Author: Zgamer
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Merrily We Roll Along
Directed by Rob Marshall
Written by Michael Tolkin and Bill Condon
Based on the musical by George Furth and Stephen Sondheim
Cinematography by Dion Beebe
Production Design by John Myhre
Costume Design by Penny Rose
Edited by Claire Simpson and Wyatt Smith
Cast
James Marsden as Franklin Shepard
Neil Patrick Harris as Charley Kringas
Anne Hatheway as Mary Flynn
Kate Hudson as Gussie Carnegie
Felicia Day as Beth Spencer
Seth MacFarlane as Joe Josephson
Jermaine Clement as Jerome the Lawyer
Jason Alexander as “That Producer Who Rejected Us”
Song List
Merrily We Roll Along- Company
That Frank- Frank, Mary, Gussie, Guests
Old Friends- Mary, Charley
Like it Was- Mary
Franklin Shepard, Inc.- Charley
Old Friends (Reprise)- Frank, Charley, Mary
Growing Up- Frank and Gussie
Not a Day Goes By- Beth
Now You Know- Mary, Charley, Joe, Frank and Jerome
Closing Number of “Musical Husbands”- Gussie
It’s a Hit- Frank, Charley, Mary, Beth, Joe
The Blob- Gussie and Party Guests
Growing Up (Reprise)- Gussie
Good Thing Going- Frank and Charley
Bobby and Jackie and Jack- Frank, Charley and Beth
Not a Day Goes By (Reprise)- Frank, Beth, Mary
Opening Doors- Frank, Charley, Mary, Joe, Beth, “That Producer”
Our Time- Frank, Charley, Mary
Tagline: How did you get to be here?
Synopsis
It’s 1976 and what a swell year it has been. Franklin Shepard, a Broadway songwriter turned film producer, is celebrating the première of his newest box-office bonanza in his five-star mansion. Mary Flynn, his long-time friend and secret admirer, has become a professional theater critic. And Charley Kringas, his long-time writing partner, has won a Pulitzer Prize for his latest play. It seems everyone is finally achieving their dreams.
The reality is less appealing. Frank is simply peddling empty formula films, which his lawyer Jerome advises is the best way to build his Hollywood credibility for now. Frank has pushed away everyone close to him, creating an illusion of friendship to please “The Blob” of Hollywood. The fallout from his tumultuous affair with sultry mistress, now wife, Gussie Carnegie has driven Mary into intense alcoholism and depression. Frank has also completely shut Charley out of his life after Charley’s angry and emotional meltdown during their TV interview. Frank has abandoned everyone and everything that he once held closest to his heart. He has finally achieved the success he wants, but in the back of his mind his conscience stings him mercilessly. One can only wonder how he ever got to be here…
The years roll backwards. Frank, Charley and Mary were young college students and the best of friends, filled with starry eyes and brimming optimism. Frank and Charley teamed up to write that one musical that will break them into Broadway while Mary struggled with helping them and publishing her masterpiece book. Frank wanted nothing more than to see his name in the headlines, while Charley and Mary just wanted to write shows that people would remember. Then, fate introduced several key players into their lives. The first was Beth, a peppy and talented rising performer who eventually became Frank’s utterly devoted wife. The second was Joe, a smooth talking producer who opened the doors for Frank and Charley. And the last was Gussie, Joe’s sexy wife who will seduce anyone who can help her acting career prosper.
As time rolls along, the picture becomes clearer. From the premiere of the gang’s first hit “Musical Husbands” to Frank and Beth’s messy divorce to Frank’s controversial shift to film producing, the defining moment of each person’s life comes to fruition. Was there ever one precise moment things went wrong or was this outcome inevitable from the beginning?
What the Press Is Saying
The history of Stephen Sondheim’s most personal and troubled production is well known in Broadway. It’s reverse chronology, darker subject matter and troubled characters were shunned by the audiences of the time, causing the show to go through many rewrites and changes even after its premiere. Though heralded for its music, it seemed that “Merrily We Roll Along” would be doomed to be a forever-obscure passion project. So it is amazing that Rob Marshall, clearly excited to be involved, and his stellar cast and crew chose this show to turn it into one of the year’s cinematic surprises.
“Merrily We Roll Along” does not ask you to like everything its characters do. From the get-go, we know where everyone will end up. The treat is discovering how a specific choice or moment led to that, which the film keeps in context through the reverse chronology. Ultimately, the film’s theme is that people change. Some changes are gradual and some happen without the person expecting it. However, there is a lingering optimistic support for introspection, encouraging everyone to decide who he or she wants to become before they become someone else.
