Bobcat Golthwait spent many a year developing his talents with standup, TV appearances and an occasional foray into directing. Some of his more recognizealble parts consisted to be of weirdos and stoners. This time around, he may have found his first crowning acheivment. Not that he hasn't proven himself before. His seasons directing Jimmy Kimmel live propelled the ratings and expanded the audience of the show. But this film seems to showcase the subtlety and complexity that old fans of "Shakes the Clown" would never have suspected.

Which brings us to Robin Williams, the star of this film as the character of Lance Clayton, here he once again channels his understated energies (as in the World According to Garp or One Hour Photo) as an unpublished writer and single father who was also a diver in his formative years. He also happens to have a most antisocial, inconsiderate and genuinely thoughtless prick for a son. Who is tolerated only by one friend who sees something in the boy that most don't. Troubles at school for the both of them (Williams waning literature class and his sons behavior) are played out with talks to the schools frustrated principal. On top of that Williams has issues with his co-worker/girlfriend, who in a seemingly innocent manner spends time with another teacher, a younger man who has recently had his writing published. Ouch. Early on Williams eschews the pathos of the unrecognized talent whose personal life is crumbling. And finds bits of solace in conversation with his sons buddy (a kid that would've made a better son for Williams) and a quirky next door neighbor.

In what seems at first a horrible turn of events, Williams has to deal with his sons untimely death, at once heartbreaking but forseeable, but soon a new card is played out whereas Williams has a means to channel his creativity and feelings and receive sympathy and adoration of the community. Too bad it is all based on a lie. The film takes on the themes of the media and hero worship with doses of people struggling with issues of identity.

He is the teacher of the year at the school now, with publishers clamoring for publishing rights and an Oprah like talk show host touting him. They even find space for an unlikely cameo by Bruce Hornsby. But before too long the forces of truth prove too strong for Williams to keep bottled up an in an act of cathartic desperation he forces himself to make the facts known, in front of the whole community - no less. It's a bit that is at once all psuedo-masochistic and feel good release (set to the tune of David Bowie and Queens "Under Pressure") and Williams emerges triumphant, realizing his true friends.

Williams was born to roles such as this, giving expressions of a man not able to make it on his own terms and surrounded by people he is unsure of as friends. With his now patented understated dialogue and his more human gift of facial expressions, he gives a fine turn here. Credit belongs to Golthwait as well for his use of the cast in painting disturbingly real portraits of a school caught in the wake of it's own shortcomings.