A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (?)

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 2:13am

I just rented the DVD and I just finished watching it. It was actually really funny. The score was okay, I guess. It didn't seem like there were that many songs. The book and performances were great. I thought what made it so great was the directing. It really made me laugh out loud at some points. Anyways, I was reading about the revival with Nathan Lane and on Amazon.com it said that they replaced him with Whoopi Goldberg? Is that true? And Why? Or was it a joke, and i just missed the point? I was going to look at ibdb.com but its down for some reason.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 2:15am

They cut out at least half the songs for the movie. At least we get Zero Mostel.

Whoopi DID in face replace Lane. I hear she was quite good.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 2:24am

That's so...random. What a weird replacement. Did she go over well? Did she improve ticket sales, etc.

Yeah, i sort of figured they must have cut a lot. I was like "it's 30mins into the film and there hasn't been one song."

[Lavinia]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 2:58am

A friend of mine saw Whoopi and he said she was hilarious.

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 3:15am

Didn't David Alan Grier replace Whoopi after she left?

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 9:25am

I saw Whoopi and thought she was great in the role. There was a thread about her not too long ago with people discussing her in it if you want to check it out.

I've always hated the movie, however. It just seems so dreary and lifeless. And -- don't hate me for this -- but I've never been a huge fan of Zero Mostel.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 10:34am

The movie does not have the energy and pace of the stage production. And that dreadful chariot chase at the end was an unnecessary addition. Like most film adaptions, it is woefully inferior to the show it represents.

[tophertilson]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 10:37am

It's one of those shows that defies "opening up." By making a movie of it, they stripped it of its vaudeville roots. It thrives when it's constricted to one set and played out to the house.

I love this show when it's done well.

TT

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 10:56am

Get the OBC or the revival disc. It is a wonderful show that was cut cut cut for the film. Sondheim's lyrics are some of his best, especially my personal favorite: "Pretty Little Picture" (which was cut from the revival too, but is on the disc).

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 11:08am

I'm not gonna lie-- I LOVE the movie. It's the biggest guilty pleasure. I saw it before I saw the stage production (many times, in fact). I know that the score is chopped to bits for the movie, but I can't help loving it anyway.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 11:19am

They had to make so many cuts to the show to turn it into a movie. The songs were jettisoned. This is just normal operating procedure for Hollywood. On some movies (On The Town, Babes in Arms) they just kept the one hit song and requisitioned a score from "Hollywood" (read usually hack) songwriters.

On Funny Thing they also had to make space for the old man. Some of you will know, but others may not that this guy is perhaps the greatest comedian who ever lived. His name is Buster Keaton. Rent one of his classic silent films and get ready to literally pee your pants with laughter. The Navigator, Seven Chances or Steamboat Bill, Jr are so filled with classic comedy moment that you'll recognize because everyone who ever followed him stole from him.

Using Keaton was an inspired bit of casting. And he's been in a musical before. He toured as the silent king in "Once Upon A Mattress."

As for the direction, Richard Lester was a very unique filmmaker. You might want to again rent his classic "A Hard Days Night" with this obscure english rock-and-roll group or his utterly brilliant version of "The Three Musketeers" with Oliver Reed and Michael York, perhaps one of the most fun and well-executed adventure films all time.

Updated On: 4/29/06 at 11:19 AM

[MCfan2]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 1:28pm

I'm rather fond of it myself. I wish they could have left more of the songs in, though. I don't really see a good reason why they had to be cut.

[theatrebabe]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 1:34pm

I really don't like the movie. LOVE the show. But the moive was just...

The chariot chase might have been it. That and the fact that they cut half the songs.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 1:34pm

I've seen forum twice (once in a theater and once in the movies) and I consistantly LOVE it!

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 2:12pm

"Opening up" is fine, but they "Blew it out of Proportion" what with the chariot race and the water skiing...

It's kind of like the movie version of "Guys and Dolls," the stuff that's good is great and the stuff that's bad is lousy.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 5:35pm

I actually liked it. Not a huge Sondheim fan. I didn't really like any of the songs though. And yeah, I agree. I was really into it until the chariot chasing. While I thought some of it was funny, I kind of got tired of it.

Are there any other good movie musicals that are easy to find? any Sondheim or anything.

How long did the revival play for?

Was the "Old Man" not in the stage show?

[jv92]

Posted: 4/29/06 at 11:05pm

The movie, in my opinion, feels like a big budget comedy with a theme song (Comedy Tonight) along the lines of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" which the actual show isn't.