Directed by: Chris Columbus
Starring: Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein, Mara Wilson, Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence, Robert Prosky
As Robin Williams' one-of-a-kind talent has grown on me over the years, so has Mrs. Doubtfire, which serves as a showcase for the late actor's ability to perform impressions and create humor out of the clear blue. Many years ago, I would've said Robin Williams was great when he wasn't playing Robin Williams. Now, I see Williams as maybe not the funniest comedian I've ever seen, but surely the most inimitable and unique. Is he my cup of tea? Not always, but I appreciate his groundbreaking style.
In Mrs. Doubtfire, Williams plays Daniel Hillard, a voiceover actor whose wife Miranda (Field) can no longer abide being Mrs. Hillard after he throws one too many birthday bashes for the kids in which the police have to be called because of violation of noise ordinances. Miranda and Daniel divorce, and Daniel has visitation on Saturdays only, which seems awfully harsh since he's obviously a loving father. Daniel then learns Miranda is looking for an afternoon nanny to babysit the three children, and voila, Daniel's gay brother Jack (Fierstein), an experienced makeup artist, helps create Mrs. Doubtfire, which allows Daniel to see his children every day while of course pretending to be a British nanny.
Would the Mrs. Doubtfire costume fool Daniel's family? Not likely, but we go along with the plot, and soon Daniel (while disguised as Mrs. Doubtfire) has to sit by and stew, while Miranda is romanced by a new beau (Brosnan-who plays a guy named Stu) and trying to keep up his facade. I'm reminded of Tootsie, a better movie about a man forced to dress in drag, in which Dustin Hoffman tells his overwrought agent, "I didn't think I'd have to spend the rest of my life as a woman," Daniel knows just how he feels, especially when he has to fool his court-appointed social worker or anyone else in his life.
Soon enough, Daniel, for plot-related reasons, is forced to dine at a posh restaurant for a birthday dinner with his family (as Mrs. Doubtfire) and with his boss (Prosky), who wants to hire Daniel for his afternoon children's show. We are treated to the sight of Daniel running to the bathroom to take off his Mrs. Doubtfire outfit and then sit at a table across the restaurant with his boss. Is this funny? Not really. Even with all of the rushing about, the scene moves slowly. Mrs. Doubtfire is a sincere comedy which serves mostly as a Williams vehicle while the rest of the actors just try to edge their way in from the fringes.
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