Thursday, June 30, 2016

Movie Review // The Music Man (2003) with Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth


Hello everyone!

Glorious, wonderful, amazing, emotional, rollercoaster ups and downs of engagement and wedding planning notwithstanding, I’m determined to get as close as I possibly can to finishing Miss Laurie’s period drama challenge (up this Saturday!). (Especially as I mostly have everything all in my head, the words are just begging for a few somehow unemployed minutes on my laptop to spill out and form some sort of coherency.)


Which leads us into our actual review here for one of my very favorite musicals. (Incidentally, reviewing it at the moment is actually very fitting as it’s something that’s helped me through a couple tough spots in the last few years and as it’s also tied more than a little into all the wedding planning.) And the story takes place over the course of the three weeks between Flag Day (June 14th) and the 4th of July. So it’s the absolutely perfect time.

Now where to actually start?


First, to get the quick FYI negatives out of the way, the language etc. is all very clean, but there are a couple inappropriate uses of God's name, particularly in the song Iowa Stubborn (so we usually just skip that one). And now for some background. I have indeed seen the 1962 version as well and I won’t spend much time on all that (as this isn’t about all the reasons why I didn’t/don’t like the ’62), but suffice to say, this one fixed every single thing I didn't like in that one and I love it!! Indeed (with a surprise twist at the end), I think they made it five times better. Which is also why the story jumped from the bottom of the scale to become one of my tip top favorites. 

From beginning to end it’s just so happy


As aforementioned, it happens in June 1912, right at the tail end of the Edwardian period, with an absolute wealth of delicious colors and incredible styles. Some of them are a bit stylized, but the costuming altogether -- textures, colors etc. -- is just breathtaking. Not to mention the hats. Those are stunning.


I feel like Kristin Chenoweth’s acting as Marian takes a bit of getting used to, but the story pulls you in and altogether she does a very nice job. I really like how they change her make-up and dresses over the course of the film, too, highlighting how she changes -- warming and softening. And her voice is incredible.



One aspect I particularly love in this version (seeming to make a lot of sense) is that she’s a little older. It’s fascinating to see how the town has ostracized her (and how she’s grown accordingly) and then as Harold Hill publicly values her -- pursuing her in a thoroughly gentlemanly fashion -- she starts becoming valuable in other people’s eyes as well. It’s lovely.


Matthew Broderick does a great job with the singing and an excellent job as Harold Hill. A con artist, he’s yet genuinely concerned for other people, looking out for their best interests and noticing the smallest details; entering into their lives and into their stories -- understanding their secret fears and hopes and dreams.


And, with perfect and utter courtesy, he turns their strait-laced, straight-buttoned, neat-as-a-pin world upside down, bringing life and resurrection to little, stubborn, holier-than-thou River City Iowa. (So yes, there’s some incredibly neat Biblical imagery there about which much could be said -- including the role music plays in all of it.) But, even with all that wonderfulness aside, the story is just pure and delightful fun.


In short, it’s quintessential small town America. In the summertime. And the humor throughout is priceless.




The cinematography is beautiful and -- energetic and dynamic from the very first scene -- with the vibrant tweaks in storytelling it’s an absolutely top notch remake of an old classic!!

Tell me! Have you seen this Music Man and what do you think?












(Reviewed for Miss Laurie’s Period Drama Challenge 2016.)

5 comments:

  1. Okay, fine, you've convinced me. I'm ordering a copy from Amazon right now.

    :-D

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  2. I am putting this on my library list. I was introduced to this musical (we are not huge musical family) last year when some of my younger siblings put on the musical for their drama group. I loved it. We then watched the 60's version as recommended by a parent of the drama group and I received the impression that the 2003 wasn't good although I looked it up and could not see why. I think some people just don't like remakes of old movies. I wasn't super thrilled with the 60's because Howard Hill was FAARR too old, and I had enjoyed the kids version so much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The problem with remakes today is that they reflect our growing Godless society (the sex, gambling, drinking, the blasphemy) - the Train scene is evident to this, compared to the 60's version.

      Delete
  3. I really want to try this version someday! :D

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  4. This sounds like such a great movie! I've never seen it, but maybe now I'll have to :-) I've heard/seen Kristen Chenowethh in "Wicked," though--and MY STARS WHAT A VOICE THOUGH. She's got such incredible talent.

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to hear your thoughts and look forward to further confabulation. Please just be courteous to one and all. Oh, and I love thoughts on old posts, so comment away!

(Also of late -- what with time being finite, and Life Happening + managing multiple blogs and computer issues and all that -- I sometimes have to alternate between creating new content and replying to comments, but rest assured I'm thrilled to hear from each and every one of you and always hope to reply thoughtfully in full ASAP. <3)

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