The final essay is regarding the film Mrs. Doubtfire and its various facets during and after its production. This will consist of the technical making of the film, the box office success, awards and nominations, and critical reactions to the movie. The reviews that will be analyzed will be chosen from the time of the film’s release as well as later dates. The technical discussion of the film’s creation will feature an analysis of sound design, music production, cinematography, special effects, and editing.
The selected film for this research paper, Mrs. Doubtfire, is a 1993 drama-comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and starring Robin Williams, Sally Fields, and Pierce Brosnan. The film provides an interesting case as it was incredibly successful at the box office and was enjoyed widely by the audience at the time of its release but was seen less favorably by critics (Mell-Taylor, 2020). Additionally, it is noticing both positive and negative reviews from recent watchers in relation to not only the content of the film but more novel sociocultural perspectives. Due to these contrasting receptions, the analysis of the film can provide vital insight into the relationship between film production and its influence on viewers.
The second option was selected as it provides the chance for a thorough case study of a specific film. Though movies cannot be judged in total isolation from other creations, the focus on the film’s process of production and later exposure can be important. As such, the research essay will consider the elements unique to the film and their possible impact on the production process, critical responses, and audience opinion. Columbus’ Mrs. Doubtfire was created on a budget of $25 million but grossed approximately $441.3 million at the box office. As such, the earnings upon the release of the film had grown to be seventeen times higher than the initial costs. This marks the film as incredibly profitable, but both critic and audience reviews reflect a more mixed perspective. Multiple critics have compared it to other films, such as Some Like It Hot or Tootsie, both in a negative and positive manner. Most major review outlets place the film within average or mixed categories according to both critics and regular viewers. While the film presents massive commercial success, it is viewed as moderate or bad by critics. It, therefore, presents an interesting case and a primary example of being an exceedingly successful financial asset but poor or mediocre work.
The research plan will be divided into four major categories that will include the film’s production, box office trajectory, awards, and critical and audience responses. The film’s production begins with the assessment of the script and its initial stage and any major changes that occurred. Further, using production details such as editing, cinematography, acting, and effects can be collected from interviews or resources provided by the film crew, actors, and other related staff. The box office earnings can be observed through quantitative data over a period of time and based on regions.
The film was commercially successful in numerous countries but to various degrees. Such data can be found through online resources as well as archived versions of box office statistics. Awards and nominations can be similarly tracked through online film-based databases and archived copies of news outlets. Critical and audience reviews can be divided into those that were written soon after the opening of the film to those that were written years after the film’s release. Both critical and audience reviews are available on film-based websites, review sites such as IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes, or through archived magazine and news clippings.
Reference
Mell-Taylor, A. (2020). The Pain of Revisiting ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’. An Injustice. Web.