The Mrs Doubtfire rumors of an NC-17 version were refuted by the film’s director, Chris Columbus. But he says there is an R rating among three different versions of the film.
Columbus told Entertainment Weekly that actor Robin Williams’ penchant for ad-libs has led to three different approaches to recording the Mrs Doubtfire movie.
‘The reality is that there was an agreement between Robin and myself, that is, he would do one or two, three text recordings. And then he would say, “Let me play then.” And we’ll basically take between 15 and 22, I think 22 is the most I remember, ‘Columbus said.
An NC-17 rating prevents those under 17 from watching the film. With an R rating, under 17s can attend a movie with the accompanying parent or guardian. The rating indicates that the film contains adult activities, harsh language, intense graphic violence, drug abuse or nudity.
The rumor of the NC-17 version started online with reference to a 2015 interview in which Columbus mentioned an NC-17 version. In the film, Williams portrays himself as a female housekeeper to spend time with his children, whom he loses in a custody battle. It was rated PG-13 when it was released in 1993.
The manic Williams would come up with new lines in every take, Columbus recalls.
‘He would sometimes go to an area that would not be suitable for a PG-13 film, but definitely appropriate and hilarious for an R-rated film. Neither [previously] used the phrase NC-17 as a joke. There could be no NC-17 version of the movie. ”
Columbus said there is potential to see these recordings in a future project.
“I would be open to maybe doing a documentary about making the film and enabling people to see certain scenes that were rendered in an R version,” Columbus said. ‘The problem is, I can not remember most of it. I know at the moment only what appears in the film because it’s been a long time ago. But I do remember that it was extraordinarily funny material. ”
Williams died by suicide in August 2014. He was known for his improvisational skills.