Mrs. Doubtfire (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Mrs. Doubtfire' (directed by Chris Columbus) is no example of fine filmmaking. But guess what, I don't care; 'cause I laughed my butt off for nearly 2 hours. Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) is an eccentric out-of-work voice actor who loves his 3 children deeply: Lydia, Chris, & Natalie (Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence, Mara Wilson). But Daniel's wife, Miranda (Sally Field) thinks he's a loose cannon & poor role model (after he ruins a family birthday party). And bitter divorce proceedings minimize his interaction with them to 1 day per week only, which isn't nearly enough for him.
When his ex, Miranda, decides to hire a housekeeper, Daniel sees his chance spend time with the kids; however unorthodox that may seem. You see, Daniel gets his make-up artist brother, Frank (Harvey Fierstein), to turn him into an old lady, & arrives at his old house as the Scottish widow, Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire; who quickly becomes a beloved fixture around the household. But just how long will Daniel be able to pull-off this ruse before his kids, ex-wife, & her new boyfriend, Stu (Pierce Brosnan) figure it out? Disastrous (but funny) consequences ensue.
The plot isn't anything unique (think Tootsie). And there are the usual coincidences/contrivances that litter-up most comedies, nowadays. But despite all that, this movie is completely winning. I love the setting, the characters, the music; the humor. And the ensemble cast knows how to play for laughs.
Robin Williams is one funny guy. But in drag? Wow, he's over-the-MOON funny. I mean, right from the get-go; when he's trying on different female looks (with the make-up) - hysterical. There's a scene on a bus when Daniel's hairy knee is showing (but he's dressed up as Mrs. Doubtfire), & the old male bus driver gets turned on {haha}. There's a scene where Mrs. Doubtfire plays soccer with the kids; and is way too agile. There's a scene where Mrs. Doubtfire beats up on a guy trying to steal her purse. And the entire sequence near the end when Daniel has to juggle both himself AND Mrs. Doubtfire in the same restaurant (lots of costume changes) had me in stitches. Talk about a situation going haywire.
Williams isn't quite as effective when playing it straight (as Daniel), but it's still a truly fantastic overall performance. Sally Field is quite good; though, her Miranda is someone we're not particularly fond of throughout the proceedings. Pierce Brosnan is stellar as Miranda's debonair boyfriend; a man, who, no matter how much Daniel tries to convince us of his pompousness; he's actually a pretty good guy - who loves Miranda & her kids. The child actors impress. And Robert Prosky gives a nice little 1-dimensional performance as Daniel's boss. Overall, 'Mrs. Doubtfire' is great fun; fun ... with a tinge of sobering sentimentality at the end. I laughed my butt off. But the lasting message that no family is perfect really made me think as the credits rolled, as well. Big thumbs up for 'Mrs. D'.
When his ex, Miranda, decides to hire a housekeeper, Daniel sees his chance spend time with the kids; however unorthodox that may seem. You see, Daniel gets his make-up artist brother, Frank (Harvey Fierstein), to turn him into an old lady, & arrives at his old house as the Scottish widow, Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire; who quickly becomes a beloved fixture around the household. But just how long will Daniel be able to pull-off this ruse before his kids, ex-wife, & her new boyfriend, Stu (Pierce Brosnan) figure it out? Disastrous (but funny) consequences ensue.
The plot isn't anything unique (think Tootsie). And there are the usual coincidences/contrivances that litter-up most comedies, nowadays. But despite all that, this movie is completely winning. I love the setting, the characters, the music; the humor. And the ensemble cast knows how to play for laughs.
Robin Williams is one funny guy. But in drag? Wow, he's over-the-MOON funny. I mean, right from the get-go; when he's trying on different female looks (with the make-up) - hysterical. There's a scene on a bus when Daniel's hairy knee is showing (but he's dressed up as Mrs. Doubtfire), & the old male bus driver gets turned on {haha}. There's a scene where Mrs. Doubtfire plays soccer with the kids; and is way too agile. There's a scene where Mrs. Doubtfire beats up on a guy trying to steal her purse. And the entire sequence near the end when Daniel has to juggle both himself AND Mrs. Doubtfire in the same restaurant (lots of costume changes) had me in stitches. Talk about a situation going haywire.
Williams isn't quite as effective when playing it straight (as Daniel), but it's still a truly fantastic overall performance. Sally Field is quite good; though, her Miranda is someone we're not particularly fond of throughout the proceedings. Pierce Brosnan is stellar as Miranda's debonair boyfriend; a man, who, no matter how much Daniel tries to convince us of his pompousness; he's actually a pretty good guy - who loves Miranda & her kids. The child actors impress. And Robert Prosky gives a nice little 1-dimensional performance as Daniel's boss. Overall, 'Mrs. Doubtfire' is great fun; fun ... with a tinge of sobering sentimentality at the end. I laughed my butt off. But the lasting message that no family is perfect really made me think as the credits rolled, as well. Big thumbs up for 'Mrs. D'.