MRS. DOUBTFIRE - DVD review

Forget about "Frankenstein" or the "Phantom of the Opera." If you ask me, the scariest movie make-up job ever is the one they did on Robin Williams in "Mrs. Doubtfire." And we learn, in this new "Behind-the-Seams" edition, that there were three looks they tried on Williams. All three are included here, so you can secretly vote on whether they picked the right one. Personally, if any version of this old lady had turned up on my doorstep in response to an ad for a nanny-housekeeper, I would have dialed 911.

If you can get past the unsettling look of Williams in make-up (so strikingly hideous that you hardly even notice he's also in drag), "Mrs. Doubtfire" is an underappreciated romantic comedy-plus that gives Williams a chance to do what he does best: improvise. It also offers some semi-serious help for children coping with estranged or divorcing parents. In this department, it's probably one of the most honest portrayals of the love-hate relationship that can emerge when a couple divorces, and how they have to work through their own feelings for the good of the children. Both parties might not necessarily feel purely antagonistic, as is the case here. One might want to get back together, while the other just wants to move on, and this dose of reality is a welcome change from the "Kramer vs. Kramer" model.

What's more, "Mrs. Doubtfire" isn't just a Robin Williams vehicle. At the core of the script is an offbeat romantic triangle that features two heavy-hitters who are well able to hold their own with the flamboyant comedian: Sally Field (as Daniel's ex-) and Pierce Brosnan (as the old would-be flame who turns on the jets at this opportune moment). Their reaction shots are as funny as anything that Williams does.

"Mrs. Doubtfire" is the kind of film that could have been the silliest darned thing. A divorced dad denied custody and only given supervised visitation once a week dresses up like an old lady and applies for the nanny-housekeeping job his ex- advertises, just so he can be close to the kids he dearly loves. But director Chris Columbus does a pretty good job of handling Williams, reining him in on emotional scenes to avoid the cloying moments we endured in "Patch Adams," and using the script from first-timer Randi Mayem Singer to turn Williams loose in logical spots. The rest of the time, Columbus gives his star just enough room to toss off quick-witted ad libs and enliven scenes without pushing them over the top. When, for example, Daniel-as-Doubtfire is at dinner and his false teeth fall into a glass of water, Williams quips, "Carpe dentum . . . seize the teeth," in obvious allusion to his "carpe diem" speech from "Dead Poets Society" (1989). There are a number of moments like that--clever ones--where Williams' ad libs are more witty than zany, and you have to wonder if his character didn't keep him honest. After all, how zany can an old lady be, before she becomes the granny from the old Wendy's "Where's the beef?" commercials?

But there's serious stuff going on, too. The script, based on Anne Fine's novel Alias Madame Doubtfire, softens the blow for children splitting their time between two parents by not raising false hopes. Though Mrs. Doubtfire makes such a positive difference in all their lives and Miranda (Field) says she's never been so happy, the film dodges the clichéd happy ending and offers a different kind of happily-ever-after that's more realistic.

When the film does go a bit over-the-top, it's not when Daniel interacts with his immediate family. Rather, it's in scenes with minor characters. In one sequence, Daniel's gay brother (Harvey Fierstein) and "Aunt Jack" (Scott Capurro) set him up with an old lady's prosthetic vest and rubber make-up mask, while in another, a horrified social worker (Ann Haney) looks on as a de-masked Mrs. Doubtfire has to improvise a whipped cream mask that subsequently drips into the social worker's tea. A similar over-the-top moment occurs when a dinner that Daniel has with the big-shot at a television station (Robert Prosky) turns into a clichéd, overwrought good-ol'-boy game of down-the-scotch. But for the rest of the film, Williams stays comfortably within his character, as he did in "Good Morning, Vietnam"--ably balancing the range of emotions and ad-libbing required of him.

The kids aren't bad either, with little Mara Wilson full of facial expression and Lisa Jakub and Matthew Lawrence performing admirably as the older (and wiser) kids. As Williams goes back and forth between his characters, the plot moves forward on two levels, and that's enough to make this a better-than-average comedy, with the San Francisco location scenery is a nice throw-in. In fact, if you're a film buff and find yourself in the Bay area, you can drive to 2640 Steiner St. and see the real house that was used for the Hilliard family.

Video:
"Mrs. Doubtfire" is coming out on Blu-ray soon, and if this DVD is any indication of quality, it's going to be quite the pristine HD release. Though this DVD doesn't indicate it was cleaned up or remastered, the amount of detail is pretty astounding for a DVD. The colors are bright and natural-looking, the black levels are strong, and there's no loss of detail on the edges. Simply put, it's a great-looking video, presented in 2.35:1 widescreen.

Audio:
The audio is a resonant English Dolby Digital 5.1 that delivers pure and rich sound at both the high and low ends, and also makes decent use of surround speakers for occasional effects. Additional soundtracks are in Spanish and French Dolby Digital 2.0, with subtitles in English and Spanish.

Extras:
If I have one complaint about this release, it's that while two hours of bonus features are included--among them some never-before-seen improvisational clips of Williams in alternate takes--missing in action is Columbus' excellent commentary from the previous release. Once again, fans are going to have to either keep two copies of a film or else make a tough decision, and Fox, that's just not fair.

The bonus features that are here are really very good, but when you learn from Columbus that he ended up with so much improv material that he had seven different versions of the film (PG, PG-13, R, NC-17) you realize that what's included here is just a fraction of what they have in the Fox archive.

In a section titled "Cutting Room" we get 18 deleted/extended scenes and four alternate scenes, all of which, given Williams' ability to run with an idea in several different directions, are a pleasure to watch. In "Production Office" we get two short features and a behind-the-scenes photo gallery. "Aging Gracefully" covers interesting ground, with Columbus and Williams sitting on a couch together, reminiscing. Columbus, for example, tells how he kept three cameras rolling at all times because there was no re-capturing the reaction shots of the other actors as Williams stunned them with his departures from the script. A rather sedate Williams still manages to crack wise and make Columbus laugh. Meanwhile, a more standard five-part making-of feature incorporates clips from the '90s of Brosnan, Field, and Williams, and offers takes on the script, casting, make-up (it took four and a half hours to apply), on the set with Euphegenia, and "seriously funny."

As with the previous edition, there's a section titled "Animation Studio" which features a conversation with animator Chuck Jones (who contributed an opening cartoon that showed Daniel working as a voiceover actor) and original pencil tests along with the final animation of a sequence that will remind Warner Bros. fans of the Tweety and Sylvester cartoons.

Rounding out the bonus features are extras that show a make-up application, make-up tests with Williams, Field, and the children that are really interesting, and another photo gallery, along with a bonus feature on Williams' improv and original publicity stills and promos (including a 1993 featurette).

Again, a nice package, if it wasn't for the missing commentary.

Bottom Line:
Williams is like nuclear power. It's been difficult for a director to harness the comedian's energy. But Columbus does a good job here, and I personally think that for Williams' improv, and for a believable balance of comedy and pathos, this film and "Good Morning, Vietnam" are the best.