The Fantasticks

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source: The Fantasticks

Trailer—The Fantasticks

The Fantasticks

I was the focus puller on the film and quite frankly, if you go to most theaters today, you'll see A LOT worse. Let's take it out of the box and hear all of Harvey and Tom's great music and let's relish in the tremendous images of Fred Murphy, ASC.

I wasn't completely disappointed with the film "adaptation" of "The Fantasticks". It had a number of enjoyable cast members in it. That's why I felt generous enough to give it a 2 rating. If not for the likes of Joel Grey or Bernard Hughes or Teller, I would have figured out a way to give it a negative number. As a fan of the stage version (and a former cast member) I was not just dismayed to see some of the best numbers reduced or in some cases replaced or removed, I was actually hurt that anyone could mangle so completely such a simple, eloquent musical. I can only hope that now that the original off broadway production has closed someone will come along and make a real film of one of the best musicals ever written.

So far, I have seen more than five stage productions of "the Fantasticks" including one at the Sullivan Street Playhouse back in 1962; and I am going to see another one at the Snapple Theater Center (Jerry Orbach Theater) in New York. Yes, folks, as of this date "The Fantasticks" is still playing. There was a short interim when the Sullivan Street Playhouse was torn down to make way for a high rise in 2002. Most of the reviews of the movie are indicative of two views. If one hasn't seen "The Fantasticks" on stage or heard the original score in its entirety, the movie "ain't" that bad. However, after more than 50 years running, and after thousands of international and summer stock productions, the play has had a lot of critically biased audience when they view the film. It might have been better if the makers of the movie had just filmed a stage production. The results might have been the least expensive and longest running film ever produced.

It's a mystery to me why this film sat on the shelf for 5 years. It's no masterpiece, but it's colorful and entertaining. The songs are beautiful and well performed by ALMOST the entire cast. The story is interesting but gets confusing at the half-way point--I'm assuming it's because of the 15 minutes cut out of the original print. Unfortunately there's one huge problem with the movie--Joey McIntyre. He can sing OK, but sounds bad compared to everyone else. And his acting is horrendous! At one point he's trying to be romantic with his girlfriend on a porch bench--he was so bad the audience I had was in hysterics by the end of the scene. Also, he's not good-looking at all (sorry!) and just unbelievable. Without him this might have been a great musical. Sadly, it just misses the mark. Still worth seeing though.

This is a film that could have had a lot going for it. I liked the set, which was a clever solution of how to film a play with such a minimalist set. But how could they destroy the material like this? This is one of those handful of musicals ("Oklahoma!", "Fiddler on the Roof," "Guys and Dolls" are some others) where everyone knows the opening song. "Try to Remember" is totally eliminated at the beginning, and at the end, El Gallo sings only two of the three verses. "Plant a Radish," one of the show's highlights, is totally gone (except on the DVD as an "extra"). Some of my favorite moments on the CD are Jerry Orbach's poetic narrations, especially "You wonder how these things begin." Here, only one of the three--or rather half of one--is preserved. There should be a rule somewhere that if you don't like the original you shouldn't get to film it. Would it be too much to ask if

A wonderfully cast and colorful film about the wickedness of the world and how, if we are not careful, we can lose not our innocence, which none of us has anyway, but our purity--our holiness. The villain who steps into the lives of the four peaceful people on the plain is at first hard to discern. Is he evil? Is he neutral and only having fun at the expense of the unaware? Or, could it be? Maybe he is actually something like a guardian angel who saves the young couple from ruin by allowing them to see the world from the safety of the stage--as actors playing parts instead of actual victims of real-life thieves, prostitutes, drug dealers, and--in the girl's case--psychic vampires. This one really sets well with me. It is unique--nothing else like it that I am aware of. I'd definitely see it again, and again, and maybe even again.