572:, A.O. Scott wrote that the film "wobbles between the timeless and the anachronistic. For all its robust good cheer it's a timid and uncertain creature...what looks like magic on stage can seem manic by the light of the screen. Live theater can tolerate outsize gestures, rickety sets and willful illusionism more easily than film, which is a stubbornly literal-minded medium...
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is hampered almost from the start by the distinct lack of chemistry between McIntyre and Kelly as well as by McIntyre's seeming inability to alter his expression from that of perpetual, wide-eyed bewilderment. Kelly acquits herself more adequately as a singer than does McIntyre. But neither performer
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did in 1972, but revives the conventions of the '50s, when big-screen musicals were opened up for wide-screen formats and actors still broke spontaneously into song... has slow patches and requires a generous suspension of disbelief. But it's also sweet and optimistic - a welcome antidote to gloom."
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30 years ago, the songs and performers seem overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the visual design. The relative claustrophobia of the carnival set is the film's greatest aesthetic strength, the big skies of big-sky country its greatest weakness, wherein the private dreaminess of the text seems to
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called it "pure enchantment that emerges as an inspired transposition of a musical to the screen - one that manages to honor the theatricality of the source yet becomes a fully cinematic experience... is a gem, but so virtually extinct is the screen musical that the looming question remains as to
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is, at bottom, a tribute to the transformative power of theater, and the theater is where it should have been allowed to remain. The movie version overflows with affection and good intention, but unwittingly turns a bauble of cheerful fakery into something that mostly feels phony."
375:), and arranges for Matt to rescue her. The couple settles into what they anticipate will be domestic bliss, but through the eyes of El Gallo and company they see the harsh realities of the world, and their innocent romanticism is replaced by a more mature understanding of love.
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called the film "little more than a curio, notable more for its lavish, labored efforts to revive the old-fashioned movie musical than for its success at reimagining the intimate tuner for the big screen...
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that would function as the same playful homage to movie musicals that the play itself is to musical theater is admirable, but the resulting film is one of too much reverence and not enough satire."
528:, discouraged by indifferent preview audience response, lost faith in the project and shelved it. Due to a contractual obligation to Jones and Schmidt to give the film a theatrical release, MGM
645:, and Jean Louisa Kelly catch just the right note of youthful yearning in their voices...even as the movie threatens to derail, the charm of the score...keeps breaking through."
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and fabricate a feud, building a wall between their houses and forbidding their children to speak to each other. When their plan works, they enlist the aid of El Gallo (
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Though it was made in 1995, the film did not see a proper (though very limited) release until 2000 in an abridged form. It received mixed reviews from critics.
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decided to trim the film from its original 109 minute length to 86 minutes, and the abridged version finally was released in four theaters in
September 2000.
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wrote "It was folly for
Ritchie to shoot a spare theatrical piece against the sweeping landscapes of the Arizona prairie. But the folly sometimes pays off.
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wrote "While the cast and songs are top notch, the predictability of the madness makes it pretty clear that this musical shouldn't have left the stage."
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production traditionally is performed on a bare stage with two-piece musical accompaniment, while the film adaptation transposed the action to the
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ever seems truly in thrall of the various fanciful goings-on...while the film is inarguably
Ritchie's most visually adventuresome since
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The film received lackluster reviews, with a divisive 48% 'rotten' rating on Rotten
Tomatoes from 25 critics. In his review in
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release, as a standard-definition "special feature". No high-definition transfer of the original cut currently exists at MGM.
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El Gallo pretends to kidnap Luisa with the help of his troupe, which includes elderly
Shakespearean actor Henry Albertson (
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decade after decade, and quite another to pull crowds with gossamer, lyrical make-believe to the country's multiplexes."
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The film was a pet project of
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whether people will care. It's one thing to pack
Manhattan's small Sullivan Street Playhouse with
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Ritchie's original, 109-minute version was finally released as part of
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in afterwards, as is the usual practice with a musical film.
