Meredith Willson's The Music Man (TV Film)

Rating:
Summary: This could have been great
Review: Ah, what might have been! Visually, this remake is beautiful. The lighting makes every shot look like a faded scrapbook picture from a by-gone era (as opposed to the original 1962 movie with its garishly bright colors). Unlike in the "stagey" 1962 film, the musical numbers are imaginatively staged and filmed. Again unlike the original, this movie succeeds in looking and feeling like America in 1912 (the original to me always looks like the 1960's with period costumes tacked on). All these points come together in the opening "Rock Island" scene. Thanks to the camera work, lighting, etc., you are practically sitting on that train in the midst of that exclusive crowd! Many of the performers in this movie are excellent, especially Kristin Chenoweth with her fine soprano voice. Too bad the weak link is the leading man - Matthew Broderick. As one reviewer said, he looks as if he is sleepwalking through this performance. This salesman exudes no charisma - THIS is the "spellbinder" who swindled a whole town? Moreover, his singing voice is very weak. "Trouble", which elicited a powerhouse performance from Robert Preston, is a colossal disappointment here. While this gentler take on Harold Hill is interesting in theory, Broderick doesn't manage to pull it off. Preston's was such a strong and memorable performance that Broderick makes no impression whatsoever. This was truly a horrible miscasting. With a different leading man, this remake could have been a great success. What a shame.

Rating:
Summary: A pointless but nicely done film.
Review: The age old question - why remake a classic?
The original The Music Man is, in my opinion, one of the greatest movie musicals ever made (as I outline in my review of it). When I saw that it had been remade I was, at once, horrified and fascinated. What will they have done to improve the original? Could they improve the original? Well, the short answer is they couldn't and they haven't.
My main concern was, and is, Matthew Broderick. Although undoubtably a talented musical theatre performer (I enjoyed his performance on the Producers and the How To Suceed ... soundtracks) he is no Robert Preston, which in my books means that he's no Harold Hill! He seems to suffer from a stiff neck for the duration of the film as he hardly moves his head (maybe it's those high collars!). In some of the numbers he looks positively uncomfortable! His voice is not suited to the role and in numbers like 76 Trombones, shows itself to be very weak. The rest of the cast is good, but not in comparison with their counterparts from the original film.
The saving grace to this production is the direction and choreography. The original film is slightly stagey with it's direction (something I actually find endearing), but this one really allows us to explore River City, Iowa and meet it's residents. The choreography dares to be different from the original and I especially love what has been done with 76 Trombones. The sets and costumes are equally impressive, especially when you consider that this was made for television.
On the whole, an entertaining couple of hours but I would recommend watching Mr Preston in action first. After that, this is at it's most entertaining when reminding you of the original. Which is no bad thing!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful production, but Broderick is miscast
Review: On the whole, I prefer this 2003 Disney production of THE MUSIC MAN to the original 1962 movie version. The original was full of bright, garish colors that emphasized the cast members' age and made the supposedly turn-of-the-century high school gym look more like the one in WEST SIDE STORY. By contrast, the new version recreates the period beautifully, with muted colors that give the train, the town, the school, and the ice cream parlor the look of an old-fashioned picture postcard. The original version was also quite stagey, while the new one uses subtle camera angles to suggest the unwelcoming quality of the town in "Iowa Stubborn" and to create an almost menacing mood in the opening train number, "Rock Island." "Marian the Librarian," which looked silly in the original, here becomes a delightful "literary fantasy." And the new cast is youthful and fresh, with a Marian (Kristen Chenowith) both ravishing of voice and much more appealing of personality than the original's Shirley Jones. Chenowith's Marian is no uptight spinster but the town eccentric, an independent young woman of intelligence and humor. Disney regular Victor Garber also stands out as a pompous yet likeable Mayor Shinn.
Matthew Broderick, though, is all wrong as Harold Hill. In an interview, Broderick suggested that he wanted to create a more understated salesman than Robert Preston's famous "bass drum." But in fact Broderick's performance is simply boring. I couldn't imagine duller renditions of "Ya Got Trouble" and "Seventy-Six Trombones," for example - and if Harold Hill doesn't "sell" those two big numbers, then he is not Harold Hill. In short, though Broderick has been fine in other, less dominating musical roles, he is miscast as a fast-talking, charismatic "spell-binder."

