2001 SOUTH PACIFIC TV Movie w/ Glenn Close - Brilliant!

I netflixed this flick since I missed it years ago and recently remembered it existed.

WOW! Glenn Close, as always, is brilliant in this!! Not only was this film well-cast, but the production value is stunning! One of the best TV musicals I've seen - if the THE best!

I usually hate everything Harry Connick, Jr. does, and when I saw him in the DVD menu before the film started I let out a big groan, but he wasn't half bad in this.

The actress who played "Bloody Mary" was great. Robert Pastorelli was another highlighy.

But let's talk more about Glenn!! BRILLIANT! A lot of Mary Martin like qualities, yet she still makes the role her own. Watched the documentary on the disc and discovered that she produced the film as a passion project. Kudos to her.

I'm going to end up buying it. I know it. Wow!

(And for the record, why doesn't the search "south pacific glenn close" not produce any results?)

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"Carefully Taught" was in the Broadway show. The 1958 film put back in "My Girl Back Home," which had been cut from the stage version.

I agree that the Glenn Close film is pretty much a dud.

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Right up there with A CHORUS LINE and MAN OF LA MANCHA as one of the worst stage to film adaptatioins of all time. I don't care if it was for television, almost everything about it is wrong.

Glenn Close is too good of an actress to ever turn in a dramatic performance without some depth, insight or fascinating choices - but she is so completely miscast and old for the role, its very hard to not feel completely embarrassed by her performance, particularly in numbers like "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy."

Nellie Forbush is young. Emile is much older. That is the major starting place of difficulty in their relationship. When you eradicate that, you simply aren't telling the story of SOUTH PACIFIC.

Updated On: 7/16/06 at 08:06 AM

Unwatchable. I also thought the guy playing Emile was horrid

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Bali Oy.. cute.. Was thinking more South Pathetic

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Among the worst films ever made. So horrible, that the narrative didn't even make sense. I remember Nellie consoling Liat; and, Cable hadn't even died yet! Horrble, on every conceivable level. Imagine someone's grandmother acting like a twelve year old! Horrible orchestrations and song delivery. Watching it, gave me a new-found respect for the original film, which has it's own issues.

Updated On: 7/16/06 at 11:00 AM

For those in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Castro theatre will be showing a restored 70mm version print of "South Pacific" as part of this year's 70mm festival on August 19th at 2, 5:15 and 8:30 pm. I hope they are able to come through with this because last year they promised a restored 70mm print of "Hello, Dolly!" and had to pull it at the last minute due to problems with the print.

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Mid-30's onstage is very different from 50-something on film.

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The original film isn't wildly entertaining either, but it's better than the Disney one.

I didn't have a huge problem with Glen Close, but I hated the direction and everything else about it. BORING.

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They also managed to make the "South Pacific Islands" about as haunting and beautiful as Myrtle Beach.

I found it rather pointless. The adjustments in the script were made to accommodate the casting rather than improve the storytelling.

Glenn Close is overrated.

Updated On: 7/16/06 at 08:26 PM

Also - even with Martin being in her thirties, Ezio Pinza was still over twenty years her senior, so the age difference between the characters was still palpable.

They always show this on sky movies here in the UK as a 1 star rating film.
It was awfull it made my eyes bleed.