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Willard
on DVD (2003)
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Brief synopsis of Willard
Glen Morgan's WILLARD stars Crispin Glover in the title role as a socially awkward loner who lives with his ailing mother (Jackie Burroughs) in a decrepit old house. Trapped between duties at home and working at a dreary company formerly owned by his deceased father, Willard leads a bleak and routine existence until he befriends Socrates, an albino rat living in the basement. This new friendship leads to an affinity for the ever-growing rodent population under his house, and soon Willard discovers the rats will do anything he tells them. When Willard is pushed too far by his bullying boss (R. Lee Ermey), he decides to use his four-legged companions to get revenge.
A perfect pairing of actor and character, Glover is ideal as Willard in this Burton-esque remake of the 1971 cult horror film. Widely known as an introvert and eccentric in real life, Glover expertly transfers his quirks to Willard in a giddily affected performance that ranges from subdued to outraged. Ermey (of FULL METAL JACKET) and Laura Elena Harring (of MULHOLLAND DRIVE) provide excellent support as his dictatorial boss and concerned colleague, respectively, but the true co-stars of this thriller are two rodents, the affectionate Socrates and the imposing, cat-sized Ben. Although some of the rat scenes are rendered with animatronics or CGI animation, the majority of Glover's scenes with Socrates and Ben involve real animal actors who convey distinct personalities and factor heavily into the story. The clever and darkly comic script even manages to bring in an element of the original film by featuring photos and paintings of Bruce Davison, star of the earlier film, as Willard's dead father. And be sure to listen for both a young Michael Jackson and Glover himself singing WILLARD's adopted theme song, "Ben."
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Critics Reviews
Radio Times
Hollywood eccentric Crispin Glover is perfectly cast in this quirky reinterpretation of the 1971 horror classic. All tics and emotional insecurities, he shines as the down-trodden office boy who uses his two pet rats and their furry pals to wreak violent revenge on his tormentors. Marking a strong debut for Final Destination co-writer Glen Morgan, the film is more gothic fantasy fable than outright chiller. Despite a sinister core, its childlike imagination and visual strangeness make the barbed tale as weird and whimsical as it is creepy. Mulholland Drive's Laura Harring is delightful as the co-worker who falls for Willard's introverted charm, while R Lee Ermey is in top Full Metal Jacket mode as his bullying boss.
Washington Post
Brilliantly realized horror film.
Boston Globe
...wonderfully deranged.
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