Rating:
Summary: Musical Magic!!!
Review: I agree with some of the other reviews, that this production was not as good as the first one. It is hard to understand why Hollywood does this either on the big or small screen. Never the less, it happens and we learn to deal with it. In this case of The Music Man remake, I see a lot of improvments that was not attainable in the mid, to late 60's. The cinimatography is much better as well as styles and form of the dance numbers. I fell that if the director could use wide screen then we would see it in a whole new light. THe numbers were just too big to squeeze them on the small screen. THat is why you see the camera looking down on the numbers a lot. Other shots where the extra dancers are in the background dancing, then off to the side. If we could take the classic and the remake "shuffle" them like a deck of cards, and then we would have a far superior musical. I mean, take the remix on the new soundtrack, on and put it on the classic. THe classic sound trackis good but you can tell where the music starts and the diolag starts. Wide screen wide screen, as stated earlier that the musical numbers are far too big to have them on 4:3 size. I fell that it is a toss up between the number "Shipoppie" of the classic and the new one. However the classic number was a smidge better. The "Pick-a-Little, Talk-a- Little" number in the new one was better then the one on the classic. THe "YOU got Trouble" song on the classic was better then the new one. I loved the "Good Night My Someone" a smidge better then the one in the classic.
I agree with the another reviewer that Kristen Chenoweth was stunning. The camera loved her and she is a very very pretty woman. I feel that her performance out did Jones' by just a hair. That said, I feel that Chenoweth could have been in the classic and Jones in the new one. Robert Preston is master for the Prefessor Hill. I dont think that no body could replace him. It was like the role was written for him and him alone. I would be neat to see the chimistry between Preston and Chenoweth in those roles. Broderick was good but not like Preston. The role of Winthrop, that is a tuffy. The Professor, Marion, Momma, and Winthrorp are the central main charictors. They are the nuts and bolts of the story line. THe chimestry and reaction between them are vital for a great Music Man! I feel that the kid that played Winthrop was awsome. Ron Howard was good, but this little kid sparkled!!! He brought Winthrop's charictor in different directions, where I was amazed! So, replace Howard with the new Winthrop. Sorry dont know his name, and sorry Howard.
The classic should have lost the "play" look to it. Meaning that when the scenes changed the light would go out and then go back up to revieal a new scene, the next scene, etc. I have both films and I sometimes switch back and forth and look at the same songs that have different dance number versions.
As a whole, the classic is well, a classic. The fresh approach can be for the newer generation, but still holds that magic, "pied-piper" storyline. This version may have different dance numbers, some dialog, and scenes, but the sparkle still shines through!!! It is formost a love story that has cool music numbers, period costimes, props, and scenerys. The viewer can be "tranproted" to a simplier easy way of life. A time were cell phones, T.V., computers, and email address were not even part of the vocabulary. Sound corny, sapy, perhaps. But one cannot deny that time period did happen all the same.
Now we can "relive" it again and again every time "The Music Man" is watched.


Rating:
Summary: Just stick with the original
Review: I couldn't even stand to watch this. I watched bits and pieces of it but it is so awful. Trust me when I say just get the original. Don't waste your time with this version. However, on a plus side my kids enjoy both versions. Of course both are under 5. LOL

Rating:
Summary: A great remake for an old musical.
Review: It's been a long time since we can't go to New York to see musicals. Now you can see some of the greatest musicals on dvd. I never saw the original but I'm sure the original film and the original cast migth be amazing too. I should have it both. that's what Silvia (a friend) said when She made me see this film. As we say in Buenos Aires. INFALTABLE.

