15 Great Movie Musicals!
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- DirectorChris ColumbusStarsTaye DiggsWilson Jermaine HerediaRosario DawsonIn New York City's gritty East Village, a group of bohemians strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic.Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer-winning musical was made into a movie in 2005, and it truly is a wonderful adaptation! Bohemians living in New York's East Village all struggle with midlife crisis, the inability to pay their rent, and the AIDS epidemic. "Rent" is my favorite movie musical because it provides the perfect message of living your life to the fullest. There really is "no day but today." Fantastic performances by the entire cast(6 of them being the original Broadway cast), amazing music, and passionate direction by Chris Columbus("Harry Potter," "Home Alone," and "I Love You, Beth Cooper") make "Rent" a winner. Viva La Vie Boheme!
- DirectorNorman JewisonStarsTopolNorma CraneLeonard FreyIn pre-revolutionary Russia, a Jewish peasant with traditional values contends with marrying off three of his daughters with modern romantic ideals while growing anti-Semitic sentiment threatens his village.The classic chronicle of the Jewish town of Anatevka, Tevye the milkman, and the marriages of his three eldest daughters. Norman Jewison(surprisingly and hysterically a non-Jewish man) gives us a film that embraces the Jewish religion. It is beautifully made, nicely acted(especially Topol as Tevye), and it is very heartwarming. The fiddler on the roof, played by Isaac Stern, represents the undying strength of the Jewish people. And therefore, a wonderful message aids an amazing and entertaining movie musical.
- DirectorRandal KleiserStarsJohn TravoltaOlivia Newton-JohnStockard ChanningGood girl Sandy Olsson and greaser Danny Zuko fell in love over the summer. When they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance?The story of the relationship between good girl Sandy and greaser Danny, and the reactions of their fellow stereotypes: The Pink Ladies and The T-Birds. As cheesy as it may be, I love this movie. Growing up, "Grease" was my first musical experience and it has always been one of my favorites. The music is wonderful, the choreography is energetic, and the cast is classic. Back in the 70's, John Travolta and Olivia Newton John were the best movie couple.
- DirectorAdam ShankmanStarsJohn TravoltaQueen LatifahNikki BlonskyPleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show.The 2007 version of the Broadway smash is a gigantic favorite of mine. It has so much energy and it is cast to perfection. John Travolta made a triumphant and hilarious return to the musical genre as chubby-cheeked, sweet-faced Tracy Turnblad's mother Edna. Divine would be proud.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsJohnny DeppHelena Bonham CarterAlan RickmanThe legendary tale of a barber who returns from wrongful imprisonment to 1840s London, bent on revenge for the rape and death of his wife, and resumes his trade while forming a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett.Sondheim's classic gothic opera gets the movie treatment with Tim Burton behind the camera. Benjamin Barker, now returning to London under the name of Sweeney Todd, has come home in search of his wife Lucy and his baby daughter. He has been locked away for years on end, and he actually returns to find his wife gone and his daughter, Joanna, under the roof of the disgusting Judge Turpin, the man who put Barker away. Now, Sweeney Todd revives his barbering career, and with the help of the baker Mrs. Lovett, he produces some gory results. With Tim Burton directing, and Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter starring as Sweeney and Lovett, you can't go wrong.
- DirectorJim SharmanStarsTim CurrySusan SarandonBarry BostwickA newly-engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must seek shelter at the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-n-Furter.The ultimate midnight movie! Richard O' Brien's musical parody of 50's horror/sci-fi movies tells the story of ultra-virgins Brad and Janet as they get a flat tire, and wind up in the castle of wacky transy Dr. Frank 'N' Furter, who plans on going all Frankenstein. "Rocky Horror," according to the critics, was a bomb when first released. Slowly, it evolved into a cult movie that attracted a slew of outcasts and funseekers. Super-raunchy but very hilarious and just plain fun! You'll fall in love with "Rocky Horror" instantly. Let's do the Time Warp again!
- DirectorDarren Lynn BousmanStarsPaul SorvinoAnthony HeadAlexa PenaVegaA worldwide epidemic encourages a biotech company to launch an organ-financing program similar in nature to a standard car loan. The repossession clause is a killer, however.Set in a futuristic society, GeneCo is the company that handles everything, including organ financing. If you can't afford the organ at first, no worries. Pay later. But if you don't pay up by the deadline, then GeneCo sends out the Repo Man to come and get those organs. Opening only to a limited release, "Repo!" didn't get as much attention as it should have. It is this generation's "Rocky Horror," and it is unlike anything you've ever seen before. Its wonderfully eclectic cast(including Sarah Brightman, Alexa Vega, and "Buffy's" Anthony Head) is a highlight, and it is extremely well-made. And everyone can sing in the movie! "Repo!" is definitely not your average opera, but it defines the true meaning of it: An amazing story told completely through song.
