Mamma Mia!

Adapted from the wildly successful Broadway show, this turned out to be one of the most successful musicals of the past decade and with good reason.  If I had to pick one word to describe it, it would have to be uplifting, in spite of the many bittersweet moments that don’t necessarily spell out the word “joy.”

Mamma Mia!’s screenplay is not memorable, and some actors aren’t that great either, especially when they have to sing and dance (primarily Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth, who come across as a little stiff).  No matter, because the strength of Mamma Mia! lies in its soundtrack, which is the reason why it ultimately works so well.

The legendary Swedish group ABBA’s songs, to whose lyrics the screenplay is adapted, are sung with such passion and joy by the four female leads that they inevitably bring you along for the ride, making you want to sing and dance and laugh and cry with them.

My two favorites are actually not the most famous ones, like “Mamma Mia!” or “Dancing Queen,” but rather “The Winner Takes It All” and “Slipping Through My Fingers,” both sung in such a heartfelt way by my beloved Meryl Streep.  The second tune especially, brought a tear to my eyes thinking of the day when our Nicole will be getting married.

Amanda Seyfried, whom I already knew from the TV show Big Love, is not only a good actress, but a fine singer as well.  It will be interesting to watch her career progress as she’s so young, but clearly a very talented girl.

Mamma Mia! has its flaws but the end result is so unabashedly bubbling with glee, you’ll be sad it eventually comes to an end.

Grade: 8