Rating:
Summary: Maybe he's miscast, but it's still good fun!
Review: The Music Man with Robert Preston is a classic and a great one and Matthew Broderick had big shoes to fill. Perhaps he did not fill them adequately. The zest is there, he seems to be enthusiastic about the whole thing, and there are really some very fun moments, but he just does not seem to embody the part of Harold Hill very well.

That does not stop this from being a great remake and this is for one reason: Kristin Chenoweth. She is not Shirley Jones. She is better. There's no denying that the girl is talented. Her voice is amazing and beautiful, but it's more than that. The emotion, the heart and soul she pours into these songs is amazing. Her rendition of "Good Night, My Someone" may very well reduce you to tears. She plays the part of Marian almost effortlessly - you'll find yourself saying Shirley who?

Other hilights include a wonderful performance by Debra Monk who almost never disappoints and Victor Garber, who will grow on you.

I think of it just as highly as the Robert Preston version.

Rating:
Summary: Kristin is BRILLIANT!
Review: I fell in love with Kristin Chenoweth's performance, when I saw the movie on TV. I've bought the movie on DVD and the CD is on the way. I can't wait to get the CD of here live performance at Carnegie Hall, when it becomes available.

A REALLY REMARKABLE VOICE!

Rating:
Summary: A fresh and pleasing movie
Review: I liked the old Music Man and have watched it several times. I always seem to walk away from it feeling like I had "maybe" enjoyed the songs. I know the songs are great, but it felt kind of force fed to me. This new Music Man holds me until the end. I have never been a huge Shirley Jones fan. I feel like I have to push my way through each of her songs. The gal in the new movie is such a joy to listen to. I can't wait to hear her interpretation of each song. She is a little stiff at the beginning of the movie, but I warmed to her with each song.

I like Robert Preston, he was a great music man, but I really found that Robert Preston was not the most romantic guy in the world. I always felt at the end of the Preston version that he really wasn't in love with Marion. I like Broderick as the music man. Not because he was such a great saleman, but because you could really tell he was a changed man by the end of the movie. You could see him falling in love with Marion. I didn't know Broderick could sing and I was wonderfully surprised with his singing (I don't think Preston really sang as much as talked his songs). I loved this movies version of "Till there was you." What a great job! Broderick and his co-star sound so good together. This song moved me and I have to listen to it several times each time I sit down to watch the movie.

The sets and costumes were very nice. The dance numbers were better than the first movie. I liked this version much more than the Preston version. If you love the Preston version, this version may disappoint you. But, if the Preston version left you, like it left me, feeling that something was wanting, try this version. You may be pleasently surprised.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful production, but Broderick is miscast
Review: This is my second review of this movie, and I have found that I have a few more observations. Has anyone noticed how wooden and mechanical Broderick's performance is? At times he sounds like he's reading cue cards, and at others his movements resemble those of a puppet, marionette, or wind-up toy. I kept looking during "76 Trombones" to see if he had any visible strings attached. And that blank face of his shows almost no expression. It's really a shame that casting Broderick ruined the whole movie, because the production has so many good points. The period small-town atmosphere is superb, Kristen Chenoweth is great, the staging in many of the musical numbers (eg. "Iowa Stubborn", "Marian the Librarian" "The Wells Fargo Wagon") is brilliant. The cast radiates youth and vitality, unlike the original 1962 version, whose shopworn cast looks like its been hanging around on the set for too long. But believe me - as far as Harold Hill is concerned, Broderick isn't worthy to shine Robert Preston's marching boots. Whereas previously we had a MUSIC MAN with superlative Harold Hill and a weak production, now the situation is reversed. So again I say, what a shame.

One final point: "Trouble" looks and sounds all wrong. Hill is here assuming the mantle of an itinerant revivalist preacher; his mesmerizing patter is like a fiery sermon. He is cataloguing rather scandalous behavior for the time, and the townspeople should be reacting with shock. Here, instead of preaching Broderick dances around like an idiot, while the people just stand there. Tell you what, Disney, why not just get a new Harold Hill and run all the scenes with him in it all over again?