Mrs. Doubtfire

Starring: Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Robert Prosky

A dismal and pathetic moviegoing experience, throughout most of which I felt like a large screw was being driven into my head. And TWO HOURS LONG. Oh God the pain. Treacly, sentimental crap so intent on jerking your tears that you can feel your eyelids being pulled. If there's a cheap bit of phony sentiment to be mined, Columbus and his cronies head straight for it. It seems as though there is an international conspiracy to destroy Robin Williams as an actor (not as a comedian mind you; the rare times he is let loose he is funny, but they are woefully few and way too far between). He is almost completely stifled here, despite the good makeup and impersonation. He is not allowed to act, as he spends all his time looking stricken. I swear if I was Robin I'd start looking for another agent. Or kill the one who brought me this material. It just goes on and on and on with the same saccharine pabulum, until I wanted to vomit. I was literally in physical pain by the end. They are so busy groping for the mush minds of 8-year-olds that they totally leach out any wit, wisdom or insight.

Any attempt at an adult perspective seems to have been abandoned in the planning stages, and instead we get precocious children (and if I hear the word "kids" again I'm going to scream), and mournful looks. The movie oozes sincerity as it spouts banal truisms about family life and "the good of the children"--oops, I mean "kids." Everything is so cut and dried in this film it feels like a taxidermy exhibition. All traces of ambiguity have been dissected out. I cannot fathom the mindset of critics who have raved about it. And another thing: Sally Field is terrible. This picture has actually been compared to "Tootsie," which is a dreadful insult to that brilliant picture. "Tootsie" was not only hilarious but had at its heart a serious look at the way men and women relate. The only thing Mrs. Doubtfire is interested in is the way moviemakers and dollars relate. And while every minute of "Tootsie" rang true--painful or not--I don't believe a word of Mrs. Doubtfire. Not a single word. (12/27/93)