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The Fisher King (1991)

Official Trailer

Plot Summary

The Fisher King tells the story of Parry (Robin Williams), a former history professor who now lives on the streets of New York, surviving within an elaborate fantasy world filled with castles, red knights, and suffering maidens. His imagination is both a refuge and a prison, shaped by a devastating personal tragedy that fractured his grip on reality.

Jack (Jeff Bridges) is the city’s most arrogant and influential radio DJ, a man whose unchecked ego leads him to make a single cruel mistake on air—one that destroys his career and leaves him drowning in guilt. Stripped of fame and purpose, Jack wanders into despair, unaware that his fate is about to intertwine with Parry’s.

An unlikely bond forms between the two men as Parry, despite his own brokenness, offers Jack a path toward redemption. What begins as an attempt to help Parry pursue his imagined quest for the Holy Grail becomes a deeply human journey about responsibility, compassion, and emotional courage.

Blending surreal fantasy with raw emotional realism, The Fisher King is a modern fable about pain, healing, and the transformative power of kindness. Balancing sharp humor with profound heartbreak, the film explores how salvation can come from the most unexpected places—and how confronting guilt is the first step toward grace.

Cast Biographies