Sex and Gender in Mrs. Doubtfire

Although Mrs. Doubtfire seems like merely a childish comedy, it reinforces many of the Western world's sex and gender stereotypes. There is clear differentiation concerning appropriate and acceptable male and female gender roles, both for adults and for children. This film also upholds stereotypes about gay men and transsexuals. While not harmful, this movie takes on a darker cast when viewed through the lens of gender.

Early in the movie Robin William's character, Daniel Hillard, is introduced as the Dad who loves his kids and is a very recently out-of-work actor; he does character voices for cartoons. Although he breaks the gender line by being openly affectionate toward his children, he also upholds some major tenants of the male gender norm. In the first interaction with his three children he shows total disregard for his wife's wishes, acts irresponsibly, and expects his wife to be okay with it and clean up after the fun. Although Miranda (the wife and mother) punished her son's poor schoolwork by taking away his birthday party, Daniel decides to throw one anyway. This action demonstrates the general, social idea that men -especially white men- can disobey the rules and walk away with a slap on the wrist and that some part of society still trains men to believe that they do not have to listen to women, because they are more important than women and ought to be the rule makers. This type of thinking is often not conscious, but is still certainly present.

The party scene also sets up the typical male/female parental roles. Miranda is the main income earner in the house, but she still fits the criteria of the good wife and mother, as Daniel fits within the acceptable behavior for a married man with children. She obviously works to look professional and attractive every day, which is expected of women, but he is again free to make his own rules and wears a t-shirt and shorts. Women are expected to be attractive, and are judged on little or nothing else; to be taken seriously and considered attractive Miranda must make herself "presentable" every day. Men are more free to wear what they wish, or put little thought into their clothing (which is probably why men's suits are often extremely plain) and still be taken seriously and considered attractive. More importantly, men are able to make up for imperfections in their appearance through other talents or characteristics; Daniel is not attractive, nor does he dress well, but his physical appearance does not negatively effect how he is perceived because he is funny. By being funny, he is able to "make up" for not being attractive. The typical male/female dichotomy is further reinforced when Miranda is shown taking responsibility and dealing with the police officer and angry neighbor and then stopping the party, while Daniel dances on the dining room table. This is taken further when she begins cleaning up after the party, even though she is yelling at him and taking an assertive role, she is cleaning and he is mostly just following her. The woman's role as caretaker and homemaker is thus upheld in this early scene. The role of homemaker is also evident in her choice of professions; interior designer, which is an entirely appropriate "female profession."

Although Miranda is in the right, the audience cheers for Daniel, who has clearly behaved badly. She is not the "bad guy," but she is the antagonist and he is definitely the hero of the film. The viewer's reactions to her are negative; these reactions are a preconditioned reaction to her stepping outside her acceptable gender role and reprimanding her husband, taking charge by telling him she wants a divorce, and denying Daniel time with his children after school. Granted, he is not responsible, as she claims, but he wants to spend time with his children, which is unexpected and seen as an exceptional quality in a man in the Western world. Because he wants to spend time with his kids, viewers, especially women, root for him.

When Miranda does not allow him to keep their children after school, Daniel hatches a plan to dress in drag and applies to be their caretaker. He goes to his brother for help with his costume, who, since he works with makeup and clothing, is of course an effeminate gay man with an even more effeminate partner. Here the movie relies on the stereotype that men who work with materials that are considered feminine must not be masculine, they must be more like women, and therefore gay. These men are not ambiguously gay; they are clearly effeminate gay men, with the requisite high voices and wrist flips. The screenwriter and director also bought into the idea that homosexual relationships mirror heterosexual relationships by casting the brother as a more masculine gay man who is paired with an extremely effeminate gay man, thus recreating the "natural" male/female dichotomy.

Once in drag, Daniel superficially looks like a rather masculine woman, but does not act like a woman. However, since he has the requisite breasts, high voice, and wears a skirt, he is able to pass as a woman, and fool even his ex-wife. This further enforces the idea that the classification "woman" is based more on outward appearance than on any real character traits; he looks like a woman so he must be a woman. The idea that Daniel can pass this easily is both insulting to women, since it implies that they are one dimensional and thus easy to imitate, and transsexuals, who must work hard to pass and face serious consequences if they make mistakes.

The children also reinforce gender norms. Although they play a major part in driving the plot, the children are flat characters; they contribute little to the story but still act the appropriate gender norms. The two girls dress in cute clothing, are very emotional, and have little actual effect; reinforcing the idea that girls are emotional, cute, and ineffective. The boy acts properly male by placing more importance on sports, soccer specifically, than on schoolwork, an attitude Daniel initially reinforces. This attitude allows, and even encourages, boys and men to ignore school and scholarly work and be athletic. The idea that boys should give more time and energy to sports means that boys who enjoy learning are "girly", since female aspects are those that are not male.

Through these, and many more, situations Mrs. Doubtfire upholds and enforces gender norms and sexual stereotypes. This film is well loved, and considered a relatively harmless family movie (it is rated PG 13) and demonstrates the extent to which sex and gender stereotypes permeate Western society. In only 125 minutes this film reinforces the gender norms, parental roles, the dichotomy that "naturally" occurs in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships, homosexual behavior, and "appropriate" activities and interests for boys and girls. Western society's views on appropriate and desirable male attributes make the viewer root for Daniel because he wants to be with his children and dislike Miranda, who takes on the masculine role of protector of her children. This movie provides a basis for understanding how important these norms are to Western society, and would not be understood in the same way by a culture that expected men to take care of the home and family.