Writer/Director Bobcat Goldthwait is much more intelligent and creative than his stand-up act (at least the one I saw in the '90s)would have one believe. His "SHAKES THE CLOWN" has correctly been lauded as the "CITIZEN KANE" of alcoholic clown movies, and his latest, "WORLD'S GREATEST DAD" is arguably his best and most accessible. That's not to say it won't turn off as many or more than it pleases.  The 70 year olds present during the blu-ray screening were at first aghast at the film''s sexuality and language during the first 10 minutes alone. Still, as they were convinced to hang out longer, "WORLD'S GREATEST DAD" worked its considerable magic on them. Robin Williams stars as Lance Clayton, a well-meaning, likeable teacher and single parent to his monster of a son, Kyle, a student at the same school he teaches at.

As the film opens, although Lance does his best to communicate with Kyle, it's not just the standard teenager vs father kind of estrangement. Kyle is estranged from almost his entire school due to his own lack of empathy and intentional insulting behavior to others, including his own father.  Regardless of Lance's best efforts, Kyle is a completely unlikeable kid. Lance's situation becomes even more moving because of Kyle's inexcusable behavior. Every parent must feel for their kid, but Kyle pushes the limit further than most.

Lance has always aspired to be a well-received(or even published)author. But, letters turning down his work are another form of rejection he must contend with.  When Lance's secret girlfriend and other staffers gather around, excited by the just published "NEW YORKER" story from another teacher, one feels the pain in Lance's face. The teacher makes sure to let everyone know it was his first-ever submission!  So, when a surprise and tragic event happens, instead of a major door closing in Lance's life, he decides to use the event in a way that will better his life instead of damn it to one of solitude.

Lance's actions, first completely well-intentioned, snowball into a witty, troubling attack on celebrity, media, the role of diffused responsibilities in a school setting and the strange but all-too-common revisions of the masses. "WORLD'S GREATEST DAD" is brilliant, and feels like a fresh, "almost" perfect indie film, like the ones that used to be made decades ago!

MAGNOLIA has provided the correct 1.85:1 aspect ratio for this VC-1 encoded 1080p blu-ray.  Colors are extremely vibrant, whether showcasing the natural settings beyond the school, or in the swimming pool sequence near the film's ending. Contrast is excellent, with deep blacks providing excellent detail in the darkest of scenes. Rarely does the image fall flat, making "WORLD'S GREATEST DAD" one of the most pleasing surprises in terms of picture quality as well as content, for 2009!

MAGNOLIA has provided a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix.  Dialogue-driven, but with plenty of separation, and some surround effects, the sense of depth to this mix is pleasing. Dynamic range is excellent, and the music is wherein the fidelity of this lossy  mix stands out the best. Whether it's Bruce Hornsby or David Bowie's great anthem, "UNDER PRESSURE," the mix will cause many in the audience to want to go out and get these songs, as impressive as they sound here!

MAGNOLIA has provided some extras, including a great commentary track with Bobcat. While it has some minor slowparts, it's mostly entertaining and insightful.

A featurette/documentary, directed by Bobcat's daughter, is worth checking out, with plenty of behind-the-scenes footage.

Outtakes and deleted scenes are generally just filler here.

However, the sole HD extra, "HDNET: A LOOK AT WORLD'S GREATEST DAD" is really good, and way too short(at under 5 minutes!)

A music video is also included.