With the summer movie season, a lot of people have *the movie* that they want to see on opening night with several friends. For me, Mamma Mia! was that movie. I appreciate that some people don't like Abba or musicals or "chick flicks." And several reviewers had problems with Mamma Mia's plot (or near absence of) - fair enough. Here's what I enjoyed about the movie (some of this also applies to the musical and look out if you don't like spoilers.)
- I'm not wild about the expression "girl power" but Mamma Mia! is all about girl power. Donna (Meryl Streep) is a single parent and runs her own business. She and her awesome girl friends were in a band back in the day and while they're not as young as they used to be they are still fabulous. One of them is a famous writer!
- The femaie characters, especially Donna and her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) are independent and spunky. All of the women in the movie are sexual without being slutty and outspoken without being bitchy. One of Sophie's three possible fathers offered Donna a check at one point and she tore it up. Donna complained about how the hotel is falling apart but when one of the possible fathers tried to help, she rebuked him because she could take care of herself.
- Donna and Sophie both had their groups of girl friends who supported and loved them. When Donna tearfully told her friends that she didn't know who Sophie's father is, they cheer her up and get her back on her feet (with booze, pills and hair spray because they are great friends).
- None of the characters are judgmental. Donna's friend teased her for having had three partners in one summer but only in jest. The same friend gets ribbed gently for having been divorced a few times but it's all in good fun. Sophie started out wanting to know who her father is and became frustrated with her mother for not knowing but by the end she didn't care because she loved her mother. No one judged Sophie for choosing to get married at age 20.
- When it's time for her wedding, Sophie asked Donna to give her away.
- One of the younger men flirted with one of the older women. It's all good! One character came out at the end and no one even blinks.
- One of Donna's friends was attracted to one of Sophie's possible fathers so she told him and they got together.
My mother loved musicals and Abba and "Mamma Mia!" "Dancing Queen" is required playing at family weddings and it's a song that all the women in my family dance to together. I recently became engaged and I can't wait to dance with the strong, amazing women I know like my sisters and my aunts and my cousins and best friend and grandmother to "Dancing Queen" (not to mention "We are Family" and "I Will Survive"). Seeing Mamma Mia! reminded me of how excited I am to be getting married.
My mother and I saw Rent in theaters and I looked over at my mother after the opening scene, where the characters all sang "Seasons of Love" together. My mother looked at me and said that that was all she needed to see to be happy and I thought how silly that was because the Rent movie was kind of bad. When I found myself smiling even though my face hurt in Mamma Mia! even though it's not a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination (ahem, Pierce Brosnan singing), I knew my mother understood.
And that is why I loved seeing Mamma Mia! If you're looking for a summer movie that makes you think, Mamma Mia! is not your movie but if you want to leave the theater happy, I highly recommend. Happy viewing!
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I LOVED THIS MOVIE! I watched it on my own and then I brought my mother, who also loved it. I loved every minute. I wanted to run out and buy the DVD, but sadly I have to wait.
Thanks for writing about this.
I've seen this twice already!!
We did an event with out move theater (I run a charity) so I saw it then and loved it so much I took my staff and friends (9 of us) this week.
One friend commented that it was a wonderful movie for older women.
The second time I cried. My daughter is off to college this fall, and the movie is as much about letting go as a single mom too.
She was with me and just patted me on the head!
Did you just say 'slutty' ?
UGH.
That's so funny! I came away a bit ticked at the stereotypes this movie perpetuated. On the surface, Donna is a strong, single woman, but then it comes out she's not so happy and wishes she had a man to make it all better. And that song that the boy sings to the younger daughter about being so jealous of her when she talks to other guys? Red flag what? I did like the strong female friendships shown, though.
i second the comment on the use of the term 'slutty'. aren't we passed that by now? are we still operating within the negative connotations that exist around the use of that word in relation to women's sexuality? and are opinionated women still considered bitchy as well? not to mention the fact that we're praising a film that upholds, maintains, and celebrates a heteronormative framework of gender and sexuality. i guess my point is that this film isn't as radical and subversive as we might like to think ... it seems pretty mainstream to me.
the Rent movie was kind of bad
Compared to the stage show, yes. But I think that taken on its own the film version of Rent is actually a very good movie.
I haven't seen Mamma Mia the movie yet, but I saw it on stage several years ago and loved it. I can't wait to see the film.
f.y.i. the comment i posted starting with "i second the comment on the use of the term 'slutty'". it was posted under the name LibbyC when it was contributed by feminista.