This Ed Norton and Robin Williams Box Office Flop Is Now an Underrated Cult Classic

Some of the best movies occur when an actor steps out of their comfort zone. For example, nobody expected Heath Ledger to take the role of Joker in The Dark Knight, yet his portrayal redefined the character for the next generation. Some actors, like Robin Williams, had become well-known for experimenting in different comedic and dramatic roles. That brings us to an underrated 2002 film, featuring both Ed Norton and Robin Williams, Death to Smoochy a box office flop at the time that has since hit cult-classic status. The movie is unlike anything either actor had done before, including the specific roles they played.

Death to Smoochy is a black comedy crime film highlighting the corruption in children’s television (yes, really). Directed by Danny DeVito, the film starred Robin Williams as “Rainbow” Randolph Smiley, Ed Norton as Sheldon Mopes, aka Smoochy the Rhino, and Catherine Keener as Nora Wells. It also featured DeVito, Jon Stewart, Michael Rispoli, and Pam Ferris. In other words, it was a star-studded cast. So, what went wrong?

Robin Williams as a Complicated Villain

Death to Smoochy is a classic satire, and as such, it has layered commentary. One of the biggest conversation pieces was about the corruption in something as innocent (appearing) as children’s television. Thus, the story begins with “Rainbow” Randolph Smiley, a beloved host of the Rainbow Randolph Show, who is already well on his way to corruption. He’s been accepting bribes for ages, a sneaky way of parents paying their kids’ way into the show.

The film begins with Rainbow Randolph getting busted in spectacular fashion. Everything that follows shows a different side of Williams’s acting skills, as he bounces from tortured soul to outright villain and back again.

Rainbow Randolph’s journey over the course of Death to Smoochy is arguably the most complex of the film. It’s also not every day that people get to pick up a film that had Robin Williams swearing worse than a sailor. While it’s not the role most people would have expected for Williams, it’s safe to say that only his skills could have pulled off such a complex role.

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Ed Norton as a Head in the Clouds Entertainer

Ed Norton, on the other hand, takes on the role of Sheldon Mopes, the mirror image of Rainbow Randolph. Sheldon is a head-in-the-clouds creative, and as the film described him, “squeaky f-cking clean,” meaning he didn’t have any track record to scare the production company away. Sheldon is fully immersed in creating a better and happier world starting with his original character, Smoochy the Rhino.

Much like Williams as Rainbow Randolph, this is very different role for Ed Norton. Sheldon is the opposite of a brooding character, as he has thrown himself headfirst into a career that he hopes will spread happiness and joy. Sheldon is a larger-than-life character, with exaggerated facial expressions, an exhaustingly upbeat energy level, and seemingly complete lack of cynicism. Ed Norton nails the role, making his character feel sharply contrasted to every other character navigating this surprisingly dark world.

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Why We Love Death to Smoochy

Death to Smoochy is a brilliant and underrated film, and you’ll never hear us saying otherwise. The movie takes dozens of complex themes and bundles them into a more digestible comedy, warranting multiple watch-throughs. It tackles concepts like the ones we’ve already discussed, plus mental health, drug abuse, assumptions/biases, and not judging a book by its cover, just to name a few.

It’s shocking the cast wasn’t enough to earn a bigger draw for Death to Smoochy. Part of the problem likely stemmed from the film’s attack on the industry itself. While it was trying to make some very real points, that doesn’t mean they’ll be appreciated by everyone. Likewise, not everyone would appreciate the darker comedic wrapping the film utilized.

To put it simply, Death to Smoochy is delightfully deranged. It provided talented actors with strong and strange characters and let them loose to do what they do best. While the film isn’t for everyone, it will absolutely leave a mark on anyone who watches it. It’s easily one of our favorite movies, and we’ll never stop saying so.

Death to Smoochy is not currently available to stream for free on any platform, but viewers can either rent it on Amazon, Apple TV, or various platforms.