(Credits: Far Out / 20th Century Studios)
As one of the most gifted comedic performers of his generation, Robin Williams‘ improvisational skills became an integral part of his on-screen arsenal. Mrs. Doubtfire is among the best examples of this.
A monstrous success, the smash hit comedy was the second highest-grossing release of 1993 behind only Jurassic Park. It snagged an Academy Award for ‘Best Makeup’ thanks to Williams’ transformation into the titular nanny. In addition, the movie won a Golden Globe for ‘Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy’, with the leading man being rewarded with the corresponding trophy in the ‘Best Actor’ category.
Much of Mrs. Doubtfire‘s appeal lay in Williams’ tour-de-force central performance. However, outside of his freewheeling and scene-stealing antics on set, his influence as a producer saw him put his foot down and have the original ending rewritten. While there are plenty of slapstick, one-liners, and sight gags throughout the film, the actor pushed for realism above sentimentality when it came to the finale.
In the original script, Williams’ Daniel Hillard and Sally Field’s estranged wife Miranda would have gotten back together to give the clan a happy ending. That was certainly the preference of any family-friendly feature at the time, but it didn’t quite sit right with the star.
As Dave Itzkoff noted in his biography Robin, Williams – who himself had been divorced from his first wife and mother of his first two children – wanted to reflect reality. “That’s the one fantasy most psychiatrists will tell you is perpetuated by children of divorce who are in therapy, and it’s the one thing that professionals don’t want to perpetuate,” he said. “They’ll ask kids, ‘Ever have a memory of your mom and dad together?’ The kids say no, but it’s the grand concept. ‘They’re together.’ Sold to you by Norman Rockwell.”
In fact, Williams and Field were both divorcees and had lived through the impact it had on their own kids. This was why neither of them was interested in having Mrs. Doubtfire end on an upbeat and optimistic note, which might make the wrong impression on younger viewers. Director Chris Columbus admitted that “the biggest problem was Daniel Hillard and Miranda got back together at the end of the picture”. Williams wouldn’t even agree to shoot it, forcing them to come up with the resolution present in the final cut.
Co-star Lisa Jakub appreciated the impact of what made it to the screen, saying in a 25th-anniversary reunion that “before Mrs. Doubtfire, I think not a lot of movies dealt in a realistic way with divorce”. Daniel and Miranda are still divorced but on much better terms, something that reflected the situation many families found themselves in, not least of all Williams himself. The happy ending is almost always the easiest one to aim for, but the actor refusing to sanction the way it was written was definitely the right call.
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