Some movies just stick with you. I’ve watched this one more times than I can count, and it still gets me every time. It’s funny, it’s warm, and it sneaks up on you emotionally when you least expect it.
The setup is simple. Robin Williams plays Daniel, an out-of-work actor who disguises himself as a Scottish nanny to keep seeing his kids after a rough divorce. On paper that sounds like a one-joke movie. It’s so much more.
Williams is the whole reason it works. He can have you laughing at some ridiculous face one second, then break your heart the next. Nobody else pulls off that combination.
Sally Field is great too, and not the mean ex-wife you’d expect. She’s a real person who’s tired and doing her best. Even Pierce Brosnan’s boyfriend comes off as likable instead of the obvious jerk. That honesty is what holds everything together.
Chris Columbus keeps things moving and knows when to let a scene breathe. Some of the physical comedy goes over the top, but that’s part of the fun, not a flaw.
This is the kind of movie that makes you feel better about people. It’s sweet, it’s genuinely funny, and it earns every tear.
A total classic, and one I’ll keep coming back to. Watch it.
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