‘You’re only given a little spark of madness, and if you lose that, you’re nothing…’
Tears of a clown. Dean Saunders knows about the concept. Look at the history of any stand-up comedian and you will unearth stories of bullying, abuse and depression. The prevailing theory goes that they use comedy as a way to feel accepted. It’s a desperate cry for attention. For validation. Robin Williams is perhaps the epitome of this. The narrative around him is that he had a huge void in his life that comedy could only fill for so long. Marina Zenovich’s HBO documentary Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind allows Williams to tell his own story through archive footage and interviews…
Charting Williams’ humble beginnings as a stand-up comic through success in television with Mork and Mindy and eventually movie stardom, Zenovich’s film is a love letter as well as a suicide note. One thing that is present throughout is cocaine and more prevalently alcohol. It was Williams’ dependence on the latter that would ultimately lead to his tragic death.
While Williams’ stand-up is not my cup of tea, particularly his early stuff, it is still insightful to see his evolution from manic, wide-eyed comic to thoughtful and considered actor. While we are treated to contributions from such luminaries as David Letterman, Eric Idle and Bobcat Goldthwait, it is Williams’ own words that prove the most poignant. His ability to communicate his vulnerability and his sadness without making people feel uncomfortable is perhaps second to none. And it is this openness that generations of comedy and film fans have connected with over his many years of success and subsequent adoration following his death. Come Inside My Mind is a fitting tribute to a beloved comic genius taken far too soon.
