Elizabeth Goldman
Staff Writer
“The Prom” is a fantastic movie based on the Broadway musical that opened in 2018. This fun film is the perfect movie for 2020 because although there are some cheesy moments, it is a light-hearted, funny and entertaining movie that is best categorized as a feel-good film.
With fun choreography, an incredible cast, a captivating plot, and important themes about inclusivity that are presented in a wonderful way, “The Prom” is a sensational movie. The film stays fairly true to the original musical, but hard-core fans of the musical may be disappointed to find that some favorite songs were omitted or shortened to fit the movie.
Starring the brilliant and insanely talented Meryl Streep, hilarious James Corden, and outstanding Nicole Kidman, among other incredibly skilled actors, the movie is an absolute must watch for anyone who doesn’t have a strong dislike of musical theater. This movie, adapted for screenplay by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin, and directed by the creator of Glee, Ryan Murphy, is a heart-warming movie about acceptance.
The movie centers around four conceited Broadway actors helping an Indiana LGBT teen who was denied an inclusive Prom. With a fairly long run time of two hours and twelve minutes, this movie is long but never gets redundant or slow.
The acting is incredibly captivating, although it is to be expected considering the amazing cast. The actors take the already brilliant script and bring it life, giving the audience chills, and making them both cry and laugh out loud. Their acting is realistic and deep as they simultaneously portray so many different layers of their characters.
Being a movie centering around an LGBT teen’s right to go to her highschool’s prom, many important thematic topics such as love, family, and tolerance are dealt with. It not only mentions these themes, it also brings up points that could help put things in perspective for someone who is not supportive when it comes to LGBT rights.
The complex plot and perfect pacing make this film’s potentially heavy topic easy to digest and the long run-time a positive component. The writing and plot definitely have heavy and emotional moments, especially for those who have deeper personal connections to the story, but they are offset by humor in a flawless balance.
The fun choreography and exciting lights and sets captivate the audience, making the movie almost as exciting as watching a production on a stage. Spectacular ensemble dance numbers, including one especially entertaining flash mob number, break up the movie so as not to be redundant with dialogue, as well as making the movie hard to turn away from.
Some songs from the original musical such as “The Acceptance Song” and “You Happened”, were shortened for the film, and while this is to be expected when a musical is adapted into a movie, it may be slightly disapointing for hard-core fans. Despite this, the movie generally stays very true to the original musical, not only in the plot, but in the choreography, dialogue, and sets as well.
Overall, “The Prom” is a wonderfully heartwarming movie about acceptance and inclusivity. It contains a perfect mix of funny and serious moments with phenomenal acting by many brilliant actors. This movie stays true to the musical from which it is adapted, while still being its own entity.
“The Prom” was released on Netflix on Friday, Dec. 11. It is rated PG-13.
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