Mrs. Doubtfire is one of my favorite films. It hits me on a very personal level no matter how many times I watch it. It is so incredibly sad that Robin Williams is no longer with us because Mrs. Doubtfire will go down as one of his most memorable roles.
Mrs. Doubtfire is the story of an actor who disguises himself as a female housekeeper so that he can see his children after he and his wife get divorced. As a child of divorce myself, this movie hits home for me in many ways. I know what it is like to see my parents fight, and watching the effects that this has on the children in the movie is very sad to watch. However, as soon as Mrs. Doubtfire comes into their lives everything changes for the better. This is why the movie is so good, and why the ending makes you smile. That being said, there are a couple issues I have with the movie. I would have liked to have heard about, or even seen, a little more history of Daniel (Robin Williams) and Miranda's (Sally Field) problems. It just seems that Miranda wants a divorce after only one fight. Also, at the end of the movie I would have liked to see a scene where Miranda talks to the courts about letting Daniel see the children. Other than that, this movie is perfect.
Robin Williams plays Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire. What is amazing to see is that Daniel will go to any lengths to see his children. We also see that being Mrs. Doubtfire makes Daniel a better man. The kids get their homework done, he cooks dinner for them and he gets them to bed on time. Robin Williams' monologue at the end of the movie is also very special to me because somehow he was able to take everything that I had heard over and over again ( "it will be okay", "don't blame yourself", etc) and make it sound genuine.
Sally Field plays Miranda Hillard. Miranda, quite honestly, is not a very likable character until the end of the movie. This is uncharacteristic of Sally Field because she is typically known as a very likable person. Even though Daniel has visitation rights with the children, Miranda clearly wants them all to herself. It is also quite heartbreaking to see that she has no faith in Daniel's abilities to hold a job and get an apartment. However, at the end of the movie she realizes that she has made a mistake in not letting him see the children. It is great to see Miranda and Daniel getting along when the movie ends.
Chris Columbus is the director of Mrs. Doubtfire. Robin Williams is the driving force of the film, and Columbus knows that. The way he crafts the sequences (particularly the restaurant sequence at the end) is so beautifully done because the chemistry is so good between the actors. Getting good performances out of the actors is the sign of a great director, and that is exactly what Chris Columbus is.
Mrs. Doubtfire is a great "feel-good" film. Filled with great performances and great laughs, it really is one of the greatest comedies ever made. You can always count on Robin Williams.
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