Grease

Rating: 9/10 (7 September 2005)

This is the highest-grossing musical movie of all time, with many memorable pop style songs it is certainly one of my most favourites, based on the successful Broadway production, directed by Randal Kleiser (The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, The Blue Lagoon, Honey I Blew Up the Kid). Basically in 1958, teenagers Sandy Olsson (introducing Golden Globe nominated Olivia Newton-John) and Danny Zuko (Golden Globe nominated John Travolta) meet each other at the beach while on vacation and fall in love spending the summer together, Sandy worries they will never see each other again when she returns Australia, he assures her it is only the beginning for them. On the first day of senior year at Rydell High, Danny is the leader of greaser gang the T-Birds, his fellow gang members are second in command and Danyy's best friend Kenickie (Jeff Conaway), Sonny (Michael Tucci), Doody (Barry Pearl) and Putzie (Kelly Ward). Sandy meanwhile has enrolled at Rydell after her parents' changed their plans, she is unaware of Danny's presence, as is Danny of hers. Sandy has made friends with Frenchy (Didi Conn), a member of the T-Birds female equivalent group the Pink Ladies, the group's leader is members are Betty Rizzo (Stockard Channing), and other members are Jan (Jamie Donnelly) and Marty (Dinah Manoff). At lunch Sandy and Danny tell their friends about meeting each other over the summer, Rizzo finds out Sandy is talking about Danny, she deviously arranges a surprise meeting, Danny is excited to see her, but acts cool in front of the T-Birds, which hurts Sandy's feelings, but at a slumber party with the girls she laments missing Danny. After the T- Birds help repair Kenickie's car Greased Lightning, Danny asks Coach Calhoun (Sid Caesar) to help him find a sport so he can impress Sandy, she has started dating football player Tom (Lorenzo Lamas), having tried various sports Danny eventually settles on track sprinting, and rekindles his relationship with Sandy. Danny and Sandy's date attempt is crashed by both the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies, who are gradually pairing off, Kenickie and Rizzo have an argument and the two groups leave, Frenchy is left alone pondering dropping out of high school to attend beauty school, she is visited by her guardian angel (Frankie Avalon) who advises her to go back to high school. Weeks later it is the school dance, Rydell High has been picked for a live national TV broadcast on National Bandstand, hosted by DJ Vince Fontaine (Edd Byrnes), Rizzo and Kenickie try to score off against Leo (Dennis C. Stewart), leader of rival greaser gang the Scorpions, and his on-and-off girlfriend Cha Cha (Annette Charles), while Danny and Sandy go together, Cha Cha was once Danny's girlfriend, she pairs with Danny as the final dance is underway, Sandy leaves alone and upset, while Danny and Cha Cha win the national dance-off. Days later Danny takes Sandy to a drive-in theatre and apologises, but then makes some quick passes that cause her to leave, meanwhile Rizzo tells Marty in confidence she thinks she is pregnant as she has missed her period, this is overheard and quickly passed to Kenickie, the potential father, but his phrasing to make things right offends her, she tells him it was someone else, in spite, Rizzo laments being rumoured as promiscuous, Sandy finds and comforts her, the two finally become friends. Kenickie has set up a race between him and Leo at local racing spot "Thunder Room", the winner will get the loser's car, Putzie inadvertently knocks Kenickie on the head, concussing him, Danny takes his place, Sandy watches from afar, Danny wins the race, but cannot celebrate completely without Sandy, she realises she loves him, but decides to change herself to be with him, asking French to help her do so. The school year ends and all students attend a graduation carnival, Kenickie and Rizzo reunite, she has found out she is not pregnant, they reform their relationship, Danny and everyone is stunned when Sandy shows up with a new bad girl image, she and Danny share a dance and proclaim their love for each other, and the film ends with everyone celebrating and singing together, with Danny and Sandy soaring away into the sky in Greased Lightning. Also starring Eve Arden as Principal McGee, Joan Blondell as Vi and Dody Goodman as Blanche. Travolta, who made an impact in Saturday Night Fever the year before, and Newton-John are fantastic as the loved up innocent teens, Channing gives a great performance as the unruly one, and the supporting cast members get their roles right as well. The best songs of the film (three featured in 1990's "The Grease Megamix") are: Golden Globe nominated opening song "Grease (Is the Word" by Frankie Valli, written by Barry Gibb, "Summer Nights" (UK number one and number 70 on 100 Years, 100 Songs), Oscar nominated "Hopelessly Devoted to You", "Greased Lightnin'", "Beauty School Dropout", Golden Globe nominated "You're the One That I Want" (number 62 on The 100 Greatest Number One Singles) and ending song "We Go Together". This works well as a nostalgic swing into the 1950s, with a sweet love story, there are mild elements of the dramas teenagers face, but more than anything there are plenty of toe-tapping songs to sing along and dance to, a highly enjoyable romantic musical. It was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy. John Travolta was number 46 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, he was number 38 on The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols, he was number 63 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons, and he was number 46 on The World's Greatest Actor, the film was number 20 on 100 Years of Musicals, it was number 97 on 100 Years, 100 Passions, it was number 16 on The 100 Greatest Family Films, it was number 12 on The Ultimate Film, and it was number 1 on The 100 Greatest Musicals. Very good!