Were you satisfied when you watched Mrs. Doubtfire and did Robin Williams do a good job in portraying you most beloved characters?

Anne Fine Joe Queenan wrote a really interesting book about the film industry called, If You're Talking to Me, Your Career Must be in Trouble. In it somewhere he makes the point that good books tend to make bad films, and vice versa, because films are about what happens next, and good books tend to be more about why it happened and how people feel about it. And, as he said, "You just can't film that stuff." So I expected the film to be massively different from the book, and indeed it is. The characters, too. But I didn't expect anything else. My characters have a darker edge to them than the sorts of characters that either Sally Field or Robin Williams chose to portray at that time (though both actors did widen their range considerably a few years later.) And, I do have to say, seeing films where the producer has stayed very closely indeed to the original text, I have often thought that a mistake, because JQ is right.
But, essentially, Daniel, the author is the LAST person to ask about the film. Just take my word for it. Very best wishes, Anne

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