A Good Man Is Hard To Find

Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 125 minutes

Box Office (in today’s dollars): 359 million (approximately)

Characters: Daniel Hillard, Euphegenia Doubtfire, Miranda Hillard, Lydia Hillard, Chris Hillard, Natalie Hillard, Stuart Dunmeyer, Jonathan Lundy, Mrs. Sellner, Frank, Jack

Favorite Quote: “It was a run-by fruiting.”

Favorite Scene: Daniel playing with the dinosaur toys

Favorite Character: Daniel Hillard

Other need-to-see nineties movies directed by Chris Columbus: Home Alone

It’s only the second comedy movie on my list so far (Groundhog Day being the other). I found the two similar in that they are both really funny, but really sad and depressing at the same time. Daniel Hillard/Euphegenia Doubtfire are played brilliantly by Robin Williams. Miranda Hillard is the classic not fun mom. Their kids (Lydia, Chris, and Natalie) are grumpy, awkward, and cute. Stuart Dunmeyer is the classic man moving into the possible new dad role. You have to hate him, but it’s possible he is a really nice guy. And Jonathan Lundy is the classic boss who enjoys his scotchy scotch scotch. My favorite character is Daniel, because if I was a dad, I would be like him. He likes to “Jump Around”, be funny at the wrong time, and wear a dress.

With Robin Williams being in the movie, there are of course hilarious things being said and done at an extremely fast pace. My favorite quote is “It was a run-by fruiting.” My favorite scene is when Daniel is playing with the dinosaur toys at the television station ... though the dinner scene where Daniel/Mrs. Doubtfire have to be in two places at once is amazing yet uncomfortable at the same time. You try to look away because you know it is going to end badly but you can’t. There are also two sweet montages in the movie where Mrs. Doubtfire is getting stuff done while “Dude Looks Like a Lady” and “Walk Like a Man” are playing.

The “man dresses up as a woman” role in movies has been around for a long time. Some Like it Hot is a classic, and then there are Tootsie (I have never seen it but I hear it is great) and Big Momma’s House, which somehow had two sequels even though the first one wasn’t that funny. I would say this is probably the best because it’s Robin Williams, quite possibly the funniest person ever. I can’t wait to get to Good Will Hunting, which is on my list ... only ten movies away!!

Next movie to review: Pulp Fiction

Drunk On The Moon

Dazed and Confused (1993)

Rating: R

Runtime: 103 minutes

Box Office (in today’s dollars): 13 million (approximately)

Characters: Randall “Pink” Floyd, Mitch Kramer, Jodi Kramer, Sabrina Davis, David Wooderson, Clint Bruno, Carl Burnett, Michelle Burroughs, Don Dawson, Cynthia Dunn, Kaye Faulkner, Hirshfelder, Tommy Houston, Simone Kerr, Darla Marks, Mike Newhouse, Fred O’Bannion, Benny O’Donnell, Tony Olson, Kevin Pickford, Julie Simms, Ron Slater, Melvin Spivey, Shavonne Wright, Nesi White

Favorite Quote: “That’s what I love about these high school girls, man; I get older, they stay the same age.”

Favorite Scene: Wooderson, Pink, and Mitch enter the Emporium

Favorite Character: Simone Kerr

Other need-to-see nineties movies directed by Richard Linklater: Before Sunrise ... I hear it’s good

Cars. Drugs. Music. Gilligan’s Island?? This movie is full of all of these. When the movie was released, the soundtracks (remember soundtracks?) were actually bigger than the movie. Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Bob Dylan, Kiss, The Runaways ... and about 20 other bands/performers are all rolled (see what I did there?) up into one day in 1976. But the movie is really all about the characters. And there are a lot of them. I would say 24 people all play major roles in this film (and another that doesn’t have any lines but people are always mentioning her being in the movie ... yay Renee Zellweger!) The jocks, the popular girls, the nerds, the bullies, the stoners are all represented. In my opinion, the movie is really about the senior/freshman relationships between Pink/Mitch and Jodi/Sabrina, and Wooderson (the town creepy guy); he is out of high school but still likes the high school girls ... we will get to that later.

Ok, to the favorites. I am sure everyone will have different answers than me. “Alright, alright, alright” is a good one that some people probably say at least once a day. My girlfriend Rebecca does not like “I only came here to do two things, man; kick some ass and drink some beer ... looks like we’re almost out of beer” because it totally rips off Roddy Piper’s classic line from They Live where he is there to chew bubble gum and kick ass but is out of bubble gum. I went with the creepy Wooderson “That’s what I love about these high school girls, man; I get older, they stay the same age” quote, because it’s so creepy it’s not. Side note: I always thought Wooderson was around 25 but he might only be 20. My favorite scene is when Wooderson, Pink, and Mitch enter the Emporium. It’s like a past, present, and future of cool guys, and even though it’s only about 30 seconds long, Wooderson owns it. He’s so awesome in that moment!!

My favorite character is someone you might not expect it to be. Not Pink. Not Wooderson. Not O’Bannion. Not Slater. It’s Simone. She’s kind of the secret weapon in the movie. She has some funny lines, she is not mean to the freshman, and she seems really cool. And I used to have a crush on Joey Lauren Adams. I wish I had picked Chasing Amy to be on my list!!

Next movie to review: Mrs. Doubtfire