I will go on record as saying I love that movie. One rainy Saturday, when I was about 11, I was flipping through the channels, desperate for something to watch. Suddenly, I see this movie about to begin starring Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Channing. I thought, 'This could be a good way to spend the day'. 40 hours later (man that's a loooong movie), I just couldn't believe what I had seen. At a young age, I already had a highly developed sense of camp (I was the boy, after all, who when watching the Neighborhood of Make Believe section of MR. RODGERS, thought, 'Of course that puppet is called Lady Elaine...cause she looks JUST like Elaine Strich!' I knew who Elaine Stritch was at age 6. How? I don't know.)
The movie is a take-off of THE BOYFRIEND. It's ludicrous, silly, campy, outrageous and FUN! I feel the stage musical stripped every ounce of joy and individuality from the movie. Sutton Foster, a talented girl, did not have the archness required for the role. Indeed, no one connected with the piece seemed to understand the source material or the genre it was based on. In the end, it had not enough camp to be true to the source material, but it's tounge place too much in its cheek to be a good, old fashioned NYC musical like WONDERFUL TOWN...or even 42nd STREET.
It's a middling work willed into existence by committee. People have enjoyed it...but not me.
"I'm so looking forward to a time when all the Reagan Democrats are dead."