That’s not to say the show is simply depressing. Marhsall and his writers have maintained a lot of the show’s inherent charm and humor, working with an immensely talented cast to give welcomed levity to the subject matter. It helps too that everyone is a fantastic singer working with a fantastic score. The harmonies are angelic, the music is infectiously catchy and there are even a couple of terrific dance routines to boast about. Props have to be given to Marshall’s direction, stellar production design, fluid camerawork, convincing age make-up and well paced editing for keeping all of this flowing with a solid momentum.
Marsden utilizes his inherent charm to sell his role as being equally a genuine guy and a bit of a scumbag. Even when Frank makes an incredibly poor choice, we are rooting for him to get his life back together. Hatheway, riding the waves from Les Miserables, brings intensity and needed levity as a genuinely good friend trying to keep everything together. The two of them, along with Harris, build a believable chemistry that makes you want to root for the best while fearing the worst.
One cannot forget the three terrific performances supporting the leads. First is Kate Hudson as Gussie, looking particularly comfortable playing a fiery temptress you will love to hate. Then there’s Felicia Day as Beth, flexing her dramatic muscles to perform one of the show’s most emotional numbers. And then there is the wonderful Neil Patrick Harris, who is finally given the chance to really showcase his skills. On top of his comedy and drama skills, his version of “Franklin Shepard Inc.” will probably be remembered as one of the very best for how emotive, humorous and pitiful he makes the scene. It is the film’s best scene for exactly the reasons you’ve been told why. And yes, Seth MacFarlane is in this movie, but he has just enough screen time to display his comedic talents, show off his musical skills and be an effective supporting role without mugging the scene. Also, kudos to the Jason Alexander cameo, who previously played MacFarlane’s role in the original show.
Merrily We Roll Along is exactly not a crowd pleaser, but it is a stellar production and should take place as one of this decade’s best musical films. A worthy companion to other notable Sondheim adaptations for sure!
Awards Possibilities
Best Picture
Best Director (Rob Marshall)
Best Actor (James Marsden)
Best Actress (Anne Hatheway)
Best Supporting Actor (Neil Patrick Harris)
Best Supporting Actress (Kate Hudson)
Best Supporting Actress (Felicia Day)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Sound Mixing
Best Editing
Best Make-Up
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Merrily We Roll Along
Directed by Rob Marshall
Written by Michael Tolkin and Bill Condon
Based on the musical by George Furth and Stephen Sondheim
Cinematography by Dion Beebe
Production Design by John Myhre
Costume Design by Penny Rose
Edited by Claire Simpson and Wyatt Smith
Cast
James Marsden as Franklin Shepard
Neil Patrick Harris as Charley Kringas
Anne Hatheway as Mary Flynn
Kate Hudson as Gussie Carnegie
Felicia Day as Beth Spencer
Seth MacFarlane as Joe Josephson
Jermaine Clement as Jerome the Lawyer
Jason Alexander as “That Producer Who Rejected Us”
Song List
Merrily We Roll Along- Company
That Frank- Frank, Mary, Gussie, Guests
Old Friends- Mary, Charley
Like it Was- Mary
Franklin Shepard, Inc.- Charley
Old Friends (Reprise)- Frank, Charley, Mary
Growing Up- Frank and Gussie
Not a Day Goes By- Beth
Now You Know- Mary, Charley, Joe, Frank and Jerome
Closing Number of “Musical Husbands”- Gussie
It’s a Hit- Frank, Charley, Mary, Beth, Joe
The Blob- Gussie and Party Guests
Growing Up (Reprise)- Gussie
Good Thing Going- Frank and Charley
Bobby and Jackie and Jack- Frank, Charley and Beth
Not a Day Goes By (Reprise)- Frank, Beth, Mary
Opening Doors- Frank, Charley, Mary, Joe, Beth, “That Producer”
Our Time- Frank, Charley, Mary
Tagline: How did you get to be here?
Synopsis
It’s 1976 and what a swell year it has been. Franklin Shepard, a Broadway songwriter turned film producer, is celebrating the première of his newest box-office bonanza in his five-star mansion. Mary Flynn, his long-time friend and secret admirer, has become a professional theater critic. And Charley Kringas, his long-time writing partner, has won a Pulitzer Prize for his latest play. It seems everyone is finally achieving their dreams.
