The Dean of Cinema

She makes dinner. She does windows. She reads bedtime stories. She’s a blessing… in disguise. Loving but irresponsible dad Daniel Hillard, estranged from his exasperated spouse, is crushed by a court order allowing only weekly visits with his kids. When Daniel learns his ex needs a housekeeper, he gets the job — disguised as a British nanny. Soon he becomes not only his children’s best pal but the kind of parent he should have been from the start.

I’m riding my Robin Williams high with a showing of one of my all-time favorite of his performances: Mrs. Doubtfire. I remember seeing this as a kid and my entire family being in stitches. My parents laughing at all the adult jokes I didn’t get at the time and me laughing at Williams doing his slapstick shtick. As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m a lifelong fan of Robin Williams and his films, standup, improv and TV shows.

He plays Daniel Hillard, a devoted father with a bad track record for keeping a job. Not for lack of work ethic either. He simply doesn’t want to promote cigarettes to kids in a cartoon in which he voices. An artist that actually takes a stand in the face of a paycheck? Rare these days. Williams is a walking masterclass in improv and character work, but he can equally shine in his dramatic turns. The scene where he pleads with the judge not to take his kids away from him, Williams is speaking from the heart, no acting involved. He was a genuine person which makes it all the more heartbreaking to watch. Williams delivers every emotional beat with an ease only an actor of his caliber can bring. Robin Williams was a true craftsman in acting and knew exactly where the heart of every scene was and stuck every landing.

Sally Field as Miranda Hillard is a great foil to the energy of Williams. A mother and a wife who wants what’s best for her and her kids, even if it means getting a divorce. Field gives the role her distinct charm while also showing the emotional turmoil she goes through dealing with cleaning up after Daniel’s antics. She’s at the end of her rope and looking for a change.

Pierce Brosnan plays her former friend and current client/potential love interest Stuart Dunmeyer. Stuart fills a role that was common in 90’s comedies: a potential or new stepfather figure for the protagonist’s kid who does nothing to deserve the villain role they occupy. By all accounts, and even when he was alone, it seemed Stuart genuinely cared for the kids and wanted to do right by them. All Daniel does is sabotage their budding relationship out of jealousy.

All three kids, Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence, and Mara Wilson work well as siblings. They have great chemistry together and come off genuine. Mara Wilson’s streak in the 90s is nigh unbeatable. She was lucky enough to not only work with Robin Williams here, but Richard Attenborough the next year in the Miracle on 34th Street remake, and Danny DeVito in Matilda a couple years later. She’s one of the greatest child actors to come out of Hollywood. Harvey Fierstein and Scott Capurro are a blast as Frank and Stuart. It’s always fun to see legend Martin Mull pop up. Anne Haney plays Mrs. Sellner, the case worker and her work alongside Williams prepped her for working with Jim Carrey in a few short years.

Legend has it that there exists a much more adult cut of the film thanks to the amount of improv on the part of Williams. Chris Columbus has mentioned that Williams would offer veer way off course from a PG-13 rating during takes. I would give anything to see the R-rated edit of the film. R-rated or not, Mrs. Doubtfire is still a delightfully entertaining comedy that makes you laugh but can also make you cry. The script was written by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, which was based on the 1987 novel Madame Doubtfire, by author Anne Fine. It’s a wonderful story that is relatable to a lot of people who grew up in that era. The message Mrs. Doubtfire sends out to her viewers at the end about how families can look different rings more true today than in 1993. Chris Columbus knows how to work magic behind the camera with films like Home Alone and Home Alone 2, Gremlins and even a Harry Potter film! He knocks it out of the park with Mrs. Doubtfire, making another classic of 1990s cinema.

Mrs. Doubtfire is a hilarious comedy that will have you laughing throughout while simultaneously grabbing you by the heartstrings. It’s a well crafted film that celebrates families of all kinds, and brings joy with every viewing. We were lucky to be privilege to the genius of Robin Williams, the human Tasmanian devil, and by all accounts a genuinely good human being.

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