For my generation, it was Mrs. Doubtfire.¬† For the following generation, it was Big Momma’s House.¬† So as you can imagine, I approached my first viewing of Tootsie with caution regardless of all the praise it had garnered back in 1982.¬† Beyond all that however, I can easily say that the film was very enjoyable and provided enough laughs for a solid recommendation.
For those that haven’t seen it, Tootsie tells the story of Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) and the decision he makes to dress like a woman and star on a daytime soap.¬† The twist is that only Dorsey’s roommate (Bill Murray) and his casting agent (Sydney Pollack, pulling double duty as director) are aware of the ploy while the rest of the world and Dorsey’s co-stars fall for the farce.¬† Of course along the way people start getting mixed feelings about the woman he’s created, who he names Dorothy Michaels, leading to a lot of misunderstandings that play out in the third act.
What’s really surprising though is how all of this works and especially how well the film holds up so many years later.¬† I don’t seem to recall Mrs. Doubtfire making statements about women’s lib or, more specifically, how women are treated in the work place.¬† And although I’ve chose to not watch the Big Momma’s House franchise, I wouldn’t expect to see another female character bond with the “man-in-a-woman-suit” like Jessica Lange’s Julie does here.¬† The very fact that she nearly chooses to share a lesbian kiss with Dorothy is proof enough that the film is taking the premise seriously.
I’d say my main problem with the film, if any, is that the whole decision of Dorsey to don the wig and make up is a bit weak.¬† So let me get this straight- you’re an out of work actor and your friend misses out on audition for a frumpy, older woman on a daytime soap.¬† Down on your luck, you’re pushed by your acting agent to decide what you’re going to do and the first thing that comes to mind is to dress like a woman and audition for the same part your friend couldn’t get?¬† I can only imagine that the premise was heavily advertised and thus easier to swallow for those eager to see the film 27 years ago.¬† But at the same time, I knew the premise and I was still a bit shocked when we cut to Dorsey as Dorothy.
But even with that, I found myself enjoying the film.  I know I mentioned it before, but the film has really held up well and I can see why it was socially important at the time of its release.  Unless you have a strong aversion to men dressed in drag, I recommend checking it out should the opportunity come to you.
Retro Review is a weekly column written by Dustin and occasionally other authors from the Breach. ¬†Here we take a look at films from yesteryear. ¬†1989 and older to be exact. ¬†At times we’ll try and analyze how the film has influenced modern cinema, discuss the quality of the current release, or just do a traditional review of the damn thing and throw it up here. ¬†As always, requests for these reviews are welcomed.
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