The reality is less appealing. Frank is simply peddling empty formula films, which his lawyer Jerome advises is the best way to build his Hollywood credibility for now. Frank has pushed away everyone close to him, creating an illusion of friendship to please “The Blob” of Hollywood. The fallout from his tumultuous affair with sultry mistress, now wife, Gussie Carnegie has driven Mary into intense alcoholism and depression. Frank has also completely shut Charley out of his life after Charley’s angry and emotional meltdown during their TV interview. Frank has abandoned everyone and everything that he once held closest to his heart. He has finally achieved the success he wants, but in the back of his mind his conscience stings him mercilessly. One can only wonder how he ever got to be here…
The years roll backwards. Frank, Charley and Mary were young college students and the best of friends, filled with starry eyes and brimming optimism. Frank and Charley teamed up to write that one musical that will break them into Broadway while Mary struggled with helping them and publishing her masterpiece book. Frank wanted nothing more than to see his name in the headlines, while Charley and Mary just wanted to write shows that people would remember. Then, fate introduced several key players into their lives. The first was Beth, a peppy and talented rising performer who eventually became Frank’s utterly devoted wife. The second was Joe, a smooth talking producer who opened the doors for Frank and Charley. And the last was Gussie, Joe’s sexy wife who will seduce anyone who can help her acting career prosper.
As time rolls along, the picture becomes clearer. From the premiere of the gang’s first hit “Musical Husbands” to Frank and Beth’s messy divorce to Frank’s controversial shift to film producing, the defining moment of each person’s life comes to fruition. Was there ever one precise moment things went wrong or was this outcome inevitable from the beginning?
What the Press Is Saying
The history of Stephen Sondheim’s most personal and troubled production is well known in Broadway. It’s reverse chronology, darker subject matter and troubled characters were shunned by the audiences of the time, causing the show to go through many rewrites and changes even after its premiere. Though heralded for its music, it seemed that “Merrily We Roll Along” would be doomed to be a forever-obscure passion project. So it is amazing that Rob Marshall, clearly excited to be involved, and his stellar cast and crew chose this show to turn it into one of the year’s cinematic surprises.
“Merrily We Roll Along” does not ask you to like everything its characters do. From the get-go, we know where everyone will end up. The treat is discovering how a specific choice or moment led to that, which the film keeps in context through the reverse chronology. Ultimately, the film’s theme is that people change. Some changes are gradual and some happen without the person expecting it. However, there is a lingering optimistic support for introspection, encouraging everyone to decide who he or she wants to become before they become someone else.
That’s not to say the show is simply depressing. Marhsall and his writers have maintained a lot of the show’s inherent charm and humor, working with an immensely talented cast to give welcomed levity to the subject matter. It helps too that everyone is a fantastic singer working with a fantastic score. The harmonies are angelic, the music is infectiously catchy and there are even a couple of terrific dance routines to boast about. Props have to be given to Marshall’s direction, stellar production design, fluid camerawork, convincing age make-up and well paced editing for keeping all of this flowing with a solid momentum.
Marsden utilizes his inherent charm to sell his role as being equally a genuine guy and a bit of a scumbag. Even when Frank makes an incredibly poor choice, we are rooting for him to get his life back together. Hatheway, riding the waves from Les Miserables, brings intensity and needed levity as a genuinely good friend trying to keep everything together. The two of them, along with Harris, build a believable chemistry that makes you want to root for the best while fearing the worst.
One cannot forget the three terrific performances supporting the leads. First is Kate Hudson as Gussie, looking particularly comfortable playing a fiery temptress you will love to hate. Then there’s Felicia Day as Beth, flexing her dramatic muscles to perform one of the show’s most emotional numbers. And then there is the wonderful Neil Patrick Harris, who is finally given the chance to really showcase his skills. On top of his comedy and drama skills, his version of “Franklin Shepard Inc.” will probably be remembered as one of the very best for how emotive, humorous and pitiful he makes the scene. It is the film’s best scene for exactly the reasons you’ve been told why. And yes, Seth MacFarlane is in this movie, but he has just enough screen time to display his comedic talents, show off his musical skills and be an effective supporting role without mugging the scene. Also, kudos to the Jason Alexander cameo, who previously played MacFarlane’s role in the original show.
Merrily We Roll Along is exactly not a crowd pleaser, but it is a stellar production and should take place as one of this decade’s best musical films. A worthy companion to other notable Sondheim adaptations for sure!
Awards Possibilities
Best Picture
Best Director (Rob Marshall)
Best Actor (James Marsden)
Best Actress (Anne Hatheway)
Best Supporting Actor (Neil Patrick Harris)
Best Supporting Actress (Kate Hudson)
Best Supporting Actress (Felicia Day)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Sound Mixing
Best Editing
Best Make-Up