The Fisher King Movie Review (1991)
A beautiful and complicated fairytale of a film, The Fisher King is about two struggling NYC strangers who have been broken by the same event, as one asks the other for help finding the holy grail.
There are some movies that just stick with you. They are so beautiful or so funny or so touching that they leave a lasting impression. I’m always grateful for the catalog of movies that exist because what means something so deeply to one person just won’t do it for another. You have to find your favorites for yourself.
The Fisher King is about Jack, a successful shock-jock disc jockey, who inadvertently causes someone else to commit a horrific crime. Because of this, and over the next several years, he loses his job and turns to alcohol. Now unemployed and living with his girlfriend Anne, a video store owner, he happens upon a group of homeless people. Parry, one of these men, saves his life and gives him somewhere to stay after a night of drinking. Parry is mentally ill and searching for the holy grail as well as the love of local publishing employee, Lydia. Jack, after learning that Parry’s current situation is due to the crime that he was involved in, tries to help him and redeem himself.
This movie is amazing and charming and heartwarming… It has so much depth and messy beauty in it, it’s hard to put into words.
Starring Robin Williams as Parry (Nominated for an Academy Award for this. I would argue this is one of his best roles, next to Good Will Hunting), Jeff Bridges as Jack (hardened and toxic), Amanda Plummer as Lydia (quirky and delightful), and Mercedes Ruehl as Anne (who won the Academy Award plus half a dozen other awards for this role), most of the film rests on the weight of these four. They each bring a completely different – and necessary – dynamic to make the magic work, and it really does. It’s hard to think of who else could have filled these roles.
There is also a small part of the homeless cabaret singer, played by Michael Jeter, and I have to give him a mention. He is a scene stealing, Gypsy singing debutant stuck in a homeless man’s body and he’s absolutely fabulous.
Visually, much of the film is dark and gritty, but with various pops of color (particularly the Red Dragon, who represents the pain and trauma that Parry carries) and light. And then you’ve got scenes like one in a Chinese restaurant, where it looks like a moving painting. The framing is there, and the four characters move within it.
Parry is hopelessly in love with Lydia, who he has never spoken to, but watches every day. She is awkward, drops things, and bumps into people, but when sees her, she moves more like a ballet dancer. There is a lovely scene in which everyone starts dancing during the lunch rush, and while Lydia can’t find her way out, she is fairly graceful, although out of step. His interest in her should be creepy, but it’s strangely beautiful. He sees her when nobody else does.
The Fisher King is an incredibly warm, endearing, and heartbreaking film in which lessons are learned, lives are mended, and while the holy grail is important, sometimes it’s more about the journey taken then the prize at the end. This is a must-watch.
Runtime: 137 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes, definitely
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Available: Free on PlutoTV, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
