the prom

The Prom: A Bowlful of Glitter With A Whole Lot Of Heart 

By: IMDB-joshtill-98100 

14/12/2020 

The Prom (2020) was one of my most anticipated films of 2020. As an avid broadway fan, I had heard of the smash hit musical of the same name, and listened to the soundtrack a few times. While it has never been my go-to, it always creeps up and never seems to fail at turning my frown into a smile. Just before its closure in 2019, Ryan Murphy announced that he was so moved by the project that he wanted to share it with the rest of the world, by making it a movie. I have always admired Ryan Murphys work (Glee, Hollywood, etc) so I was excited and scared to see what he would do, as this was very heavy source material. 

 The Prom tells the story of Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman), a lesbian high school student who just wants to take her closeted girlfriend Alyssa (Ariana Debose) to her senior prom. Sorely based on homophobia, the PTA of the school, led by Alyssa's mother (Kerry Washington) decides to cancel the event entirely. This catches the attention of four failing broadway stars, Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep), Barry Glickman (James Corden), Angie Dickinson (Nicole Kidman), and Trent Oliver (Andrew Rannels). Together, the four come up with the massive plan to help the girl in order gain some positive publicity, after a review called them "narcissists". As time progresses, the four retreat from their shallow thought processes and truly open up their hearts to Emma and Principal Tom Hawkins (Keegan-Michael Key) and help her find courage to speak up for herself. The scripture is beautiful, it truly makes you feel for each and every character that you cross and teaches the valuable lessons of acceptance and empathy. 

Meryl Streep as Dee Dee Allen is utter perfection, she makes the role truly fun and unique, a kind of acting that we rarely get to see from her. Her vocals are great in her songs, but her performance in "It's Not About Me" is amazing and truly breathtaking. James Corden was also great in his role as Barry, and while his accent could use some work, his overall emotional vulnerability and dedication to the role really shows. His song "Barry Is Going To Prom" is really inspiring, and while maybe not sung the best, the performance really sells it. Andrew Rannels' Trent Oliver is nothing short of hilarious, and while we are all sad that "The Acceptance Song" got shortened, he gets a big show stopping number with "Love Thy Neighbour", which is one of the best parts of the entire film. Nicole Kidman, while perfect in the role, really lacked in screen time. Her solo song "Zazz" if fun while it lasts, but is completely forgettable amongst the other songs. Keegan-Michael Key really surprised us with his singing and acting abilities in this film, same with Kerry Washington. Ariana Debose is stunning and a beautiful singer and actress. Her song "Alyssa Greene" is truly heartbreaking and really makes you feel for the character. Jo Ellen Pellman's Emma is a perfect representation of that character and both of her songs, "Just Breathe" and "Unruly Heart" are amazing and true tearjerkers. Now, with all this good, there is a little bit of downfall. First off, the synching the actors lips to the prerecorded songs was noticeable in some songs and it took away from the spectacle. Second, the major cutting of two songs, "The Acceptance Song" and "You Happened" was noticeable and really made me mad. 

Lastly, the glitz and glamour of colour in each song was kind of distracting and made it feel very overdone. Overall, The Prom is a great watch for friends and family alike. Everyone can relate to these characters and their stories. The world can learn from this movie how to be more empathetic and not live in a world based on fear. Overall, The Prom (2020) gets a 9/10.

 

 

VIDEO - THE PROM - 2020 - 9/10 - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10161886/