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By Tom Houseman
In
2001, Moulin Rouge! took the Oscar world by storm, becoming the first
musical in over a decade to get nominated for Best Picture. The film was
nominated for eight Oscars (although director Baz Lurhman did not
receive one of them) and won Best Art Direction and Best Costumes. Two
years later, Chicago solidified the return of the musical, winning six
Oscars, including Best Picture. Musicals had officially made a comeback.
Or so we thought. Since then, no musical has been nominated for Best
Picture, and only one, Dreamgirls, has come close. No matter what the
Hollywood Foreign Press says, Walk the Line and Ray are not musicals.
Many people have speculated as to why no musical has been able to reach
the same pinnacle as Moulin Rouge! and Chicago, but the truth is, none
of them have deserved it. Those two films were both fantastic, and took
risks both in the writing and directional styles. Since then, several
films have butchered their source material, and Joel Schumacher (Phantom
of the Opera), Chris Columbus (Rent), and Susan Stroman (The Producers)
have taken great musicals and turned them into mediocre films. All three
of these films had buzz going into awards season, and none of them took
advantage of it.
But all is not lost for the musical film, and this year, three musicals,
two adaptations and one original, will try and reclaim the glory of
Chicago and Moulin Rouge! and it is clear that the quality of the films
will be the main factor in determining their success. The film with the
highest profile heading into Oscar season is Sweeney Todd, from the
musical by Stephen Sondheim. This is the film with the biggest name
behind it, directed by Tim Burton, and starring Johnny Depp, Helena
Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Sweeney Todd: The
Demon Barber of Fleet Street, has been a huge hit since its revival on
Broadway, and Burton hopes turn that success into his first Best
Director nomination, as he has been passed over for excellent films such
as Ed Wood and Big Fish.
There are several concerns surrounding Sweeney Todd, mostly about
whether or not Burton and Depp can pull this film off. Burton is known
for choosing style over substance, as seen in Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory and Mars Attacks, and many fear that he will turn Sweeney Todd
into a visual extravaganza that is missing the soul of the musical.
Burton also has a poor track record with the academy, which could hurt
Sweeney Todd's chances. Depp has experience singing--he came to
Hollywood as a singer in a rock band--but the title role is a difficult
part that requires incredible range. If Burton and Depp can succeed,
then the film could be a huge hit, and will likely be a front runner for
Best Picture. But even if it stumbles, Sweeney Todd should still garner
several technical awards, and look for Alan Rickman to get a supporting
actor nomination for what could be his best part yet.
The second musical adaptation is the summer release, Hairspray, which is
based on both a musical and a film, much like The Producers was. Adam
Shankman is an odd choice for director, considering his previous films
that include Cheaper by the Dozen and The Wedding Planner, but at least
he has experience with film. The Producers was directed by Susan Stroman,
who directed the Broadway version, and her dull film direction kept that
movie from achieving its potential. The only key player from the musical
who has made it into the film is Nikki Blonsky as protagonist Tracy
Turnblad and the rest of the roles are filled by film actors, including
Amanda Bynes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, High School Musical's
Zac Efron, Christopher Walken, and John Travolta as Tracy's mother.
Hairspray might be a little too light to get the Academy's attention, as
musical-comedies without some serious edge don't usually do well at the
Oscars. It is highly unlikely the Hairspray will get nominated for Best
Picture, but I would have said the same thing a year ago about Little
Miss Sunshine, and if Hairspray is a hit, anything can happen. More
likely its best shots will be for its screenplay, and MIchelle
Pfeiffer's performance, which is garnering a lot of buzz.
The biggest wild-card for '07 musicals is Across the Universe, directed
by Julie Taymor and starring Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood. Taymor
is best known for directing The Lion King on Broadway and making the
film Frida, and is highly respected in both theater and film for
creating stunning visual spectacles. Across the Universe, which uses The
Beatles as its source for musical numbers, looks like it could be her
best film yet. The film will probably be too weird for the Academy to
fully embrace, but with Taymor behind the camera, it has a shot.
Although the film was hurt be the power struggle between Taymor and
producer Joe Roth, if the final result hits with critics, it could snag
a couple of nominations. Wood, who has been waiting for her first
nomination since Thirteen came out, could score a Best Actress nod, and
the film could get several technical award nominations, but unless it is
able to build a lot of support, Best Picture seems beyond its reach.
So with Sweeney Todd leading the way, musicals could have a big impact
on the Oscar race this year, or they could fizzle and be forgotten
quickly. Musicals certainly won't be disappearing any time soon, but if
they keep on being as bad as they've been in the past few years, they
will stop being a factor in the Oscar race, and the glory of Moulin
Rouge! and Chicago will quickly become a memory.
Will AMPAS sing along with this year's musical films? Discuss it in our
forum!
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