No red-blooded
Iowan should grow up not seeing this film. It's a musical, certainly, but it's
the best freakin' musical ever made. You know why? Because the songs don't
bore you. They are ALL memorable, they keep the story entertaining and
charming, and it harkens back to a time when good clean fun was the pursuit of
intellectual filmmakers and not executives at Disney, who nowadays hardly know
the meaning of the word clean.
Set in River-City
Iowa (Mason City in real life) a traveling salesman who is always up to no
good comes to town seeking some suckers to fork over a load of money on band
instruments and uniforms for the youth to play, intending to take the
money and skip town after they arrive and make good with the cash. Harold Hill
(played so deliciously by Robert Preston) comes and smooth-talks himself into
the public eye, telling the distressed citizens of River City that their
children are in danger of turning bad if their minds aren't filled with
something productive. The solution of course is to create a Boys' Band, and he gets
almost the entire town behind him.
Almost. The maiden
librarian, Marion, is distrusting of him and won't buy into it. However, she
is also extremely lonely and seeks desperately to fall in love, but is only
turning away from every chance she has at romance. Her mother thinks that
Prof. Hill is the man for her, and through her own desperation and the
salesman's smooth talk she begins falling for him. The Prof only intends
to woo her until he can get the money, pretending to love her, but he begins
to find that he really does care for her and the people of the town whom he is
trying to swindle...
This film is
not only a superior musical, but it has a good story, brilliant comedy and
unbelievably excellent characters played by the best of Broadway and
songs by Meredith Wilson that show his musical genius to the fullest of his talent.
It's fun enough for kids (I should know, I've been watching it since I was
four!) and intelligent enough for adults, and complete fun for all
ages. It's set on the 4th of July, so it makes a good annual flick for that
holiday too. Best of all I love how the film makes fun of Iowans, and their
stubborn stuck up though still generous attitudes. It's a hoot from start to
finish.
I know,
you're thinking..."Doesn't he have ANYTHING bad to say about it?"
Well, yes, I do. A seven year old Ron Howard appears in it, and in my opinion
he's as bad an actor as he is a director, even as a kid. He plays a boy with a
lisp, which REALLY gets on my nerves. But no masterpiece is without its
flaws, and he's just a very small flaw. Again, I stress...SEE THIS FILM!
YOU'LL LOVE IT!
Acting:
1/2
Special effects: Nothing
to mention, save for some minor blue screen effects.
Language:
1/2 (One
girl says "e-gods!" a billion times, but come on!)
Sexual content:
Even the kissing is tame
Heart enlightenment factor:
Overall:
A Hollywood masterpiece.