One of the wonders of the Internet is everyday people now have a platform to re-imagine movies, TV shows, and other media from yesteryear. While the practice is not without criticism — my brother once bluntly voiced his disdain for “fan theories” regarding what’s really going on in beloved TV shows and video games from our youth — it’s very common.
When it comes to re-imagining a beloved film or TV show or video game to highlight another perspective, the Internet platform didn’t invent the wheel, but merely perfected it. We’ve been doing it for years. It’s kind of like when you sit down with your kids to watch Santa Claus is Coming to Town and you realize Kris Kringle is a pedophile and Jessica does all the drugs.
Robin Williams’ 1993 comedy-drama Mrs. Doubtfire has also received this re-imagining. While the movie presented to us in 1993 was about a father stopping at nothing to take care of his children, Los Angeles-based artist Peter Javidpour apparently saw something more sinister in the story.
He produced a professional-quality movie trailer that morphed Mrs. Doubtfire from the comedy we all know and love into some twisted, disturbing psychological thriller about an emotionally unstable man stalking his family after a divorce.
But the best (worst?) part about all of this is that Javidpour’s presentation of Mrs. Doubtfire doesn’t require mental gymnastics to rationalize. His horror trailer presents the movie in the same way it was presented before. There is no manipulated context here, as one YouTube user pointed out in a state that can accurately be described as shock.
“Actually… this is… just Mrs. Doubtfire… like… the actual premise and way the movie played out. Scariest part is that he didn’t have to take any clips out of context to make this. It’s like Mrs. Doubtfire, but with a reality check.”
Perhaps this was actually Robin Williams’ first role as a deranged stalker?