Oscar bait success of summer blockbusters like "Jaws" and "Star Wars" (both of which had also been nominated for Best Picture), independent filmmakers refined Carr's methods of exploiting the Oscars. Merchant Ivory, who produced lavish costume dramas, often based on novels by Henry James or E. M. Forster, began to time their releases to align with the awards season. Their 1985 adaptation of Forster's "A Room with a View" won three of the eight Oscars it was nominated for. By 1991 the modern film-release calendar, in which studios released the movies they had the highest Oscar hopes for in autumn and December,
Mrs. Doubtfire Mrs. Doubtfire Mrs. Doubtfire is a 1993 American comedy-drama film, directed by Chris Columbus and written for the screen by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, based on the novel "Alias Madame Doubtfire" by Anne Fine. It stars Robin Williams (who also served as a co-producer), Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein, and Robert Prosky. It follows a recently divorced actor who dresses up as a female housekeeper to be able to interact with his children. The film addresses themes of divorce, separation, and the effect they have on a family. The film was released in the United States on