I mention this in light of #ReleasetheSynderCut getting another movie thrown into the conversation. It was a comedy from the early-90’s, and it still has a fanbase. It also stars the late-Robin Williams. I’m referring to Mrs. Doubtfire.
Mrs. Doubtfire never interested me all that much, even as a kid. I’ve seen bits and pieces over the years, but, outside of watching a comedic great don a dress and fake a Scottish accent, it never appealed to me. Additionally, the “how do I keep my secret?” aspect had already done so frequently by then that it was boring and unoriginal. But even now the movie has awful attitudes about the trans experience, making it a joke that isn’t funny.
So yeah, no real connection. But that it was recently revealed that Robin Williams had improvised so many of his lines that there were four cuts of the movie, including an NC-17 one, is interesting. And with Snyder’s version of Justice League seeing the light of day, this NC-17 cut intrigues me. It’s not like the flood doors haven’t been already been opened!
On the other hand, I don’t think I want an NC-17 version. Ignoring how past “Director’s Cut” releases of comedies have been really unsettling-see Wedding Crashers-an NC-17 rating of the film wouldn’t really have that big a market. Remember that NC-17’s the closest a movie gets to porn, and porn has a niche market. By taking a kid’s movie and making it “almost porn”, you risk alienating what gave it mass-appeal.
Also, do we need an NC-17 version of a Robin Williams movie? I know the guy loved improvising, and some of his outtakes in Aladdin are quite funny, but there’s a reason why not everything made the final cut. Length aside, some of his jokes wouldn’t fly with theatre-goers because of how charged or offensive they are. Mrs. Doubtfire was a movie released in 90’s, when attitudes toward trans folk was still mostly deceit and/or disgust. This was the same decade that gave us the scene in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective where Ace makes police officers vomit because he reveals the antagonist had gender reassignment surgery and kept her male genitalia. With all that baggage, and especially given Mrs. Doubtfire’s premise, do we really want that?
I’m fine with a “director’s true vision”. I encourage it. But there’s a difference between telling the best story possible and understanding what doesn’t work. If George Lucas and Star Wars is indication, sometimes saying “no” to something is the right call. You can’t include all of your ideas and expect them to land, after all!
I get it: it’s tempting to see what we missed out on. I understand that, especially with a comedic legend like Robin Williams. I adored him as The Genie in Aladdin, constantly adding life to the scenes he was in. But part of what made that work was that, while many of his lines were improvised, the final cut knew what to keep and what to discard. Besides, you can always watch what didn’t make it on YouTube.
Perhaps that’d be a good compromise. Like with Aladdin, compiling the best lines and jokes from Mrs. Doubtfire that didn’t make it and including them as a bonus feature could be the right course of action. I know that’d mean being selective, but remember: this is Robin Williams. The man was famous for mile-a-minute jokes, so there’d never be a shortage of material.
I get it: it’s tempting to see what we missed out on. I understand that, especially with a comedic legend like Robin Williams. I adored him as The Genie in Aladdin, constantly adding life to the scenes he was in. But part of what made that work was that, while many of his lines were improvised, the final cut knew what to keep and what to discard. Besides, you can always watch what didn’t make it on YouTube.
Perhaps that’d be a good compromise. Like with Aladdin, compiling the best lines and jokes from Mrs. Doubtfire that didn’t make it and including them as a bonus feature could be the right course of action. I know that’d mean being selective, but remember: this is Robin Williams. The man was famous for mile-a-minute jokes, so there’d never be a shortage of material.
It’s possible that I’m out of my league, or that I’m overthinking this. I’m not a marketer, so I don’t have my pulse on what’s appealing. I’m also not an expert, so take what I say with a grain of salt. But I do know art, being a writer myself, and I know that not every idea is a good one. An NC-17 version of Mrs. Doubtfire, as tempting as that may sound, doesn’t seem like a good idea to me.
Besides, I’d rather a Director’s Cut of something that warrants it, like Batman Forever. Make it happen, Warner Bros.! You know you want to!
Besides, I’d rather a Director’s Cut of something that warrants it, like Batman Forever. Make it happen, Warner Bros.! You know you want to!
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