Directed by Ryan Murphy
Available to stream now on Netflix
Actors have famously used their fame as clout to bring attention to serious and important causes, believing that their endorsement will help make this matter take on greater significance to a large number of people. One example was an incident in 2010 involving a teenage girl who wanted to take her girlfriend to their senior prom in Mississippi but where denied by school board. The girls pushed back and the board decided to cancel the prom instead of allowing them to attend. A lawsuit was filed and a Federal Court found the couple's First Amendment rights had been violated. However, the judge did not force the school to reinstate the prom. Some celebrities heard this story and jumped in to sponsor a fund-raiser so that the girls could attend an inclusive prom event.
This was the inspiration for the stage musical, "The Prom", created in 2016 by Bob Martin, Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin which would end up on Broadway two years later, winning critical praise and award recognition. Ryan Murphy, who almost single-handedly reinvigorated television by inventively bringing progressive stories and marginalized characters to the small screen, returns to feature films to direct a version of the musical with a cast of impressive major stars on board to spice up the production. But Murphy has taken a relatively small scale story and pumped it up in to a colossal explosion of overbearing sights, unremarkable sounds and gaudy colors. It is a politically-minded, musical spectacle that demands you pay attention yet in an obnoxious, "look at me! look at me!" sort of way.
During opening night on Broadway of the new musical, "Eleanor!: The Eleanor Roosevelt Story", stars, Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep), a two-time Tony Award winner and Barry Glickman (James Corden) are waiting for the reviews to come in for the play. With a rave from a critic in New Jersey, the team is convinced they have a winner on their hands and begin to celebrate. However, the review from the New York Times is ugly and brutal, effectively killing the show.
Depressed and wallowing in self-pity, Dee Dee and Barry drown their sorrows at a local bar where Julliard graduate, Trent Oliver (Andrew Rannells) works only between theater jobs which has been few and far between of late. Joining in to commiserate with them is Angie Dickinson (Nicole Kidman), a long-time chorus girl who has just quit her job in "Chicago", frustrated by never getting a chance to play one of the leads. They decide to find a cause that will make them appear to be caring people and deliver them plenty of much-needed publicity. Angie finds the perfect case happening in a small town in Indiana, leading them to quickly head out to save the day.
Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman) is at the center of the dilemma at her high school. As an open lesbian, the teen wants to bring her female date to the prom but the head of the school PTA, Mrs. Greene (Kerry Washington) announces she will cancel the dance instead of allowing that to happen. The only one on Emma's side is the principal, Mr. Hawkins (Keegan-Michael Key) yet he's unable to stop the board about the prom.
Our four stage actors burst into the PTA meeting, outraged by the decision and demand justice for the lesbians. No one in town really knows what to make of these frivolous, self-involved performers but they won't leave. The actors befriend Emma, determined to help her so that will help them in their goal of getting some great press. Meanwhile, there is a little sexual tension simmering between Principal Hawkins (who is a big fan of the actress) and Dee Dee. And Emma's date is secretly the popular cheerleader, Alyssa (Ariana DeBose), the daughter of Mrs. Greene, who had decided to use the prom to publicly come out of the closet.
The major problem with "The Prom" is that it's not nearly as much fun as it thinks it is. You can see all the effort put in to this whirling, hyper-colored fantasia yet the payoff is minor and extremely disappointing, It's clear Murphy had difficulty figuring out how to merge the lives of wacky, over-the-top, self-indulgent theater actors with the more somber political statements involving inclusivity and tolerance. And the film suffers under the weight of trying to make the story bigger and louder than it really needed to be.
The staging of the musical numbers are hampered by poor blocking and odd location settings. The dance sequences are far too slick and robotic to make any impact. The key to any successful musical, obviously, are the songs. And while the songs in "The Prom" (with music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics from Chad Beguelin) certainly moves our story forward, they felt only serviceable, leaving no lasting memory beyond the film. It doesn't help that many of the actors deliver these tunes loudly, without much subtilty or emotional investment.
It's no real surprise that Ms Streep is the best thing here. Looking an awful lot like a bedazzled Shirley MacLaine, it's always fun watching La Streep mugging while kicking up her heels and belting out a song. Ms Kidman is another one breaking out of her dramatic comfort zone and joyfully delivering her big solo number, "Zazz", full of jazz hands and Fosse-styled dance moves. They are clearly enjoying themselves yet we are left only mildly satisfied. I was less offended by Mr. Corden's performance than by the fact that he always seemed like he was delivering a performance. The popular late-night television host never for a moment comes across convincingly as a narcissistic gay actor. You can actually see him at times struggling to figure out how big he should go. And I'm gonna repeat what I've heard a few people say which is Mr. Cordon was in a role that seemed tailor-made for Nathan Lane who could have brought an effortless charm and outrageousness that was sadly lacking here.
"The Prom" seemed like a movie that would be right up my alley, featuring an inventive director, a positive story involving love and tolerance and a cast of some of my favorite actors singing and dancing. I really, really wanted to find comfort and enjoyment from this timely musical yet all I was left feeling was numb and brutalized.
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