Essential Robin Williams Comedy Finds Home At Hulu

It’s hard to find a movie that’s more quintessentially ‘90s than Mrs. Doubtfire. Of course, Robin Williams was a name known in every household around the country, but other of-the-decade stars like Sally Field and Pierce Brosnan also starred. The same can be said for one of the movie’s younger actors, Matthew Lawrence, who, along with his brothers Joey and Andrew, had their pick of work throughout the decade.

Another on-point thing that Mrs. Doubtfire delivered on was the theme of divorce. By the time the ‘80s and ‘90s rolled around, gone were the days of couples staying together for the reasons that had been impressed upon them by their parents and many folks were realizing that sometimes marriages just don’t work. Throwing a little comedy into the trauma felt by so many, Mrs. Doubtfire helped kids – and adults – laugh their way through the pain.

In the movie, Robin Williams plays Daniel Hillard, an actor who is going through a difficult separation from his wife, Miranda Hillard (Sally Field). As per the court’s order, because he’s struggling to find a job as a voice actor, Daniel is only allowed to see his three kids on Sundays. Having always put his children first, Daniel dreams up a way to see his kids by dressing up and creating the character of Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire and, with his new disguise, securing a job as a nanny and housekeeper for his ex-wife and children.

Yes, it’s a truly unhinged plot for a movie but believe us when we say it’s one of the best in Robin Williams’s unforgettable and lengthy career. Released by 20th Century Fox, Mrs. Doubtfire came out around Thanksgiving weekend in 1993 and was a major success at the box office, earning $441.3 million against its $25 million budget. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie sits with a 71 percent critics approval, which, to be honest, should be a little higher.

Known for standing at the helm of so many beloved movies from our childhoods, filmmaker Chris Columbus served as the director of Mrs. Doubtfire. Getting his start in the industry as the writer behind titles including Gremlins and The Goonies, Columbus made his feature-length directorial debut with 1987’s Adventures in Babysitting.

Along with Mrs. Doubtfire, Columbus’s name is also attached to favorites including Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Rent, and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Forever an iconic piece of cinema for so many reasons, we truly have Robin Williams to thank for turning out such a hit in Mrs. Doubtfire. Check out one of the best pieces from the late comedian and actor’s legacy as it’s now streaming on Hulu.