In 1993, the comedy-drama “Madame Doubtifre” was released in American cinemas, based on the novel “Alias Madame Doubtfire” by Anne Fine. The production in which he played the main role attracted huge crowds to cinemas, earning a total of over $440 million and thus becoming one of the actor’s best achievements.
In the 1990s, this movie was a real hit. What is the story about?
The main character of the film is Daniel Hillard, an unemployed actor and father of three children. After divorcing his wife, who was no longer able to accept his reckless approach to life, he has limited parental rights. When he finds out that the woman is looking for a housekeeper, he comes up with an unusual idea. Thanks to the appropriate makeup and skills, he transforms into the elderly Euphgenia Doubtfire and takes a job in the house where he lived until recently. This way, he can observe the development of his children and become closer to his beloved again.
When Chris Columbus started working on the film, he didn’t see anyone but Robin Williams in the lead role. He knew that the comedian would rise to the challenge and create a character that would permanently go down in the history of cinema. – At that point in his life he was in excellent shape – he said in an interview with . However, their cooperation was specific from the beginning.
Williams wasn’t attached to the script. All scenes are the result of improvisation
The actor treated the script only as a guide, not as rules that he must strictly follow. He improvised each scene, creating 3, and sometimes 4, versions. The director was impressed by his ideas, but it caused some technical difficulties. – It got to the point where I had to shoot with four cameras all the time just to keep up with him. None of us knew what we would say when the slap was given, so I wanted the camera to film the other actors to capture their spontaneous reactions, he said.
The camera was constantly moving, and when one roll of tape came to an end, it was immediately replaced by another. The entire process was directed by Williams and he ordered breaks in filming. For this reason, a total of approximately 650 km of tape was used. – If filmed with digital cameras, it would never have stopped – added Columbus, amused. It turns out that the scenes that did not make it into the film are still stored in storage. The director has a plan for them to see the light of day in the future. – There are about 972 boxes there – he revealed. – We would like to hire an editor who will dig through this entire collection. There is something unique and magical about the way Robin approached his work. I think it would be nice to delve into it and show this creative process, he said.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
