MRS. DOUBTFIRE was the #2 hit of 1993 (after Jurassic Park) and stands as Robin Williams second most successful movie, topped only by Aladdin. Kind, funny and hopeful, like the title hero(ine), it’s aged well. Sure, it’s obvious, manipulative and has an unbelievable premise. But look around you.

In San Francisco, voice actor ‘Daniel Hillard’ (Williams, 41) dotes on his three kids but his undisciplined nature regarding employment and household partnership practicality has driven his wife ‘Miranda’ (Sally Field, 46) beyond the exasperation point to the cliff of divorce. Granted by the court only one day a week to be with the kids, Daniel has a few months to get his act together with a place to live and gainful work. Desperation meets inspiration when Miranda takes out an ad for nanny. Using his voice skills, Daniel subverts that process, then goes full comickaze: with elaborate makeup he impersonates someone he creates on the fly, the elderly, widowed and Scottish ‘Euphegenia Doubtfire’. In true children’s book/movie pretend fashion, Miranda and the kids are fooled, and Daniel proceeds to not only see to them  (while fixing up his dwelling and holding down a job) but charm them, and he becomes indispensable. He also hopes against hope to salvage things with his saddened but determined ex, especially when the now-unharried Miranda shows a more than passing interest in old friend, charmer ‘Stu Dunmeyer’ (Pierce Brosnan), who also hits it off with the children.

Based on Anne Fine’s young adults novel “Madame Doubtfire”, the screenplay was done by Randy Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon (Overboard, Pay It Forward), with Chris Columbus directing, allowing a good deal of latitude for Williams to improvise and still keep his riffing in character; triple cameras and judicious editing kinda crucial with that talented zany.

Of course the ruse stretches credibility (it’s a family comedy, not Tootsie-grade farce) and for some, Williams trademark persona gymnastics go a Golden Gate Bridge too far. Plus, if you want to get real and insist on spoiling fun, it’s clear that if this was non-fiction and serious then Daniel wouldn’t have a strong case other than for his undergoing psychiatric evaluation. Why ruin a run of guffaws? Some insistent grumps have a hard time with a sunny day unless they can whizz on others enjoyment of the light. For too many critics, sneering at popular entertainment comes baked in, a self-elected Olympian disdain at the doings of silly mortals. They must be a real joy to hang out with. *

As a set-up, this project was tailor fit for Williams, and he’s quite good, in both the drag togs and the serious moments when Daniel pleads his case. Playing it straight and honest, Fields is in great form and wins you over whenever she flashes that truly pretty smile. Looking almost unfairly handsome, Brosnan adroitly pulls off the interloper role, and the kids are thankfully all likable, played by Lisa Jakub, 14, Matthew Lawrence, 12, and Mara Wilson, 5. The makeup team went home with an Oscar.

Yes, in fact we do really like you.

Made for $25,000,000, that & the associated costs for prints and advertising were royally subdued by a gross of $219,195,000 in North America and another $221,091,000 around the world. A few naysayers out there snub the show, but many more have a soft spot for it. Watching it again after more than thirty years I was expecting to sort of ‘put up’ with it, and was pleasantly surprised by a good twenty hearty laughs. It was also a surprise, an unhappy one, to then become acquainted with The Doubtfire Backlash, another ‘thing’ to digest.

125 minutes, with Harvey Fierstein, Robert Prosky, Anne Chaney, Martin Mull and Polly Holliday.

* Thanks for coming to the party without an invitation: The Downer Division of snobs & zealots, haters & baiters, droogs & orcs, dipshits in general—ideological, religious, ‘intellectual’,’moral’, prurient, elitist, macho, woke, MAGA—can’t stand musicals, hate cats, don’t like dogs, never watch a western, don’t like parades/fireworks/the 4th/Christmas/Valentine’s Day/Thanksgiving/Star Wars/Sound Of Music/Bond/Clooney-Pitt-Roberts-Wayne-Gibson-Cruise/minorities/gays/straights/immigrants/other countries/rock & roll/democracy/rules/law/due process/freedom…the internet & social media downside: a troll haven, harm farm and spew spigot, the bully’s sandbox, paradise for cowards. How incredibly tiresome they are.