The Fantasticks Movie (2000)

[rclocalz]

Posted: 10/21/04 at 8:09pm

Seeing several threads about the Fantasticks today made me want to start another one! What do you guys think about the movie version of the Fantasticks made back in 2000? I have never seen it because I read the reviews which ate it to pieces. Should I see it just so I can say I have or is it not even worth renting?

If you have no idea what I am talking about, here is a link to it on amazon.com:
The Fantasticks (2000) on Amazon.com

[NativeNewYorker]

Posted: 10/21/04 at 8:23pm

I'll post, since I'm probably the only person alive, besides Joey McIntyre's mother, who owns a copy...

It's pretty bad...but in a pleasant, laughingly bad, kinda way!

I think Jean Louisa Kelly is adorable and has a beautiful voice...Joey was entertaining and cute...Joel Gray made a great dad! El Gallo was awful...where did they find that guy????? They kept most of the number in tact, which was good.

But...eh. If you're familiar with the play, you really can't compare it. Totally different feel, obviously.

Rent it anyway, good for a few laughs!

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 10/21/04 at 8:25pm

I saw it and thought that the actors did well with what they had, even though I thought it was so boring.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 10/21/04 at 8:28pm

Well, pretty much all the actors, except El Gallo who couldn't sing, were very good. Jean Louisa Alcott is great, probably the best in the movie. There were two songs in my opinion that were done well, "Much More" and "Round and Round". NativeNewYorker, you Joey McIntyre's mom and I all own copies. I got it for my birthday. They knew I loved the show and thought the movie was the same. We were sadly mistaken. Rent it, don't buy it. It's SO not worth it.

[rclocalz]

Posted: 10/21/04 at 8:55pm

Well darn, of course my local video store (okay Hollywood Video) doesn't have the movie. Maybe I could buy it cheap on Half.com or Ebay.

[CurtainUp]

Posted: 10/21/04 at 9:19pm

Love the show and never SAW the movie but "Fantasticks" is NOT meant to be a movie. It just doesn't work and needs to be in an intimate setting.

Updated On: 10/21/04 at 09:19 PM

[seymour krelborn]

Posted: 10/21/04 at 11:10pm

I own a copy! It's worth watching becasue of the wonderful cast (el gallo not so much, but everyone else). It's a decent movie overall. I stand with curtainup by saying it isn't meant to be a movie, it works best in an intimate setting.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/22/04 at 12:18am

I also own the movie. It's okay. El Gallo is not, but everyone else is pretty good. Round and Round is my favorite part--and Metaphor, even with the odd changes they made to the lyrics.

[B.B. Wolf]

Posted: 10/22/04 at 1:33am

I am also the sad owner of this horrible travesty. I was furious as I watched this unfold. They changed lyrics! They changed lyrics! Some of the best writing EVER for the American theater and they changed them! And don't get me started on Joey MacIntyre in this. Lord, he sucked. I haven't seen him in Wicked and he may be great, but in this, he is HOR-REND-ous. I thought Kelly was, physically and type-wise, perfect for the show. Wasn't too impressed with anything else though. I've played both El Gallo and Matt in different productions of The Fantasticks and it is my favorite musical. I consider it to be a treasure or the American Theatre (we don't have too many, we haven't been around as long as ol' England ). This movie makes a mockery of it. I despise it.

Updated On: 10/24/04 at 01:33 AM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/22/04 at 2:19am

I hate the butchered version of the movie that you get on DVD, but if you watch all the deleted scenes and songs and try to piece together the original vision, had they just left it alone, it could have been one of the best musical movies ever made.

[sean martin]

Posted: 10/22/04 at 4:36am

CATSNY has it spot on. If they'd left in the deleted scenes, it would have been one helluva flick.

[pattifan2]

Posted: 10/22/04 at 11:59am

Am I right in thinking Jonathan Morris plays El Gallo in the movie. If so, I saw him in this role at the King's Head in London a few years ago. I thought he was the best thing in that particular production. I've always like him on stage; he was the original Jean-Michel in 'La Cage' in the West End and he was a brilliant Bill in 'Me And My Girl' with Jo Riding. Last time I saw him he was Billy Crocker in a tour of 'Anything Goes'. Have I got the right person???

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 10/22/04 at 12:02pm

Ha!! I actually worked as a PA on this film when it was made outside of Tucson sometime in the early nineties. It was on the shelf for almost a decade. The director didn't know what the hell he was doing, and Jean Louisa "Excuse me, I was in Uncle Buck!" Kelly is the biggest bee-yotch I have ever met.

[rclocalz]

Posted: 10/22/04 at 12:15pm

Dude, that's pretty awesome that you worked on the movie! Thanks for the inside info on the bee-yotches in the cast.

[mvillalobos2004]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 12:15am

I agree with everything....there was something eerie about the way it was shot that I liked a lot. It reminded me of the movie "Something Wicked This Way Comes". Maybe it's just me.

[sean martin]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 12:49am

There are some wonderfully clever moments: the silent movie playing during the love duet, the whole slightly creepy carnival feel. But it just misses the mark, and that's a shame, because it means it's unlikely we'll see any of the other work (like -- hint, hint -- 110 IN THE SHADE) put on the big screen.

[Michael Strathmore]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 12:54am

It is pretty bad. The additions to the score are nice at times, though.

Most of the time I feel bad for the fact that Joel Grey has his talents wasted throughout the picture.

Watching the deleted "Rape" song is sort of neat. Still can't make it through that song without cringing at least once...

--M--

[NativeNewYorker]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 10:27am

Oh, I forgot about the silent film part...I loved that part!

Awe, U always thought Jean Louisa Kelly was so sweet and cute!

I admit, as much as I LOVE that show, I like the first half more...I enjoy the songs in "night" better.

[theatregirl2]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 10:52am

have never seen it.
i think i will rent it tonite.
i love the music.
The Dying God: A Vampire's Tale(A Dramatic Play in NYC)

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 12:45pm

Act one of the show is much better than Act 2. But so are most musicals.

[CurtainUp]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 2:37pm

Really? Other than music wise, I always thought of Act 2 as the Real Life part and Act 1 as the sugar coated part.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 10/20/06 at 12:18pm

I need to get around to seeing this sometime. I think Jean Louisa Kelly is lovely.

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 10/20/06 at 12:37pm

It's really pretty horrible. Its such a theatrical piece to begin with. Who ever thought transferring it to film would be a good idea?

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/20/06 at 1:30pm

I liked it a lot better than I thought I would. I thought it was beautifully photographed, and the performances were solid, and very engaging.

It has a nice overall mood to it.

...And I own a copy on DVD too, so that's TWO.

Updated On: 10/20/06 at 01:30 PM

[ErinDillyFan]

Posted: 10/20/06 at 2:04pm

I own it and also saw in the original theater (not original cast).

I would've liked to see it before Scorsese edited it. He cut "Try to remember" and put it over the closing credits. The songs were sung live on the set not studio overdubs. The movie probably makes fewer changes than most movie adaptations. I happened on the movie after seeing Jean Louisa Kelly in Mr. Hollands opus and would love to see her in other musicals. I agree with the others that Jonathon Morris is the weak singing link in the show. It somehow retains the sparseness of the stage show. It never has the feeling of "The real world", but of that mythical innocent time & place.