- DirectorBill CondonStarsBeyoncéJamie FoxxEddie MurphyA trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.Bill Condon's lavish adaptation of the classic Broadway musical follows three young women whose career as a musical group rises straight to the top and falls slowly downward. The movie has a great cast, but it is Jennifer Hudson's breakout performance as Effie that steals the show. Her show-stopping cover of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" alone snagged her the Oscar.
- DirectorJerome RobbinsRobert WiseStarsNatalie WoodGeorge ChakirisRichard BeymerTwo youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy.Basically "Romeo & Juliet" in New York, "West Side Story's" only problem is, surprisingly, the two leads. Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood slightly lack charisma. However, everything else about the film is classic. Rita Moreno(Anita) and George Chakiris(Bernardo) do so well with their roles(They got the Oscar in 1961, with the movie itself getting eight more). Jerome Robbins' choreography is stunning, and the production design is impeccable. "West Side Story" has aged well.
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsJulie AndrewsChristopher PlummerEleanor ParkerA young novice is sent by her convent in 1930s Austria to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer.After "West Side Story," Robert Wise directed this essential adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway smash. Maria leaves the convent to be the governess for Captain Von Trapp's children. Captain Von Trapp is all about discipline, but who says that teaching the kids how to sing is a bad thing? Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer work perfectly together in "The Sound of Music," and thanks to its absolutely memorable music(including "Edelweiss," "Do Re Mi," and "My Favorite Things"), this movie musical is a must.
- DirectorRob MarshallStarsRenée ZellwegerCatherine Zeta-JonesRichard GereTwo death-row murderesses develop a fierce rivalry while competing for publicity, celebrity, and a sleazy lawyer's attention.Kander, Ebb, and Fosse's "Chicago" makes for a truly awesome movie musical. After Roxie Hart shoots her lover in an affair gone wrong, she goes to jail, and competes for stardom and publicity while idol Velma Kelly's cutthroat personality runs the prison more than the warden does. Great editing, wonderful music, dazzling production design, and powerhouse performances(Catherine Zeta Jones got the Best Supporting Actress Oscar), this one's a classic, a masterpiece...and al that jazz!
- DirectorJulie TaymorStarsEvan Rachel WoodJim SturgessJoe AndersonThe music of The Beatles and the Vietnam War form the backdrop for the romance between an upper-class American girl and a poor Liverpudlian artist.Julie Taymor directs this unbelievable movie that tells the story of teenage lovers in the 60's hippie New York lifestyle, and it's all set to Beatles music. "Across The Universe" is an incredibly beautiful film to look at, and the ensemble cast help make it work(Evan Rachel Wood can sing!;Eat your heart out, Marilyn Manson.) All you need is love!
- DirectorBaz LuhrmannStarsNicole KidmanEwan McGregorJohn LeguizamoA poor Bohemian poet in 1890s Paris falls for a beautiful courtesan and nightclub star coveted by a jealous duke."Moulin Rouge!" is a one-of-a-kind movie musical. I have never seen anything like it. It bursts with energy and simmering sexuality. It tells the story of the ill-fated love affair between struggling poet Christian and hot courtesan Satine. Set mostly to 80's pop hits, the best thing about "Moulin Rouge!" is its leading actors. Nicole Kidman and Ewan MacGregor take you completely by surprise, most of all because they can sing! Give this one a look.
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsJohn SavageTreat WilliamsBeverly D'AngeloClaude Bukowski leaves the family ranch in Oklahoma for New York where he is rapidly embraced into the hippie group of youngsters led by Berger, yet he's already been drafted. He soon falls in love with Sheila Franklin, a rich girl but still a rebel inside.What was once the most controversial show on stage(thanks to a 30-second FF ensemble nude scene) stands now as one of the most treasured and heartfelt musicals to ever grace a movie theater. Off to Vietnam to fight, Oklahoma cowboy Claude Bukowski hangs out a bit in New York, where he befriends the hippies in Central Park. "Hair's" anti-war and love message makes it work so well, with a little help from a great cast. Let the sun shine in!
- DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsGerard ButlerEmmy RossumPatrick WilsonA young soprano becomes the obsession of a disfigured and murderous musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opéra House.Many people like to argue about whether or not Joel Schumacher's adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterpiece makes the cut. In my opinion, it is a very lavish and slick production that works well. Gerard Butler doesn't have the best voice for the Phantom, but he still does well, aided by the great performances of Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, and Minnie Driver. The movie version of Webber's "Phantom" is quite good, and the music of the night will continue to echo in Broadway audiences' heads.