This movie takes a hopeless premise,and mixes in two actors - Robin Williams and Sally Fields - who are so dissimilar in their talents that their pairing should be D.O.A., and pulls out a surprisingly funny and effective movie. I am stunned at the quality. Understand that Robin Williams has very limited range to his acting. See the opening scenes of Mrs. Doubtfire where he quits his job -dubbing voices into cartoons - over a trivial moral issue. Is the scene convincing? Does he appear to have the right level of passion to truly walk out on his job? No. As an actor, he is merely Robin Williams in his films. But his manic side really distinguishes him from any other actor alive. Sally Field, however, is a great actress (and greatly unappreciated, too.) She has the range to do almost anything - but cracking jokes is not her forte, and manic is not within her range at all. So what happens? Robin is enormously funny when he is getting his makeup applied by Harvey Fierstein, gigging the court-appointed monitor, and tormenting Pierce Brosnan. But in the Robin-only scenes, the film stands still -as if he is doing a stand-up routine. But when Sally is on-camera, the story moves.... and there is emotional power in the scenes. She is dead-on convincing in almost every scene, in almost every emotional state. She tells no jokes and creates a realness and a context that brings the best out of Robin's emoting. There would be no movie without Robin, but it is Sally that makes the movie something much more than Three Men and A Baby. Even Pierce Brosnan works - in an unusual twist he plays a male version of the type of role that many gorgeous actresses are accustomed to play - his role is simply to be good-looking and charming so that other characters can be jealous or lust-filled. And yet, even he shows 3-dimensionality to his character, with the help of some sensitive script-writing. So its a triumph - a genuinely interesting and fun film. Bravo!
September 29, 2008For years, I have been waiting for this movie to come to DVD. As I had worn out the copy I had on VHS, this movie was a lost treasure. Now on DVD loaded with bonus features, this is the true DVD treasure. It's also nice to have it as a digital transfer so it looks good on an HD-upconverting dvd player. Best comedy of the 90's.
August 11, 2008Mrs. Doubtfire starring Robin Williams is pretty hilarious. This is an oldie but goodie, Williams is nearly flawless in this dual role. Not sure who cast Sally Field but she seems out of place in this comedy. Pierce Brosnan is easy on the eyes, he's still gorgeous to this day! I like this film but I've watched so much I got kind of sick of it. Good movie to watch with family and friends, enjoy!
July 20, 2008This item came ontime and was in perfect condition. Just the way it should be
June 2, 2008I purchased this movie in VCR form years ago. I wanted to get it on DVD because it was a movie I wanted to last for a long time. Love Robin Williams and Sally Field.
May 19, 2008More reviews at Amazon.com ...
Daily Birthdays
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