Comfort Films 101: Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Comfort Films Podcast

In this last episode of our Robin Williams month, we talk about Mrs. Doubtfire, which just turned 30, and features a highly characteristic Williams performance full of energy, quickfire improvisation, and an excellent mix of humor and heart. We talk about our different reactions to this film as adults (noticing a lot more of the dirty jokes and sympathizing more with Miranda than Daniel), strong connections to other films about dads faced with new responsibilities, the surprisingly non-villainous Stu, played to perfection by Pierce Brosnan, Sally Field's always rock-solid performance, our maximum adoration of Harvey Fierstein, the use of disguise and role-playing as a means to self-discovery throughout literature, and how this film, which handles the theme of children dealing with divorce so tenderly, was like free therapy to us in the 90s (and we're guessing to other Xennials as well). Give it a listen!