Directors
often have a specific kind of idea of how they want the score
for their film to be like. Some direct one film after the other,
all in the same vein. Colombus is such a person and you can
notice it in an instant. Fair amounts of mickeymousing from
both John Williams collaborations on Home Alone 1 & 2 and
Hans Zimmer’s Nine Months and James Horner’s Bicentennial
Man are present in Shore’s score for Mrs. Doubtfire.
Howard Shore was hired to compose the score, which wasn’t
a bad choice. Though he’s mostly known for his darker
and more dramatic scores, this is image should be dismissed
from each and everyone’s mind the moment they read this.
He already proved himself with some real good jobs on comedy
scores like Big and knows the game of this specific genre like
t he back of his hand. James Newton Howard is one of the same
league, though Father’s Day wasn’t that good, but
that happens to the best of us. The problem with films like
these is that you may score it with a bit too much mickeymousing
and doing everything the obvious way. I think Shore restrained
himself just that small bit so that it would work, at least
that’s how I see it. James Newton had much worse material
to work with, and tried making the best out of it. The difference
is that Father’s day had perhaps a few funny moments,
but overall didn’t really provide good laughter. It happens
to be that some people who don’t really know a lot about
how film music functions, hope that a composer can make things
funny, or funnier. But when it’s not there, it’s
not there and there’s little chance to fix it. Shore was
in that way a great leap ahead, since the film was already funny
on its own without music.
The
film goes about Daniel Hillard, who does funny voices for cartoons
and unfortunately makes a mess out of responsibilities towards
his wife Miranda, while spending quality time with the kids
who he loves with all his heart. So the composer wrote a very
gentle and heart whelming theme, which fits in wonderfully.
The small piano notes, beautiful flute melody, and lush strings
and chimes and bells are as light and friendly as Mrs. Doubtfire
can be, while at the same time appealing to his relationship
with his kids. The pure drama surrounds the connection with
his kids for sure, so that also forms the main drive of the
score. At times Shore does overdo it with the use of chimes
and bells and lush sounds whenever the some kind of magical
thing is going on screen, but that’s just the charm of
it. The only moment the score looses its charm and becomes very
sad of tone is in the cue ‘’Divorce’ as Miranda
decides to divorce him. He moves out of the house and gets settled
in a small apartment, but is so desperately in the need of seeing
his kids that he’s willing to transform into the Mrs.
Doubtfire disguise. The reason for this is that Miranda placed
an advertisement in the paper requesting a maid for the house
holding. ‘’My Name is Elsa Immelman’’
is another sweet variation on the main theme used for the montage
of different voices Daniel uses while trying to get the job.
Ultimately he succeeds and thus begins to dress like Mrs. Doubtfire
and meets the kids in his disguise. Obviously the scoring cue
(Meeting Mrs. Doubtfire) is bitter sweet, tingling like the
behaviour of the sweet old lady and the kids really like her.
Essential
for comedy scores are the placement and spotting of the music.
What’s important with this film is that the theme is established
and themes are there to re-occur, unlike some mickeymousing
music. Indeed it is totally unnecessarily to score each scene
where Hillard is changing his clothes with the same music, but
you can use it for a different kind of scene like a chase or
something working on different level at least. The sequence
scored with the cue ‘’Tea Time with Mrs. Sellner’’
is just wonderful. This Mrs. Sellner from the employment office
comes to check out Daniel’s apartment, which will contribute
to a settlement to see his kids. The bouncy bass strings and
the xylophone march continuously follow Daniel switching between
himself and Mrs.Doubtfire, hoping that she won’t suspect
anything. The mickeymousing actually becomes one with the scene
and its movements causing more laughter than without probably.
This cue also contains that musical idea for the danger of possibly
being unmasked.
Meanwhile
his kids have found out about his secret and the film than works
down to the grand finale set in the restaurant and its final
act sort of. ‘’Bridges Restaurant’’
underlines a similar situation as presented in ‘’Tea
Time with Mrs. Sellner’’. On one side he’s
having an appointment with his boss about hosting a TV-show,
while on the other side has to be present as Mrs. Doubtfire
on the birthday celebration with the whole family, including
Miranda’s new boyfriend Stuart. The xylophone march again
furiously scores the pour man changing tables and costumes constantly.
The driving mickeymousing pace is even more chaotic as the Tea
Time cue, with more joy than anyone would want. The restaurant
scene contains an overwhelming amount of fun with jokes as Doubtfire’s
artificial teeth (‘’Carpe dentum. Seize the teeth.’’).
The music abruptly rises as Stuart almost chokes and Doubtfire
prevents that by performing the Heimlich manoeuvre on him. The
next cue in line (‘’The Show is Over’’)
is used as the mask of Doubtfire doesn’t last anymore
and he’s unraveled. But in the end it’s inevitable
all good and solved. Since the film is so much focused on the
drama, the next cue is the liberating use of the bittersweet
main theme as Daniel and Miranda get back together. This glorious
orchestral climax version of the main themes gladly sets sail
for a happy ending, with Shore providing a satisfying ending.
