes Ruehl, David Hyde Pierce, Michael Jeter, Kathy Najimy
It happened with Brazil - one man takes on a bureaucratic industry; The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - a teller of tall tales incurs the wrath of the authorities, and in arguably his best film, The Fisher King, a disillusioned ruler finds his heart thanks to a humble servant. In this case, Gilliam was the King of outlandish big screen adventures, made cynical when his previous film flopped. Richard La Gravenese was the unknown screenwriter whose heart-warming tale reinvigorated the Monty Python veteran. It's an old fashioned love story and a heart warming tale of redemption that has lost little of its impact in the nine years since its release.
Gilliam may be seen by many to be a mad genius, but in a crazy but rather safe world of Hollywood, where most film-makers are emulating the last big hit, he has always stuck his neck out and come up with the goods. After countless projects - including a version of comic book hit, Watchmen, fell by the wayside. the director started wondering if he'd ever make another film. After years of delaying, Gilliam finally decided to get hitched with a Hollywood agent. In this case, CAA. The 'big boys' as Gilliam calls them, a term bandied about by Robert De Niro's character in Brazil The first script he was offered was The Addams Family, a big budget remake of the classic TV series which would eventually be made by Barry Sonnenfeld. Gilliam was a little miffed that it was just a series of special effects but in the same package was a much smaller film with a bigger heart.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Bridges Then he received a script by newcomer La Gravanese - who has since gone on to pen heart-warming movies such as The Bridges of Madison County and The Mirror Has Two Faces. Suddenly, Terry realised that less is definitely more and ditched his trademark, sweeping visions of cities under siege and elaborate, gothic sets for more humble backdrops. The movie centres on Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges), a superstar talk radio DJ in the Howard Stern mould. After advising an unhinged fan to wipe out a yuppie watering hole, Lucas is naturally shocked when the madman obliges. Following many months of regret, the suicidal Lucas is saved from a gang of thugs by tramp Parry (Robin Williams). It turns out the two men's fates are intertwined in a plot twist which leads Jack to try and make amends.
The director was hooked from page one. "It must have been 1am and I was sitting in the kitchen when I started reading it," Gilliam remarked in Bob McCabe's book Dark Knights and Holy Fools. "And from the first page the writing was really good and the characters were great. I knew these people, not just from the page. I knew who they were. I really identified with them." It was the perfect solution post-Munchausen because I didn't want to do any big stuff. I think I was going around saying I wanted to do a film about a schizophrenic, but only half his personality - that kind of crap. So this one came along - no effects, four people, a totally containable thing, and it grew into something bigger."
In the first version of the script, Jack Lucas was a fed up taxi driver who meets Parry, the homeless guy. "It wound up being like Rain Man which is why I threw it out," remarks LaGravenese. Jack was then turned into the heir to a rubber magnate's fortune but in order to win his fortune, he had to prove himself worthy of a dim-witted character, the seed of which became Lydia. After the writer turned Jack into his eventual finished form - a DJ - Disney snapped it up, intent on turning the movie into a heist caper in the Topkapi mould. The scene where the Holy Grail is found would be a large set piece worthy of James Cameron. RLG rewrote the scene with roller skates and laser beams but realised it was ridiculous and the Entrapment-style scene was rejected. Eventually, the final version wound up on Gilliam's table and he wasted little time in hiring old mate Robin Williams from previous movie, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. He would prove perfect for the role of Parry. At the time, Williams was one of the world's biggest box office draws but many were growing tired of his familiar manic patter. As a result, he seems to be the weakest link in a quartet of actors including the sublime Bridges, Amanda Plummer and Mercedes Ruehl (who picked up an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress). A sublime comedy drama which is filled with many notable scenes: Bridges sat at the foot of a statue in Central Park with a Pinocchio Doll; Williams' rendition of I Like New York In June; Ruehl's sassy video shop owner, Anne, and Plummer's oddball loner, Lydia, attempting to choose a video in Anne's shop - look out for Munchausen and Brazil posters dotted around the premises as a Gilliam in-joke.
Don't miss the jaw-dropping dance scene at Grand Central Station, the hilarious meal and Michael Jeter as the outrageously camp singing telegram. The movie also boasts some fine photography by Gilliam's regular collaborator Roger Pratt, himself the subject of a documentary screened just before the movie. There are far too many memorable moments to include here so "forgive me," for not listing them all. Best thing is just curl up on the sofa with the tipple of your choice and let the magic wash over you as the King of cinema reveals his greatest treasure. See related features:
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