#69 - Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

I can't really remember why I added this film into the list, really. I knew it was a pretty successful comedy and I didn't feel like watching anything but a lighthearted film today (due to my wierd but convenient college schedule, my week starts on Tuesdays), so what the heck. While Mrs. Doubtfire is not particularly funny, but it at least kept me entertained for two hours.

Robin Williams stars as Daniel, a recently divorced, recently unemployed, recently everything man whose workaholic ex-wife has most of the custody over their children. She writes a request for a nanny in the newspaper and Daniel, wanting to keep in touch with his kids, uses his voice acting skills and gay makeup artist brother to disguise himself as a 60 year old English lady to look after the kids. And he spends the rest of the film (surprise) trying not to get his cover blown.

        

Props to the real makeup artists. Looks fantastic.

So, as expected, the spotlight is always on Daniel. So your enjoyment of the film depends largely on how much you like Robin Williams and his personal style. I'm not a huge fan on Robin Williams's manchild style, but it didn't really bother me either (unlike Jim Carrey in last week's Truman Show).

While the wife and kids play their roles pretty good, I found it weird that two teenage kids didn't find a mobile petting zoo or an Brit nanny lame, particularly since this film was made in the 90's and not being "lame" was a pretty high social priority. The film could have exploited that factor a little but what the heck. Oh, and Pierce Brosnan plays the ex-wife's hot new boyfriend. That was nice.

So, the big question is, is Mrs. Doubtfire funny? Eh, sorta. Like I said, if you find Robin Williams's childlike antics amusing, you'll think it's funny. If you find it annoying, well, don't watch the film. I'm kind of in between myself. The film got a couple of chuckles out of me, but I didn't find it particularly funny. Entertaining? Yes, totally, but not funny. I can't even pinpoint any remarkably funny parts.

        

It still is better than all those abysmal films where a "comedic" actor plays a female version of himself.

Mrs. Doubtfire is not bad, nor mediocre. It's entertaining, even, but that's it. I can't recommend it, since it is extremely forgettable and you have plenty of better comedies to watch. Maybe if you really like Robin Williams you'll like it a lot, but in the other case, it is not worth watching. At all.