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SNEAK PREVIEW
In
ONE TO GROW ON
With "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Home Alone"
Director Chris Columbus Comes ofAge
By Alex Albanese
The boyish director of "Home Alone" fee/s"Mrs. Doubtfire"
is one of his most mature films to date.
Chris Columbus's new film
"Mrs. Doubtfire," Robin Williams
plays a divorced father
so desperate to spend time with
his estranged family he impersonates
an elderly woman
who ex-wife Sally Field then
hires to take care of their children.
Though he is following his
hugely successful "Home
Alone" features with another
comedy, Columbus feels this
film marks a turning point in his
career "The thematic component
of this film is much
denser," he says, "and it deals
with more complex issues than
anything I've done in the past. I
think that's a result of me turning
35, and really wanting to
deal with more adult things."
With "Mrs. Doubtfire" Chris Columbus—the
man who wrote
"Goonies" and "Gremlins"— is at
last trying to grow up.
This new career maturity' is
evident not only in the choice of
subject matter, but in the absence
of his former mentors,
Steven Spielberg and John
Hughes. "1 felt with 'Mrs.
Doubtfire' it was really time for
me to become my own man,"he
says. "I know in the past I'vejust
been affiliated with these other
two strong producer/directors,
and it was time for me to branch
out on my own."
The screenplay, which he cowrote,
is based on an English
children's story which provided
both a ftinny, interesting premise
for a film and what Columbus
felt was an honest view of
divorce. "I have nieces and
nephews who come from
divorced families, and I
really
wanted a film that
wouldn't lie to them, that
wouldn't tell them 'Oh
your parents are going to
get back togedier' I wanted
to deal with the realities of
divorce, within a very entertaining
picture."
Tlie project also allowed
Columbus to achieve a
long-held goal: working
with Robin Williams. "I
was really blown away by
'Good Morning Vietnam,'" he
says, "and I always thought God,
it would be just wonderful to
work with an actor of that caliber
You just can't believe that
someone of Robin's stature
gives so much to their work.
He's always on the set, he's always
talking about the scene, he
always wants to try something
different, to make sure that
every aspect ofhis performance
is perfect."
In the film, Williams' foil is
played b^' Pierce Brosnan, an
old flame who reenters Sally
Field's life. "We didn't want a
character who was the n pically
sleazy father
figure replacement"
Columbus
explains,
"who the audience
would be
cheering for
Robin to defeat.
What I felt was
more comically
interesting was
someone who
comes into the
family's life and
is the perfect replacement.
In
many ways he
may even be a better father to
the kids, and he certainly will be
abetter husband to Sally. ..Robin
is in a situation where his wife
takes him in as a confidant, he
learns things about his relationship
with her he never would
have heard as Daniel Hillard, he
can only hear them through
Mrs. Doubtfire."
Columbus admits comparisons
between his film and "Ttiotsie"
will be almost inevitable.
"I'm sure at the end of this year
they'll be writing about all the
cross dressing movies that are
"/ don 't sit down and say
'Can I turn this into a
hundred million dollar
picture?' I take a project
because I honestly feel
"
passionate about it.
coming out— eve lything from
The Ballad of Little Jo' to 'M
Butterfly' to 'Mrs. Doubtfire.' For
some reason we seem to be
heavily populated with cross
dressing films at this point," he
laughs.
"But two major issues
differentiate 'Mrs. Doubtfire'
from "Ibotsie; First, "Ibotsie' was
primarily about an actor who
just wanted to get a job, so where
that
career,
film was about finding a
this one is about re-entering
into your family. Secondly,
when Dustin became
Dorothy he didn't undergo the
same [level] of transformation
Robin does Robin has to fool his
wife of 14
years, and his
children, into
believing
he's a 60
year old
woman."
As to future
career
objectives,
Columbus
says he primarily
wants
to continue
to grow as a
director of actors,
and to
make a range of films in all
genres, from comedy to heavy
drama. He admits these goals
may be slightly at odds with his
image. 'Teople would never believe
me because of the work
I've done, but I never take a
project based on its commercial
viability. I don't sit down and
say 'Can I turn this into a hundred
million dollar picture?' I
take a project because I honestly
feel passionate about it— because
if you don't really love
what you're doing you're going
to be miserable for a year and a
half of your life.
"I have a hidden desire to
work with people like Al
Pacino and Robert De Niro,
even Marlon Brando," Columbus
adds. "I stUl think
Brando has another great
performance in him. Those
are the kinds ofdreams that
really tuel my career, because
people like Brando, I
just think there's a lack of
good parts for these people,
but they are still great, great
actors."
IH
'Mrs Doubtfire" Starring:
Robin WiUiains, SaUy Field, Pierce
Brosnan,
a}^d Harvey Fierstein.
Screenplay by Randi Singer, Leslie
Dixon and Chiis Columbus.
Based on the rtovel for children
Madame Doubtfire" by
"Alias
Anne Fine. Directed by Ijy Chris
Columbus A Tli'entieth Ceiituaiy
Fox Release. Release date. Nov. 24.
20 BOXOFFICE