Meredith Willson's The Music Man (TV Film)

Meredith Willson's The Music Man (TV Film)
by Jeff Bleckner

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DVD details

Actor: Debra Monk, Kristin Chenoweth, Matthew Broderick, Molly Shannon, Victor Garber
Director: Jeff Bleckner
Brand: Disney
Producer: Jeff Bleckner
Producer: Craig Zadan
Producer: John M. Eckert
Producer: Neil Meron
Writer: Franklin Lacey
Writer: Meredith Willson
Writer: Sally Robinson
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 150 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-11-11
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

DVD Reviews of Meredith Willson's The Music Man (TV Film)

DVD Review: Good memories
Summary: 5 Stars

Definitely got excited when this first aired... a contemporary version of a musical I enjoyed.

DVD Review: Better than imagined!
Summary: 5 Stars

Not only was the price perfect, but the delivery was much faster than I had anticipated.

DVD Review: Bad to the Bone!
Summary: 1 Stars

What were they thinking? This production was just so bad...it had no charm, no magic, and no spark. To me, The Music Man is a truly mesmerizing stage production. The Preston/Jones cast did an amazing job with it back in the 1960's. This clunker stunk from the first minute to the last. I was so disappointed, and I am certain that you will be too. The singing, dancing, everything was flat. Save your money and re-watch the original.

DVD Review: Wonderful musical
Summary: 5 Stars

I bought this movie for my daughter, she loves it. If you like a lot of familiar music, then you will enjoy this movie.

DVD Review: Should have been called "The Music Woman and the Other Guy"
Summary: 3 Stars

I guess it's a case of life imitating art imitating life.

This movie is about a con man who makes money by conning small towns into thinking he's a "music man" who can save their wayward youth by organizing them into marching bands, and then when he's got their money and it's too late, he boards a train and heads out of town leaving the folks with nothing.

Now, here comes a movie claiming to be a remake of the classic musical "The Music Man", and they cast an otherwise great actor who can carry a tune, but not much more, to be the leading man in a musical! But you find this out after you've spent the time and money to watch this DVD. Anyone see the irony here?

But wait, there's less!

Most of the scenes are cramped and full of close-ups where the original had expansive sets and lots and lots of people. The original takes place on the streets and in the town square. This version takes place indoors and in back allyways.

And, the story is compressed compared to the original. They had to do about the same thing in about 45 minutes less.

So, one star for effort. One star for Patrick McKenna (Harold from the Red Green Show) at the beginning, and one star for Kristen Chenoweth, the unfathomably talented superstar that nobody in my world seems to know about, who alone makes this worth sitting through. She can sing alright, and look great doing it!

Oh yeah, there's a bonus feature on this DVD of Kristen Chenoweth singing "Till There was You" on stage somewhere. Wow.

Description of Meredith Willson's The Music Man (TV Film)

From the executive producers of the Academy Award(R)-winning musical CHICAGO (Best Picture, 2002) comes a fresh interpretation of an all-time classic. Featuring some of the most beloved songs in history, THE MUSIC MAN "is impossible to resist" raves TV Guide. Con man "Professor" Harold Hill (Tony Award winner Matthew Broderick, 1995 Best Actor, Musical) arrives in River City, Iowa, promising that he can teach the small town's children how to play in a magnificent marching band. It's all part of a big swindle, but falling in love with the town librarian (Kristin Chenoweth) wasn't part of the deal. Also starring Victor Garber and Molly Shannon, THE MUSIC MAN is an irresistible production the whole family will enjoy.

Meredith Willson's musical masterpiece is such an American classic, it deserves to be known by each new generation--and this sprightly TV-movie version spiffs it up nicely for the young folk. It's a testament to Willson's achievement that this 2003 production can survive a casting flub: the usually engaging Matthew Broderick's low-key charm is an exact mismatch for the brassy energy of traveling salesman Professor Harold Hill. When Broderick sings the words "thundering, thundering!" from "Seventy-Six Trombones," he sounds as though he's murmuring, murmuring. But he wears well (especially in a nifty "Marian the Librarian"), and he has lyrical support from Kristin Chenoweth's crystal-clear singing. Director Jeff Bleckner has a maddening tendency to cut away from the crucial moment of a scene, but the atmosphere of small-town Iowa is ably created. Adding zip is Molly Shannon, hilarious as chief busybody Mrs. Shinn. In short, the "Think System" still works. --Robert Horton

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