Daniel Hillard (Williams) is a struggling actor and irresponsible father. When he throws a disastrous surprise birthday party for his son, everything takes a turn for the worse. Daniel's wife, Miranda (Field), wants a divorce. When the divorce hearings arrive, Daniel is denied custody of the children and is only granted weekly visitations. With help from his make-up artist brother Frank (Fierstein), Daniel disguises himself as "Mrs. Doubtfire", a woman of mature years, a sharp tongue, and an endearing way with the children. Daniel charms his way back into the lives of his unsuspecting family in the guise of "Mrs. Doubtfire". But his act is too good and complications arise. If his undercover disguise is discovered, he may be separated from his family permanently.