Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) Review

                          'Did you ever wish you could sometimes freeze frame a moment 
                              in your day, look at it and say "this is not my life"?'

With the recent announcement that a sequel to Mrs. Doubtfire is in fact in the works, and is being directed by Chris Columbus (with the script is being penned by David Berenbaum), it seems only fitting that we take a look back at the original.

Whilst it is questionable as to whether the new cinematic venture will be successful, the original 1993 film (which is based on the novel by Anne Fine) could indeed be seen as a classic, which has been referenced numerous times in popular culture and was a box-office hit.

Starring in the leading role in this comedic film is Robin Williams, who portrays the talented voice actor Daniel Hillard, who is in the midst of a divorce from his wife Miranda, (Sally Field) who thinks he is too irresponsible and immature. Despite being devoted to his three children - Lydia, (Lisa Jakub) Chris (Matthew Lawrence) and Natalie, (Mara Wilson) Hillard struggles to reconnect with his wife, until he learns out that she is trying to hire a housekeeper. So, in order to spend more time with his distanced children, he dons a body suit, wig, facial mask and other womanly attire to become Mrs. Doubtfire – an eccentric but motherly Scottish matron, who gets into all kinds of trouble – especially when ‘he’ finds out that Miranda has a new beau in the form of Pierce Brosnan (who plays Stuart Dunmire).

One of the great things about the film is that is manages to successful pair actual comedy and hilarious moments with heart-felt and touching story-lines, making Mrs. Doubtfire more than ‘just another comedy film’. Needless to say, one of the funniest elements of the film is the ‘fictional’ Mrs. Doubtfire. Williams’ character manages to get up to a whole heap of antics whilst donning his Mrs. Doubtfire get-up, from having to stick his face in a cream pie after having his mask run over by a truck outside, to getting caught using the wrong bathrooms (not to mention that Williams’ character possesses some of the best lines in the whole film, and the entire dinner scene towards the end is just pure hilarity). It’s also interesting to see the switch in the dynamics of Williams’ performance; from one moment being the dad trying to make ends meet, to the next trying to be the believable nanny figure. But of course, there is the element of heart, and Mrs. Doubtfire has quite a sweet story to it, underneath all the gags and costumes. The performances from Hillard’s three children add the element of childhood innocence to the film, especially from young Mara Wilson (who went on to play the titular role of Matilda in DeVito’s adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl novel), who manages to warm the hearts of audience’s with her confident performance. 

After over 20 years, you would think that Mrs. Doubtfire would be just a fleeting memory in the history of cinema, but with the upcoming sequel, it certainly proves that it is not forgotten. Whilst the new film may be a bit hit or miss (I’m really hoping for hit, after all, it would be horrific to see studios taint the memory of the original), Mrs. Doubtfire remains a family classic, with Williams proving that he really has a talent for getting the most laughs out of people as possible, and always coming back for more. 

4 stars         Reviewed by Mel. 

You can also check out this review as a Hit Play feature on I'm With Geek.com, link available below: 
http://www.imwithgeek.com/2/post/2014/04/hit-play-mrs-doubtfire.html