Mrs Doubtfire Details

Adapted from Anne Fine's book Alias Madame Doubtfire, this knowing blend of comedy and common sense is family entertainment par excellence. Aided by Oscar-winning make-up, Robin Williams gives one of the performances of his career as an actor who disguises himself as a Scottish nanny to be close to his children after he splits with wife Sally Field. Director Chris Columbus should be given credit for reining in the Williams exuberance that often overbalances his pictures, while retaining enough of his quick-fire personality to ensure that just about every gag hits its target. Raising the occasional quizzical eyebrow in bewilderment, Pierce Brosnan also does well as the bachelor looking for a ready-made family, but Sally Field overdoes the exasperation and the film's a lot more fun when she's not around. It's a little long and some scenes misfire, notably Williams's routine with the dinosaurs and the resultant TV show, but cracking set pieces, such as the make-up experiments and the series of table-hopping quick changes, more than make amends. No matter how many times you've seen it already, it's worth watching again just for Mara Wilson, playing one of the daughters, who was even more impressive in Danny DeVito's adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda.

If you can accept Williams as a Scotswoman Ð he looks like a truck driver in drag and sounds like Miss Jean Brodie long past her prime Ð there is occasional slapstick amusement to be found in this over-long and sickly sweet comedy.