My Movie Review on Mrs. Doubtfire · 11:22pm May 11th, 2019
Yo, what’s up everybody?
This is your friendly movie and tv show reviewer tuning in once again.
And today, I’ll be making a review on Robin Williams’s “Mrs. Doubtfire”.
(Fun Fact: I’ve been wanting to review this movie since around the very beginning of my reviewing career. However, I had trouble figuring out what to say about it, so I had to watch it more than once. And now, after seeing it again recently, I’m finally ready to make my review of this film.)
Here’s the summary:
Daniel Hillard (played by Robin Williams) is an actor who is also loving father to three children, consisting of his eldest daughter Lydia (played by Lisa Jakub), his son Chris (played by Matthew Lawrence), and his youngest daughter Natalie (played by Mara Wilson)
However, having had enough of his antics and feeling as if she no longer loves him, Daniel’s wife Miranda (played by Sally Field) decides it’s time for the two to divorce.
The judge grants Miranda custody of the children, and tells Daniel he has three months to find a job and have a home suitable for his children.
However, Miranda is unable to cope with her career and being a single mom without some help. And, Daniel is unable to cope with not seeing his children everyday. So, Miranda decides to hire a nanny, and Daniel decides to the unthinkable:
Cleverly disguise himself as an old lady named Mrs. Doubtfire and be the nanny of his own children.
The big question, though, is how long can Daniel keep his act going?
Before I get to the positives of this film, I’d like to address the only two negatives that I found here.
First, similar to many other films of the 1980s & 90s, “Mrs. Doubtfire” had quite a bit of cussing, which had nothing to do with the character development and didn’t advance the storyline. It seemed to be profanity just for the sake of profanity.
Second, as Hollywood is prone to do, a homosexual couple, consisting of Daniel’s brother Frank (played by Harvey Fierstein) and his partner Jack (played by Scott Capuro), is included in the film, and they are portrayed in a positive light, of course. Just another example of Hollywood pushing homosexual politics. However, unlike most instances where this agenda has nothing to do with the storyline, at least there’s a correlation in this film with Williams’s character dressing up as an elderly woman. I’m not trying to cause a debate about this issue though, really, and I will note that Fierstein and Capuro did a nice job portraying their characters. The scene where Frank and Jack try to help Daniel find the right look for his nanny disguise was extremely funny and enjoyable.
But, that isn’t what I commend the most among others.
One of the biggest elements I admire about this movie is how much Robin Williams truly shined in the lead role. His comedic chops and ability to improvise faster than a speeding bullet had no restraint whatsoever, and the result of it all is so funny you can’t keep yourself from laughing. A definite example comes from the moment he does different voices in front of straight-faced unemployment social worker, Mrs. Sellner (played by Anne Haney).
Aside from his comedic genius, though, Williams also showcases his incredible talents for dramatic performing. He carries with him an emotional weight that makes his character so human. A prime example comes from the speech to the judge on how much his children mean to him, with the whole thing being so heartwarming you’ll feel like crying.
Williams, Capuro, and Fierstein aren’t the only performers I commend here. Every cast member did an amazing job portraying their characters, such as Sally Field and her work as Miranda; Mara Wilson and her work as Natalie; and Pierce Brosnan and his work as Stuart “Stu” Dunmeyer.
The characters and character development overall were really top-notch. Everyone has a certain depth and personality that makes them so distinct and memorable, and the people portraying them fit their parts like a glove.
The direction by Chris Columbus, and the screenplay by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, were likewise amazing. The creativity of all three of these people apparently knew no bounds, because every moment, there’s this definite intrigue and heart that can immediately hook you in like a fish. They were truly able to make this film one worthy of everybody’s time.
The humor of this film, aided by the fingers of director Chris Columbus, was all-out funny. It isn’t mean-spirited or anything like that, and it’s extremely well-executed. Additionally, the dramatic and emotion-tugging moments were well worked, powerful, and heartfelt. The great thing about this film is that everything comes together like a well-oiled machine. The script, acting, and directing are perfectly balanced.
Even the music, by composer Howard Shore, was well-done and emotionally powerful. It may not be able to compete with the music of other films, such as the Star Wars series, but, it’s powerful enough to stand on its own. Plus, the incorporation of classic songs, such as “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)”, was fun too.
In conclusion, despite the problems I mentioned at the beginning, “Mrs. Doubtfire” is an enjoyable film that I definitely recommend for people 13 & up, and it’s even one of the best films of the late Robin Williams’s career.
So, I rate “Mrs. Doubtfire” four out of five stars.
Huh. Never heard of this one before. Then again, I don't usually watch human interest/comedy stories unless I feel like it. I'm a sci-fi/fantasy nut all the way. :)
I had heard of this, but didn’t know very much about it. It sounds kind of interesting, and definitely a good movie for that genre. I might check it out someday.
Honestly those nitpicks are rather 'picky', the real problems a critic should've gone more over is pacing, character development, or something bigger than your own personal turn-offs. But at the very least, I'd say this movie was definitely better than the original source material. The novel in general was in a way VERY mean-spirited. For me, this is a close personal favorite of mine out of the Robin Williams movies I've seen and there are other films featuring him that I do enjoy. And to think that opening cartoon in the movie was animated by some big wigs in the Looney Tunes department.
5057584
Chuck Jones and a team of animators, to be precise.
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Exactly. I thought the animation looked familiar.
I personally didn't see the two as pushing any agenda just "Oh, they're a couple that just happens to be gay." Ah, the world lost a comedy treasure with the death of Robin Williams. Leaving out all the humor, this movie was just so....warm. You ever seen his version of the Bicentennial Man?