Mattie: Hi, Patty. Mattie. Hey, I’ve got a hankering to see a movie. Seen anything worthwhile this summer? Something appropriate for a Christian audience?
Patty: Well, there’s not much out there that’s decent right now, but I think I can recommend Nancy Drew and Hairspray.
Mattie: Nancy Drew? You mean that teenage girl sleuth? I read Nancy Drew novels when I was a girl.
Patty: She’s the one. There have been a couple of film and TV versions in the last few years, but this one is a lot better than those. This time Nancy and her father are in L.A. for several months, and Nancy’s father tries to get her to swear off sleuthing while they’re in California. That’s impossible for Nancy, of course.
Mattie: So what did you like about it?
Patty: The values. Nancy is an old-fashioned girl who believes in doing what’s right. Her idea is that you develop your own style and don’t worry about what the popular kids (at Hollywood High in this case) think of you. In other words, don’t try to be cool.
Mattie: Is there any substance to the movie?
Patty: Actually, there is. It says a lot about close relationships between parents and children. Nancy and her father have a good relationship, and there’s more that I won’t tell you now because it would ruin the surprise.
Mattie: OK. Now what was the other movie? Hairdo, or something like that?
Patty: Hairspray. Did you ever watch American Bandstand when you were young?
Mattie: Sure did. I loved it.
Patty: Well, Hairspray is a take-off on that show. Bandstand was set in Philadelphia; Hairspray is set in Baltimore, and Corny Collins is the Dick Clark figure.
Mattie: So why did you like it?
Patty: Well, it’s fun, and it has a good underlying message. It’s about an overweight girl named Tracy who’s a great dancer. She wants to dance on the Corny Collins show, but a snooty, racially prejudiced upper-class woman blocks her in favor of her own daughter. Tracy hooks up with some black kids who love to dance, and they start a move to integrate the TV show. It’s not really political, though; it just emphasizes what black and white people can do together. The acting is absolutely terrific, and there’s good singing and dancing.
Mattie: Oh, yeah … isn’t that the movie where John Travolta plays a woman?
Patty: Yep. He plays Tracy’s mother, but there’s nothing offensive in that. I think he just took it on as an acting challenge. The movie does get a little raw at times, but it’s rated PG.
Mattie: Sounds like a winner. Want to go see it again?
My Ratings:
Nancy Drew: 3 stars (PG)
Hairspray: 3 ¼ stars (PG)
No comments:
Post a Comment