Commentary: ‘Free Bert’ Recreated A Happy ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ Ending
by Frank Martin
Comedies often create unique storytelling opportunities because they can be a lot looser than their dramatic counterparts. Even if a story isn’t meta in nature, it can still be self-aware with its tropes and cliches. The series Free Bert does this in one episode by recreating one of Mrs. Doubtfire’s most iconic scenes. It even goes so far as to reference the film in the moment, calling out the trope for what it is. But the show also goes one step further by giving the scene a happy ending the original did not have.
Free Bert is a fictional portrayal of comedian Bert Kreischer‘s life. It features fictionalized versions of his real family years ago when both of his daughters were tweens. Georgia (Ava Ryan) and Ila (Lilou Lang) are attending an expensive and fancy private school, and Bert tries to get cozy with a group of dads who have a lot of sway and influence in the school’s politics. At one point, Bert goes with them to a strip club, where he sees ex-football player Pacman Jones across the room. In order to appease Pacman, as well as his new friends, Bert goes back and forth between the two areas, drinking with them the entire time while putting on and taking off his shirt repeatedly.
It’s very easy to see the parallel between this scene and Mrs. Doubtfire. Pacman Jones even mentions it when he calls out Bert for going to hang out with his friends from the school. Those friends also call out Bert’s behavior, flat out asking him why he didn’t invite them to hang out with Pacman as well. This is a eureka moments for Bert as he gets to combine both groups for a crazy night at the club. So he gets a happy ending Robin Williams‘ character never did; that scene ends in tragedy as his Doubtfire ruse fell apart. But for Bert, having the rules fall apart merely meant a great night of partying.
Free Bert is now streaming on Netflix.