Just watched the movie again on Time Warner (You're welcome, Sh-k-boom!), which still has the aspect ratio wrong and have a few nit picky comments.
"I'm Still Hurting" is filmed in bleach bypass stock, to comment on the fact that its the end of the relationship. The next number, "Shiksa Goddess" is in vivid color. But the NEXT number, "See I'm Smiling," is a gorgeous verdant lake on Staten Island (filling in for Ohio), so the whole dark/light thing is rendered moot.
And the lyric "I stole this sweater from the costume shop. It makes me look like Daisy May" makes no sense. We know that the theatre in Ohio is doing "'Lil Abner," but when does Daisy May wear an ugly Christmas sweater? Correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I can recall, Daisy May wears a crop top and tattered short denim jeans for the entire show.
A New York thing: during "Moving too Fast" Jeremy Jordan is riding a bicycle on the High Line, which is strictly prohibited. Also, he's in front of the Flat Iron building, and LaGravenese couldn't get a good shot of it? It's iconic, and they were there, and they shot it from the wrong angle.
I saw both the original OBC production and the horrible revival at Second Stage, and I don't remember Cathy being such a dilatant. She's an actress, a dress designer, and a photographer in the film, and she sucks at all of them (except perhaps the photography, that pic of Jordan is gorgeous). Was that in the stage show?
To the poster who was questioning Jamie's book success, I think he's supposed to be like a Jay McInerney or Bret Easton Ellis, two NYC author phenoms from the early 80's who clubbed it up. That kind of thing doesn't exist anymore.
The Central Park scene bugs me to no end. Why aren't they in a rowboat on the lake? Why did the director choose to film the whole song in extreme close ups? They were at the location, it's supposed to be the moment in the show where they are happiest together, why not open it up and make it magical? We already know the relationship doesn't work out, why not have one moment where it MIGHT have worked out? I think it's a specific choice, but the wrong one. Let the audience have that moment where it might work out. Kendrick is playing coy and non-committal, and Jordan is, well, Jamie.
The beginning lyric of that song bugs me too. He's answering her questions. He says: "That one's John Lennon. No, the Dakota. The San Remo is up a few blocks."
If she's so stupid she doesn't know what the Dakota looks like, she sure as hell has never heard of the San Remo. And again, filmed with a hand hold not showing anything of Central Park. Strange choice.
I still adore this film, and think it's a great adaptation. Except.
My biggest question: What does the ex-Mrs. Jason Robert Brown think?
Updated On: 2/22/15 at 01:27 PM