World's Greatest Dad

Play trailer

World's Greatest Dad

R

2009

1h 39m

Comedy

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

117 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

When the son of high school English teacher Lance Clayton accidentally kills himself, Clayton writes a fake suicide note to evade scandal. At first uninterested in the death, the school is taken by the letter after it is published in the school paper. Hoping to claim the literary renown he has always wanted, Lance writes a diary, too. Fame and intrigue follow and Lance receives the attention he always wished for, but finds keeping his cool might be easier written than done.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

World's Greatest Dad is a risky, deadpan, dark comedy that effectively explores the nature of posthumous cults of celebrity.

Read Critics Reviews

Anna Smith

metro.co.uk

08/24/2018

4/5

The film's direction isn't always confident - there are baggy sections, and it's rarely deeply moving - but it is consistently funny.

Go to Full Review

Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

09/29/2010

4/5

Goldthwait has given it a title that will make some shy away. But don't. It's a comedy about the particularly American capacity to create legends out of the dead, and it's sharper than most.

Go to Full Review

Robbie Collin

News of the World

09/29/2010

5/5

Beware that poster, with its jolly red writing and Mork from Ork's face thereon. This is not the Robin Williams of Old Dogs and License To Wed.

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

09/04/2023

3.5/4

World’s Greatest Dad is more tender and heartfelt because of Williams’ performance. And when it’s all over, no matter how obscure the plot or demented the scenario, Goldthwait has constructed a welcomed little indie comedy of the unlikeliest kind.

Go to Full Review

James McMahon

NME (New Musical Express)

05/20/2021

4/5

I enjoyed this film a lot. I'd go as far as to say that this is best film I have ever seen about someone who masturbates themselves to death.

Go to Full Review

David Harris

Spectrum Culture

10/11/2019

3/5

Not as out-and-out funny as it should be nor as emotionally poignant as it could be...

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Pee B

@RT80350238 Mar 30

Not for kids. This is a mature movie where a good dude is tempted with having many things he wanted if he just a) be dishonest and b) allow people to believe what they would like. So he tries the dishonesty while grieving the loss of his son by unsettling/kinky suicide. Not too many movies cheer me up more than this. I get a big smile , the kind an idiot has trouble wiping off their face, when I think of this movie.

See more

Jack F

@MovieFan111 Mar 19

It was a weird movie. I think I liked this one more then One Hour Photo. Man that kid was a terrible person in the beginning of the movie. The concept is very original and thought provoking which made the movie good in that sense. The satire is interesting, and as usual, Robin Williams gives a good performance. It's always a treat seeing a mostly kids movie actor be in something like this.

See more

thiago s

@Thiagostone Dec 4

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

See more

Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 13

Funny in 1 hour and 39 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $221,200.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See more

Cory C

@RT28164066 Jun 26

Such a unique topic for a dark comedy, with some jokes that I was surprised were allowed in the movie. Nevertheless this movie is a good watch for Robin Williams alone.

See more

mre 1

@RT00438301 Jun 21

I Like this movie, it's funny. R.I.P Robin Williams

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Bobcat Goldthwait

Director

Robin Williams

Lance Clayton

Alexie Gilmore

Claire

Daryl Sabara

Kyle

Tom Kenny

Jerry Klein

Lorraine Nicholson

Heather

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

46%

34%

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

Watchlist

Solitary Man

77%

50%

Solitary Man

Watchlist

Bad Words

66%

61%

Bad Words

Watchlist

Sunshine Cleaning

74%

63%

Sunshine Cleaning

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Sunshine Cleaning

Up in the Air

90%

79%

Up in the Air

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Up in the Air

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

When the son of high school English teacher Lance Clayton accidentally kills himself, Clayton writes a fake suicide note to evade scandal. At first uninterested in the death, the school is taken by the letter after it is published in the school paper. Hoping to claim the literary renown he has always wanted, Lance writes a diary, too. Fame and intrigue follow and Lance receives the attention he always wished for, but finds keeping his cool might be easier written than done.

Director: Bobcat Goldthwait
Producer: Tim Perell, Howard Gertler, Sean McKittrick, Richard Kelly
Screenwriter: Bobcat Goldthwait
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Magnolia Pictures, Darko Entertainment
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Images|Crude and Sexual Content|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 21, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 9, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $221.2K
Runtime: 1h 39m