Loved it. This movie will leave you with a great feeling!

Rating: 7/10 (28 June 2014)

Hardly an extra word spoken in this movie. Actors did portray the feeling of the 1960s. I know, I lived through them. You will see America in haircuts and fashions before America went long hair.
This movie with leave you with a good feeling when you leave. I love how they dressed, Classy.
This film will be especially poignant for Baby Boomers. They will be able to remember their 'teen days, before the long hair fashions appeared. Also, Baby Boomers will no doubt be amused as to how polite people are to one another oftentimes in this movie, which is another aspect of the 1950s. The 1950s were dominated by parents who taught their children to have respect.
It is no surprise to me that women who are over 45 scored this movie the highest on IMDb of all other groups. This movie is a trip down lover's lane, holding hands, pony tails, poodle skirts, and Frankie Valle tunes about adoration, caring, walking like a man, and twist parties. This was the 50's as I knew it, too.
And one of the codes of the 1950s is that boys should "walk like a man". And men should adore their women. They should give their date attention and respect. Another "code" is that debts should be repaid. And friends should be loyal even during rough times; keep a clean appearance. Be respectful to authority. To a reviewer, this may make the movie ordinary, bland, uneventful. But to a Baby Boomer, these culture traits of the 1950s will be fondly remembered especially compared to the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s.
Now, what makes this film more interesting is the understanding that the Four Seasons had connections to the mob. This fact makes their story a surprise. Note that there is minimal violence in this movie. Sexuality is muted, just as it was in movies of the 1950s. So, this movie will not titillate for this reason; rather it is a musical bringing back memories and scribing a history of the success of the musical singing group, "The Four Seasons."
This is not a movie for the modern man of 2014 who needs porn, burning cars, outrageous behavior, computer graphics, monsters, super heroes, toilet humor, and scenes with drug use to enjoy the movie. This movie has none of that.
There are some mild stereotypes used which simply add humor to this show. The language accents of the "Jersey Boys" may be of the 1950s, but not now. (Maybe New Jersey has had its accent diluted by Mid Westerners moving in over the years.)
These young men had beginnings as occasional thieves and burglars but at some point decided to capitalize on their talents so they went "straight". This story is not a "Goodfellas" story. They were never members of the mob. And they never did anything more serious than steal in their early years.
This is an adaptation of a Broadway musical by the same name. The same actors are used for this film that appeared on Broadway. And they sing in person without lip syncing on the film set. The tunes are sentimental, rock n' roll, happy tunes. A time or two the lighting is actually "stage set lighting". This type of lighting is not meant to create realism, rather it is used to simplify the scene and place the actors "on a stage" front and center. And this set=up can then be used for an actor to sing! Well, yes, they sing! So, IF YOU LIKE THESE TUNES THAT ARE SUNG, YOU WILL LIKE THIS MOVIE ALL THE MORE.
The direction of the movie is nearly flawless. I have directed stage, and I am a pro photographer. Everything he has stage blocked in this movie flows well. The timing was "on" for actor's movement every word of the way. Eastwood is a good director.
This movie has a "good message" about perseverance, being loyal to friends, honor, working hard towards success, becoming a more upstanding individual, and of course, enjoyment of romantic music. Now, how it does all this in a New Jersey "1950's culture format" is for yours to see.
The audiences I have been with are mostly gray haired Baby Boomers. I have enjoyed it equally the two times I have seen it, even after reading all of the critical reviews made by IMDb members. I wondered where these critical reviews and negative comments could come from. So, I have sorted out the comments and it seems that there are groups of people who: (1) Want a more unusual, freaky movie; (2) They cannot enjoy the movie because to them the Broadway musical is superior, (3) They are not familiar with the 1950's and have no fond memories of it to re-live, (4) They just wholesale write that everything is bad about the movie despite the fact that other people love it.
Do not have any high expectations before you go in. This is light entertainment which is funny in a clean manner. There is some disrespect thrown around. The dark side of the movie balances out the lighter parts. Eastwood did not want to make a "fluff piece". There are some serious moments of drama in the film. Do not be offended if the "f word" is used 3-4 times. This is the sole reason that it earned an "R" rating.
This is a date movie. The tunes are all "up"; good feeling music awaits you.
Now don't think about it. Just do it! Go see it!