"Mamma Mia!" Says (Sings) It ALL!

Rating: 10/10 (19 August 2008)

The new Meryl Streep & Pierce Brosnan musical "Mamma Mia!" qualifies as a feel-good, passionate celebration of life, love, and happiness rolled up into a screwball comedy of errors. Executive producers Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks obtained the rights to the long-running West End London stage play that knits the songs of the Swedish rock group ABBA into the narrative. "Mamma Mia!" has been running on stages around the world since 1999. Indeed, ABBA's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia!" was the inspiration for the title. Although the band provided their popular disco-era songs, this musical comedy concentrates on a cast of characters that has nothing to do with ABBA. You could compare "Mamma Mia!" with the somewhat similar 2007 musical "Across the Universe" that integrated Beatles tunes into its tragedy-laden plot, except "Mamma Mia!" is ten times better.
Originally, British playwright Catherine Johnson adapted the "Mamma Mia!" plot from the obscure 1968 Gina Lollobrigida comedy "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell." Despite its effervescent plot, however, you have to groove on ABBA's tunes because Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus's lyrics permeate the plot. Furthermore, people that loathe disco music should avoid this musical like the plague. Otherwise, this chick flick ranks as first-rate entertainment, and Johnson's screenplay empowers women and ripples with surprises galore. English director Phyllida Lloyd knew a thing or two about "Mamma Mia!" before she helmed it because she directed the Broadway play version.
Blond, never-married, single-mom, Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep of "The Devil Wears Prada"), operates a quaint little hotel, the Villa Donna, perched atop a mountain on the tiny remote Greek island of Kalokairi in the Mediterranean Sea. Donna's 20-year-old daughter Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried of "Veronica Mars") lives with her, and Sophie is preparing for her wedding to Sky (Dominic Cooper of "The Escapist") at the hotel. Sophie wants desperately to know the identity of the father that she never knew so that he can give her away at her wedding. She swipes her mom's secret diary and discovers three prime suspects. Although she has no idea which one of the three sired her, Sophie decides to mail them wedding invitations. She convinces herself that once she lays eyes on them that she will recognize her dad. Divorced architect Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan of "GoldenEye"), rich investment banker Harry Bright (Colin Firth of "Bridget Jones' Diary"), and globetrotting Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård of "Good Will Hunting) all receive Sophia's invitations and rush off to Kalokairi. Mistakenly, the three men think that Donna has invited them to the wedding. Anyway, Sam and Harry miss the last ferry for the island, but Bill owns a sail boat and welcomes them aboard. They reach the island and Sophie intercepts them. The surpriseas it turns outis on Sophie. She cannot figure out which is her father! Meanwhile, Donna's close friends, a writer named Rosie (Julie Walters of "Educating Rita") and a wealthy thrice divorced dame Tanya (Christine Baranski of "Chicago"), arrive for Sophie's wedding. Desperately, Sophie hides the three guys in a goat house to keep her mother from learning about their presence on the island. Eventually, Donna discovers Sam, Harry, and Bill. Initially, she is overjoyed that the three have come to Kalokairi, but then she takes a different attitude and asks them to leave. Of course, they cannot and won't at this point because they want to see who sired Sophie. They retreat to Bill's boat. Sophie learns things about her hippie mom that she didn't know. Young Donna indulged in a carefree, rebellious, lifestyle that included lots of sex with all three men at different times. Donna knew that she was pregnant with Sophie not long after her last lover left. She refused to share the information about the birth of her daughter with Sophie's dad. Moreover, Donna's stern mother refused to take her pregnant daughter back so Donna stuck around in the Greece and had Sophie. The mystery that everybody tries to resolve for the rest of the action is the identity of Sophie's dad.
"Mamma Mia!" radiates rainbows of infectious energy, in part owing to its array of ABBA songs. The champagne frothy, transcendental music of ABBA imbues this innocuous movie with lighter-than-helium buoyancy. Indeed, audiences could literally dance in the aisles for the movie seems like a concert with a plot. Director Phyllida Lloyd keeps those few quiet, introspective moments of intimacy to a minimum. Although "Mamma Mia" is a chick flick, it is neither a heartbreaker nor a tearjerker. Nobody dies from a sudden bout of cancer. Furthermore, this madcap comedy of errors doesn't have a dull moment. Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, and Christine Baranski must have been dosed up with Ritalin. Rarely do they sit around and talk. They are dancing, singing, and cavorting about a scenic Greek island, and they look like that had a terrific time. What makes "Mamma Mia!" so enjoyable is the elaborate way that the ABBA tunes have been worked in to compliment the film's themes. The cast, especially 59-year old Streep, does a great job of belting out chartbusters like "Super Trouper," "Dancing Queen," "Knowing Me, Knowing You," "Thank You for the Music," "Money, Money, Money," "The Winner Takes It All," "Voulez Vous," "I Have a Dream," and "SOS." Moreover, the resolution to the mystery of Sophie's dad and the surprises that occur as a result will keep you guessing. If you missed taking a summer vacation, you can take a chance on "Mamma Mia!" The lush Greek scenery, the entertaining storyline, and the enchanting performances will transport you out of the doldrums.