Director Terry Gilliam returns to his favorite thematic territory: the thin boundary between reality and fantasy. New York shock DJ Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) has his success pulled out from under him when one of his snide remarks is taken too seriously and results in a killing spree. Jack is interrupted in an attempted suicide dive into the East River by a couple of street punks looking to burn bums and is rescued from the punks by Parry (Robin Williams). Once a college professor specializing in Arthurian legend, Parry is now homeless, crazy, and convinced that Jack is the key to acquiring the Holy Grail from a rich businessman's home. Appropriately enough, Jack's story mirrors the ancient tale of the Fisher King, related by a naked Parry in the middle of Central Park. Themes of guilt, romance and alienation are mixed with rich visual imagery and a deep dark sense of humor that may remind the viewer of Gilliam's Monty Python roots.
