It’s been over three decades since the late, great Robin Williams, donned the makeup to play Mrs. Doubtfire, and as it returns to streaming on Hulu, I’ve got one point I feel good about saying so long after the film’s initial release.

Williams does his best work in the movie when he’s not playing Mrs. Doubtfire. I’ll get back to this in a minute.

If you’re not familiar with the plot, Williams plays Daniel Hillard, a free spirited divorcee who keeps making bad decisions involving his ex wife (played by the wonderful Sally Field) and their kids. When those bad decisions separate him from the kids, he takes on the persona of Mrs. Doubtfire, an old housekeeper to see them more often.

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It’s a good movie. And here in 2024, I can say it’s still good because of William’s work as the struggling dad. His appeal to the social workers and judges when fighting for his kids are heartfelt and even the jokes he tells outside of the makeup are funnier. Throw in Sally Field, who is a perfect ex for Williams, and a pre James Bond, Pierce Brosnan as her new boyfriend, and it’s a fun family film.

One thing that hasn’t aged so well, is that Doubtfire is very much a 90s movie. You got to go along with the notion that a family wouldn’t recognize their leader after some make up and padding under the clothes. That’s a big ask three decades later.

But you should watch Mrs. Doubtfire as yet another reason why the early passing of Robin Williams hits us so hard today. It’s one of his better lighter movies.

Mrs. Doubtfire:

Grade 1993: B-

Grade 2024: B

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