Mrs. Doubtfire

Chris Columbus's 1993 film follows Daniel, unable to see his children after a divorce. He disguises himself as the housekeeper his ex-wife is looking for. As the lie grows it becomes harder to keep up. The film draws its comedy from the disguise; the narrative accepts at the close that the family does not go back to what it was, and does not soften that. Robin Williams leads and the film won an Academy Award for makeup. It is adapted from a novel. The tone is comic but what runs under it is sad. Who it's for: those who like family comedy and Robin Williams. Who it's not for: viewers who will struggle to find a father deceiving his family endearing; the film sustains it at length.