Mamma Mia!: The Movie

Universal, 2008
Starring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, and Christine Baranski
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd
Music and Lyrics by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus

With the summer season upon us here in the US, this is the perfect time to get away from it all, taking a romantic cruise or a trip to an exotic isle. We start with this major hit from June 2008. The frothy story of a young woman, her mother, and the three men she invited to her wedding is really just an excuse for a series of great musical numbers set to the music of 70's pop group ABBA. Is it as fizzy as the champagne at the wedding, or does it hit a few sour notes? Let's head to the Greek island of Kalokari and find out...

The Story: Sophie (Seyfried) is a 20-year-old woman who has just invited three men to her wedding at her mother Donna's (Streep) villa hotel. She's hoping one of these men will be her father and walk her down the aisle. They're about as different as they can get; Sam (Brosnan) is an architect who is looking to make changes in his life, Bill (Stellan Skarsgard), a travel writer and sailor, and Harry (Colin Firth), an uptight banker. Donna, a former rock singer, has invited her own best friends and backing singers, rich divorcee Tanya (Baranski) and live-for-the-moment author Rosie (Julie Walters). She wishes someone would take over running the villa from her, or at least help her pick up a few extra dollars to keep it going. The last thing she's expecting is to see three men whom she hadn't spoken to since the late 70's. Now, while the entire island gets hyped up for the wedding, Donna has to figure out which man she wants for her daughter's father...and which she truly loves.

The Song and Dance: This may be the ultimate party musical. Most folks aren't the greatest singers or dancers, but everyone's having such a great time, you just kind of get swept along. Streep gets to show off her comic side (and a nice voice, too) as the confused Donna; Seyfried so impressed people with her lovely voice, this movie lead to her getting the role of Cosette in Les Miserables. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, beautifully displaying the Mediterranean and Greek isles in all their glittering turquoise glory. There's a lot of fun choreography in the chorus numbers, notably "Dancing Queen," "Does Your Mother Know?" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)."

If nothing else, it's rare that you see a close mother-daughter relationship portrayed in a musical. Not only Donna, but her friends are supportive of and very loving to Sophie, standing by her decisions even when they're not thrilled with her bringing her fathers to the island.

Favorite Number: Seyfried kicks things off well with a sweet "I Have a Dream" and an adorable "Honey, Honey" with her bridesmaids as she reads off her mother's diaries and her relationship with the three men. "Money, Money, Money" and "Mamma Mia!" are great numbers for Streep (the latter ending hilariously with her literally falling right into her ex-lovers), and she gets a killer "The Winner Takes It All" late in the film. Baranski joins the younger guys to ask them "Does Your Mother Know?" on the beach. "Dancing Queen" starts with Rosie and Tanya trying to cheer up Donna. It works so well, every woman on the entire island ends up dancing and singing along with them. Their energy and enthusiasm is so infectious and joyful, you really can't blame them.

Trivia: Mamma Mia! started out on England's West End, where it was a smash, playing for 13 years. It was even more popular in the US, playing at the Winter Garden and Broadhurst Theaters in New York for 14 years. The movie version did go over well in the US, but it wound up being the biggest hit of 2008 in England and in much of Europe, where ABBA still has many long-time fans.

What I Don't Like: Did I mention the fluffy story? Yeah, it's barely of consequence. They don't even resolve the major plot point - Sophie's search for her father. While the ladies' singing ranges from gorgeous to passable, the men don't go over quite as well. Pierce Brosonan can barely carry a tune, and he has three major ballads and a duet. His "S.O.S" is painful. And obviously, this isn't for anyone who doesn't like ABBA, the rock/pop of the late 70's, or are looking for a meatier or more dramatic story. Not to mention, it goes on for at least 20 minutes too long. Some of those later numbers (including Brosonan's) could have been trimmed or eliminated.

The Big Finale: It's not a great musical, but it is a fun one, with energetic numbers performed by a cast who are thoroughly enjoying themselves. This would be a blast for girls' night in, sleepovers, or other all-female events.

Home Media: As one of the most popular musicals of the last decade or so, this is easily found in all formats, including packaged with its sequel.

DVD
DVD - Mamma Mia! 2-Movie Collection
Blu-Ray
4K
Amazon Prime

But wait, there's more! Check in on Thursday for the review of the sequel, Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again!