[Logo]
Subscribers Only Content Area
[Log      [Learn

Home New Movies All Movies New Videos All Videos DVD Search



(About Our Ads)

DVD REVIEW FOR
"MRS. DOUBTFIRE"

(1993) (Robin Williams, Sally Field) (PG-13)

Length Screen Format(s) Languages Subtitles Sound Sides
125 minutes Letterbox (2.35:1) English
French
English
Spanish
Dolby Digital 5.0 1

Plot: Comedy: In order to spend time with children, a divorced man poses as their new, female housekeeper. (Parental Review Not Available)

VIDEO:
(B+) While certainly not the best transfer you’ve ever seen, the picture is often quite good. It does, however, have some problems. Shimmer is evident along any fine or close parallel lines (such as window shades, bricks or other exterior parts of houses, etc...) as if the detail was cranked a bit in an attempt to make the picture a little sharper.

As such, it often looks rather sharp (especially in the outdoor scenes), but doesn’t fall into what would be defined as "razor-like." Some compression-related pixelation is also present (on walls and other solid-colored sections) and is more noticeable in some scenes than in others. Color depth is decent, and while not as rich as more recent releases, is neither washed out nor oversaturated.

AUDIO:
(A) Featuring a decent comedic score, a handful of songs (or snippets from them) and a few sound effects here and there, the audio track delivers what’s needed and expected of it, but nothing more that’s particularly noteworthy.
EXTRAS:
  • Scene selection/Jump to any scene.
  • Running audio commentary by director Chris Columbus.
  • Cast interviews -- 8+ minutes worth.
  • Comments from animation guru Chuck Jones (who made the opening cartoon) - 4+ minutes.
  • Original pencil test of animation sequence for that cartoon -- 2+ minutes.
  • Final animation sequence (of that cartoon and far more than appears in the film) -- 5+ minutes.
  • Makeup test for Robin Williams -- 4+ minutes.
  • Makeup Application with commentary by makeup artist VeNeill and Robin Williams -- 3+ minutes.
  • Deleted scenes -- 29+ minutes of back to back scenes.
  • Teaser trailer.
  • Theatrical trailer.
  • TV spot.
  • COMMENTS:
    Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon did it in "Some Like it Hot." Milton Berle and Flip Wilson did it on the TV shows carrying their name, while an unknown young actor named Tom Hanks did the same in "Bosom Buddies." Anthony Perkins was showered with accolades when he did it in "Psycho." Meanwhile, Jaye Davidson did it so well in "The Crying Game" that his "coming out" shocked everyone and earned him an Oscar nomination, as was the case when Dustin Hoffman did it in "Tootsie.

    As you can see, men have been dressing up like women for purposes of entertainment for a long time, and not just in the movies. From frat parties to those occurring on Halloween, it’s not that unusual to see men in drag. Thus, when people heard that Robin Williams was going to do it in "Mrs. Doubtfire," such news was received with mixed reactions. After all, the concept certainly wasn’t original, but there was that whole wildcard element of Williams himself, certain to really get into the role and brand it with his own indelible impression.

    The result for the 1993 film wasn’t a similar Academy Award nomination for Williams, but a highly entertaining picture nonetheless that grossed well north of $200 million at the domestic box office. As directed by Chris "Home Alone" Columbus and featuring a great supporting cast -- including Sally Field, Harvey Fierstein and a pre-James Bond Pierce Brosnan -- the film may not offer any great plot surprises, but does a great many fun and humorous moments.

    Just like most "men in drag" films, the script here -- as penned by Leslie Dixon and Randi Mayem Singer -- offers plenty of opportunity for Williams to do his thing (including, of course, some of his non-scripted, improvised bits). In particular, several set pieces, where Williams must make the transition one way or the other from woman to man and back, are nicely choreographed and quite hilarious.

    Like the best collector’s edition DVDs, this one is chock full of interesting and entertaining supplemental material. Our favorite, of course, is the insightful running audio commentary by director Chris Columbus, but the makeup tests and behind the scenes application footage are interesting as well. With plenty of material to view, fans of the film will undoubtedly be pleased with what’s offered here. Our only complaint is that the disc doesn’t contain any out-takes and bloopers (and there had to be plenty with Williams and his antics -- even Columbus alludes to them in his commentary).

    If you’ve never seen this picture, you owe it to yourself to view it just for the pure entertainment factor it provides. If you have seen it and liked it, you certainly won’t go wrong owning this special edition. We highly recommend it.

    Buy Mrs. Doubtfire on DVD Today!

    Advertising Info Info/FAQ Mail Newsletter Sneak Previews Syndication

    Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
    By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.

    All Rights Reserved,
    ©1996-2010 Screen It, Inc.