This 'Rivals' Character Loves 'Tootsie' And The Reason Why Is Hilarious | Sorry Not Sorry
The 2024 period comedy-drama Rivals follows two television companies fighting for control of the industry, with loads of personal rivalries and complicated relationships getting in the way. Victoria Smurfit plays Maud O'Hara, who knows exactly how to hold her own as an actress. Maud is confident and fiercely independent, so trying to guess her favorite movie wouldn't be a simple task.
Speaking to JustWatch while promoting Rivals Season 2, Smurfit was asked for her thoughts about Maud's favorite movie. Her first answer was the 1952 romantic comedy The Quiet Man, but she then came up with a more interesting choice. "In an '80s sense, maybe Tootsie because she'd like the idea of a man having to dress as a woman to get a job," she said.
Released in 1982, Tootsie stars Dustin Hoffman as Michael Dorsey, a talented actor who has a reputation for being difficult and can't find work. After struggling to land a new role, Michael decides to disguise himself as Dorothy Michaels and audition for a role in a popular television soap opera. He gets the part, and his character, Emily Kimberly, becomes an instant hit with the viewers.
The problem is that being Dorothy is more complicated than Michael expected. He has to keep his real identity hidden while dealing with his co-stars, a growing romance, and the fact that people treat Dorothy very differently from how they treated him. The choice makes a lot of sense for Maud, who has spent most of Rivals trying to find her place outside her marriage to Declan (Aidan Turner).
'Tootsie' Was About More Than a Man in a Dress
At first, Tootsie sounds like a pretty basic identity-swap comedy. But the real message behind the humor is that Michael doesn't really understand how differently women are treated until he's living as one. As Dorothy, he gets the acting job he couldn't find as Michael, but he also has to deal with unwanted attention and the way the men around him behave toward women.
That becomes one of the movie's biggest "jokes." Michael starts out believing he's a good guy who understands women, only to discover that he really doesn't know what he's talking about. Spending time as Dorothy forces him to see things from a perspective he never had before. The movie also has a lot to say about Hollywood and the way women were treated in the workplace in the 1980s.
Dorothy has to put up with men who interrupt her, talk down to her, and assume they know better than she does. It's a strange situation for Michael because the disguise gives him the career he wanted, but it also makes him realize how much harder things are for female actors. Considering Maud's own frustrations with her life, it's easy to see why she'd enjoy Tootsie.
Maud being an actress herself is also very fitting. She's spent much of Rivals trying to get back to the career she wants while feeling neglected by Declan, so she would probably understand why Michael is willing to go to such extreme lengths to get another acting job. The fact that his solution involves pretending to be a woman only makes the whole thing more ironic.
Why to Watch 'Tootsie' (And What to Watch After)
Tootsie is still one of the best comedies of the 1980s because there's a lot more to the story than the initial identity swap. Hoffman is great as Michael, but he's even better once Michael becomes Dorothy and has to figure out how to keep his new identity from falling apart. Jessica Lange also gives the movie a lot more than just a romantic subplot.
Lange plays Julie Nichols, an actress who works with Dorothy on the soap opera, and Michael quickly falls for her. The problem is that Julie has no idea that Dorothy is actually Michael, so he has to deal with his feelings while also keeping one of the biggest secrets of his life. That makes Tootsie more interesting than its basic premise might suggest.
If Tootsie sounds like something you would enjoy, 1993's Mrs. Doubtfire is a must. Robin Williams stars as Daniel Hillard, a divorced father who wants to spend more time with his children after his ex-wife Miranda (Sally Field) gets custody. So Daniel disguises himself as a Scottish housekeeper named Mrs. Doubtfire so he can get a job in Miranda's home.
Williams completely commits to the character, giving Mrs. Doubtfire her own voice, personality, and way of doing things. Moreover, watching Daniel try to keep everything under control leads to some of the movie's funniest scenes. It also has a more emotional side, since Daniel's ridiculous plan comes from wanting to be a bigger part of his children's lives.
