Not many actors can say they’ve had a career as impressive and diverse asRobin Williams. While he could knock comedic roles likeMrs. Doubtfireout of the park, Williams also delivered some amazing dramatic performances, especially with the cinematic masterpiece that isGood Will Hunting. Sometimeshe could even be downright terrifyingwhen the occasion called for it. Williams deliveredwhat might be one of his best performancesin his final film,Boulevard.
Boulevardfollows Williams' Nolan Mack, who lives a middle-of-the-road life. He’s been the manager of a bank for nearly 25 years, and his relationship with his wife Joy (Kathy Baker) has become comfortable yet predictable. But everything changes when Nolan goes on a midnight drive. He ends up giving a ride to a young man named Leo (Roberto Aguire), and through their encounters, Nolan starts to break out of his self-imposed shell. ThoughBoulevardgained attention for being Williams' final on-screen role, it’s also notable for how it approaches a “coming out” story.
Robin Williams Poured His Heart Into Dito Montiel’s ‘Boulevard’
It becomes clear from watchingBoulevardthat Williams is approaching Nolan in a different way than his other roles. His performance throughout the film is fairly reserved, which is a far cry from the larger-than-life, energetic performances that defined Williams' career. But with the gravity ofBoulevard’s subject matter, it’s also fitting that Williams would take this approach to his performance. DirectorDito Montielwould later confirm in aHollywood Reporterinterview thathe had conversations with Williams that inspired the film’s direction:
“He really thought about it a lot and had some really interesting thoughts as far as what Nolan was going through, and it really excited me,…His attitude about it, which I jumped on in a big way, was this is a story about letting go.”
What Nolan is letting go of is his fear of the unknown, and the lies that kept him tethered to a life he was never really comfortable living. The standout scene comes when Nolan stumbles upon Leo’s pimp abusing him and shouts “Hey! Leave him alone!” It not only grabs the viewer’s attention, but it is a cry of passion from a man who seemed rather passionless.
Montiel alsoutilizes a simple set of visuals to signal Nolan’s transformationthroughoutBoulevard.Whenever he’s around Joy, there’s a distance between them: they eat at opposite ends of the dinner table, they sleep in separate rooms, and they don’t really get close until the end ofBoulevard. In contrast,Nolan and Leo are often very close to each other, whether it’s in Nolan’s car or sitting on the edge of a hotel bed. There’s a unique intimacy at hand; it’s not romantic, but rather resembles a bond between a father and son or two long-lost friends reconnecting. Once again,Williams deserves much of the creditin these scenes. His body language tells a tale; he’s tense and uncomfortable in the Joy scenes, but at ease in the Leo scenes. These scenes wouldn’t hit as hard as they do without Williams' facial expressions. A multitude of emotions are dancing behind his eyes, including shame, sadness, and joy; without saying a word, Williams can sell Nolan’s emotional turmoil.
‘Boulevard’ Is an Emotionally Harrowing Coming-Out Story
Boulevard, at its core, is about Nolan coming to terms with the fact that he’s gay, andits methodical approach makes the end result hit all that much harder.In the opening, Nolan grants a loan to a gay couple, and is shown staring at them with a look that can only be described as “longing.” A conversation with his longtime friend Winston (Bob Odenkirk) is laced with enough subtext to suggest that there might have been sparks between the two at one point in their lives.
ButBoulevard’s true emotional meat comes in a conversation between Nolan and his comatose father, where he opens up about the first time he learned he was gay. Williams actually convinced Montiel to restore the scene in the final cut, and he was right to do so; it’s a pivotal moment that finally has Nolan accepting who he is, and that he’s done hiding. It came from an emotionally honest place, as screenwriterDouglas Soesberevealed thatBoulevardwaspartially inspired by his own experiences: “I came out very late and with a great deal of guilt. This movie is not about me, but I really understand that character."
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WatchingBoulevardis an emotional experience for so many reasons.Robin Williams didn’t just deliver a heartwrenching performance, but an honest one. The fact that he was willing to work closely with Dito Montiel to make it incredibly honest only speaks to how amazing he was as a performer. Simply put, this is the kind of film that won’t leave a dry eye in the house.