466:"This Plum Is Too Ripe" - Luisa, Matt, Huckleebee, Bellamy
669:"The Candidate | Michael Ritchie | Legacy | Movies"
520:The film was completed in 1995 and scheduled for a
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560:The new cut grossed only $ 49,666 in the US.
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596:evaporate. The attempt to make a film of
323:off-Broadway production of the same name
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1106:Films based on works by Edmond Rostand
472:"'Round and 'Round" - El Gallo, Luisa
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460:"Soon It's Gonna Rain" - Luisa, Matt
451:"Never Say No" - Hucklebee, Bellamy
371:) and his mute sidekick Mortimer (
321:is based on their record-breaking
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1126:Films directed by Michael Ritchie
360:), the proprietor of a traveling
1111:American romantic musical films
469:"I Can See It" - Matt, El Gallo
432:Arturo Gil as The Bavarian Baby
503:, affecting a look similar to
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475:"They Were You" - Matt, Luisa
1131:2000s English-language films
1101:2000s romantic musical films
524:release, but executives at
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33:Theatrical release poster
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953:An Almost Perfect Affair
454:"Metaphor" - Matt, Luisa
1116:Films based on musicals
769:San Francisco Chronicle
605:San Francisco Chronicle
387:as Amos Babcock Bellamy
205:MGM/UA Distribution Co.
336:Amos Babcock Bellamy (
1049:Cops & Robbersons
643:New Kids on the Block
499:country of the 1920s
340:) and Ben Hucklebee (
1136:2000s American films
1121:United Artists films
709:at BoxOfficeMojo.com
674:Entertainment Weekly
621:Kevin Thomas of the
534:Francis Ford Coppola
526:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
448:"Much More" - Luisa
298:is a 2000 American
219:September 2000
937:The Bad News Bears
891:Films directed by
570:The New York Times
530:Board of Directors
393:as Henry Albertson
354:reverse psychology
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721:"The Fantasticks"
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580:Scott Foundas of
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279:$ 10 million
246:(Edited cut)
236:Running time
212:Release date
135:Joe McIntyre
105:Linne Radmin
74:
423:as Mortimer
411:as El Gallo
249:109 minutes
163:Fred Murphy
96:Produced by
39:Directed by
1096:2000 films
1090:Categories
961:The Island
945:Semi-Tough
655:References
556:Box office
493:theatrical
487:Production
443:Soundtrack
429:as Sheriff
311:screenplay
284:Box office
243:86 minutes
186:Production
1057:The Scout
1033:Diggstown
913:Prime Cut
551:Reception
511:orchestra
506:Oklahoma!
385:Joel Grey
338:Joel Grey
315:Tom Jones
169:Edited by
120:Joel Grey
84:Tom Jones
56:Tom Jones
1001:Wildcats
811:TV Guide
649:TV Guide
564:Critical
362:carnival
287:$ 49,666
268:Language
177:Music by
113:Starring
70:Based on
755:Variety
614:Cabaret
603:In the
582:Variety
545:Blu-ray
532:member
300:musical
271:English
260:Country
223:2000-09
221: (
188:company
1076:(2000)
1068:(1997)
1060:(1994)
1052:(1994)
1044:(1993)
1036:(1992)
1028:(1989)
1020:(1988)
1012:(1986)
1004:(1986)
996:(1985)
993:Fletch
988:(1983)
980:(1981)
972:(1980)
964:(1980)
956:(1979)
948:(1977)
940:(1976)
932:(1975)
924:(1972)
916:(1972)
908:(1969)
813:review
799:review
785:review
771:review
757:review
743:review
515:dubbed
421:Teller
373:Teller
276:Budget
150:Teller
929:Smile
641:, of
834:IMDb
497:farm
379:Cast
332:Plot
317:and
854:at
843:at
832:at
313:by
80:by
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884:e
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225:)
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