1991 film, directed by
Terry Gilliam, and (primarily) starring
Jeff Bridges,
Robin Williams,
Mercedes Ruehl, and
Amanda Plummer. You'd probably also recognize
David Hyde Pierce ("Niles" on television's
Frasier), and
Tom Waits as a disabled beggar. Ruehl copped an
Oscar and a
Golden Globe for her spirited performance, amidst a cornucopia of nominations and other awards.
The Fisher King is one of Gilliam's more accessible and coherent directorial efforts. The title is a reference, of course, to the Arthurian legend: Robin Williams plays "Parry", a modern-day homeless psychotic who believes himself to be charged with a quest to retrieve the Holy Grail - which happens to be locked away in the 5th Ave. castle-home of architect Langdon Carmichael.
Bridges' character, "Jack", is the radio talk-show host who unintentionally provokes an unbalanced regular caller ("Edwin") to go postal in an upscale bar. Before turning his shotgun on himself, Edwin blows away several patrons - most relevant to the story of whom is Parry's beloved wife. Jack feels responsible for the killings, and descends into a 3-year "emotional abyss". One night, while wandering the city in a depressed and drunken state, he encounters the now-mad Parry. The rest of the film revolves around Jack's own quest to help Parry.
We can see both Parry and Jack as the soul-scarred Fisher King of legend, and they each play the role of the legendary jester in each others' dramas. This symmetry is subtle and varied enough to fall short of schlockiness.
This ranks high among my All-Time Favorite movies. I'm no fan of tearjerkers, but the dramatics are totally natural to the story. A lesser director would have failed to alternate so seamlessly between tragedy and comedy. There are so many great scenes, both in terms of scenery and dialogue, and all the main characters are complex and engaging (if not entirely credible - homeless drunks aren't really known for breaking into song?) The graphic gore in one or two brief scenes is perhaps overdone, but this is more than overshadowed by the many other, more sterling aspects of the film.