Jottings - Slice of life - 434 ( “The Prom” - a heartwarming movie, and romping performances by an ensemble cast)
I have been watching Meryl Streep for at least thirty years, and I cannot remember a film where her performance was below par. In the annals of Hollywood, Streep has to be right at the top of the list. In over seventy-five movies, the sheer magic that she brought to each character she played, the versatility and choice of her roles, her preparation and commitment, and flawless execution each time the director shouts “ shoot” — is exemplary. Streep is not naturally blessed with an hourglass figure or blonde hair, but it doesn’t matter. She transforms herself to become beautiful when the character needs to, and that is the hallmark of a genius. Just as a chameleon changes color and translucency when it slithers into a new environment; Streep can, at a moment’s notice, change her entire demeanor as the scene demands. This complete transformation and absorption into each role are what sets Meryl Streep apart from most others. And thankfully, at seventy-one years of age, she is still going strong and is nowhere close to calling it a day.
“The Prom” the broadway musical turned movie, released last month, on Netflix and in the theaters, is a testament to what Streep’s mesmerizing presence can do to a straightforward feel-good tale. I thoroughly enjoyed the film. At the end of a strange year, with pain and gloom precipitously hanging in the air every single moment, Prom is a release, a simple tale ( with deep significance) told with music and style. It is about how a girl (Emma) is refused her Prom when she decides to bring her girlfriend as her partner. Emma is sixteen and a declared lesbian ostracized by her parents for her “abnormality”. She lives with her grandmother and eagerly awaits this prom to show off her partner. But that was being denied to her by the PTA of the school because a prom is traditionally strictly a boy-girl affair. For those who are new to the idea of Prom, it is a tradition in the West ( mostly) for young graduates to formally bring their girlfriend or boyfriend to a school organized ball after the term is over. The event signifies a coming of age for the couple, and in many cases an open acknowledgment of an ongoing relationship. Whatever it is, girls and boys eagerly await invites from their sweethearts. The best looking girls and the most handsome boys are often under public scrutiny to see who they bring to the ball. To be a prominent Prom girl or boy is a status symbol, remembered long after those halcyon days of youth are over.
The broadway team of Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and James Corden ( what are ensemble cast) are looking for a cause to bolster their fading popularity on Broadway. They hit upon a tweet about Emma’s sad prom story and decide to make their presence felt in Indiana to fight for Emma’s cause. When they arrive there, the reality sinks in, and the matters take a different turn. In the end, the Prom does happen, and Emma gets to bring her girl along, and everybody is happy and cheerful.
When a Broadway show becomes a cinema, Music will be the key. And in the film, it is the music that permeates and enlivens the essence of each character. When happy, they sing; when traumatized, they sing; when melancholy, they sing mournfully. There is definitely something about a song, which a dialogue can never capture. The musicality of the scene and the emotion it portrays pierces our hearts and fills them up with unusual warmth. Streep is the prime diva of the group, and she gets to perform some of the most haunting numbers. And without question - she does those sequences with consummate and ease and style. Another normal day in the park for her. Director Ryan Murphy had little role to play. The august star cast took care of most of the details. Lyrics by writers Matthew Sklar and David Klotz are simple, beautiful, and pregnant with meaning. Most of the songs are sung by the actors themselves, hence their performances ring very true.
All in All, this is a perfect movie for a cold Christmas weekend. A very deep and relevant message, packaged in music, performed with the necessary gravitas by all the actors, and still retaining the magical effect of a broadway entertainer. This is certainly not a classic or a movie made with the pretensions of finding a place in the Academy list. This is a simple movie that tells a socially relevant story and in a manner that only cinema can showcase. It is perhaps twenty minutes longer than what it could have been, but that’s ok. Who would not want to see such a cast continue their show for a few more minutes? I will not complain.
My only promise to you is this: when you watch this film, you will never know where your two hours disappeared.
God bless…
yours in mortality,
Bala
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