Top 5 Favorite Musical Movies

Stage musicals are fun, but I am usually not a fan of movie musicals. I am a story person, and always feel the music stops the movie cold for an elaborate production number which could never really happen in real life. When I was a kid I really hated musicals, but as I have aged I have learned to appreciate them despite their not being at all realistic. However, I still don’t love them because the songs are just to much sometimes.

Take The Music Man, where the whole town breaks out into Seventy-six Trombones! I am not saying that the film is bad, the songs are great and very memorable, but they are just annoying in a movie! I have seen the Robert Preston film, and the Matthew Broderick TV remake, and the songs are so pointless and annoying. The Wells Fargo Wagon? Really? Other musicals like The Sound of Music have great songs, but are soooooo long!!

I certainly don't mean to take anything away from these amazing films; I just don't like them much. The only musicals I like are ones where the songs feel more or less natural, and help the story. Some movies get it right, for me anyway, and I enjoy them a lot. I wanted to share with you today my 5 favorite musical films and not all of these necessarily started out as a stage musical although I think they all ended up there eventually.

It is important to remember, this is just my opinion. Also, for this list no animated films.

#5.Mamma Mia.

 

Ok, I know what everyone is thinking. No, this movie is not that good. The reason its here is because I saw the musical in New York City and loved it. I really enjoy the songs in this movie, and sure the story is weak and flimsy but it's no worst than many other musicals out there. The movie could have been great, if they had just cast the thing better! Aside from Meryl Streep who was great, this whole this was so badly miscast its laughable. Seriously, Pierce Brosnan? It has a special place in my heart because I know the musical really is decent, so when I watch the film I try to ignore the horrible acting.

#4.My Fair Lady

Remember my problems with The Music Man? It's the same reason I just don't like West Side Story, the songs are great but it's just so unbelievable! It's safe to say I don't like most old musicals, but here is the exception. I loved My Fair Lady, how could anyone not? Anything with Audrey Hepburn is gold for me and she along with the great Rex Harrison give amazing performances.  Of course Paw just did a great review on this movie so I don't think I need to explain it to much. The songs are just enjoyable and the story, simple as it is, was very well told.

#3.The Wizard of Oz.

How can you not like this movie? This film was made in 1939 but the images and music are still timeless classics. Dorothy, The Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are amazing characters and the Wicked Witch is one of the greatest villains in movie history.  I like how the reason for most of the songs in the film are to give character development. That's really all the songs do, introduce the characters and fill us in on what's going on. In fact the last part of the movie has no songs at all, just a soundtrack, how many musical movies can say that? I confess, I love the music in the movie from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to the rest of them. Yes, I have seen this way to many times.

#2.Mary Poppins.

Most live action Disney movies suck. They are either boring like Song of the South, OK but not great like The Parent Trap, or totally forgettable like The Three Lives of Thomasina since I seem to be the only one who's ever heard of it. This is the exception, and it's a huge exception. I loved this movie, and have seen it more times than I'd care to admit. There is nothing wrong with it, from Julie Andrews to Dick Van Dyke. Ok, I will admit the Chim Chim Cheree and stepping time scene goes a little longer than I'd like, but even so this is such a fun movie. I still remember my amazement that Dick Van Dyke also played the old man at the bank, and even the supporting cast was great. Glynnis Jones as the mother has such a small role, but she is one of my favorite characters in the movie. The only song I could do without is that lullaby she sings the kids, but that's nitpicking. I love this movie! Am I the only one who feels the need to loudly sing along with Let's Go Fly A Kite! at the end?

#1. Chicago.

When I went to see this I didn't really know much about the show beyond the title song "All That Jazz", and I wasn't expecting to like it. But boy was I wrong! This was a great film, and the music was really good. The twist the writer gave to put all the music numbers except the last two inside the head of Roxie was brilliant! It pushed the musical into the world of believable, and so I was able enjoy the story because the songs didn't stop the story they moved it along and added to it. The cast was also amazing. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zeilweger, and Richard Gere who I normally don't like very much, but here he was really good! Queen Latifah and John C.Reiley were also perfect. I actually saw a stage version of this, and it was horrible! The ending is different and it was so stupid! The movie was a great story with a great ending only helped but the fantastic and well staged musical numbers. I have seen this a bunch of time and never get tired of it. Great musical, and an amazing movie!

There are lots of movies in this genre I honestly have never seen. However, here are some honorable mentions I really wanted to put on here. Grease was fun, even if the story has lots of holes in it. Harispray that came out a few years ago was kind of a throwback to why I hated musicals, way to much music. However that movie was still pretty good. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a classic which I really wish I had on here, and of course the Muppet films all have amazing songs. For those wondering about The Blues Brothers or Rocky Horror Picture Show, I never saw Blues Brothers and Rocky Horror is.....a subject for another time.