Incredible Writing!

Rating: 9/10 (30 January 1999)

This ambitious musical works on every level, despite the fact that it detours quite a bit from the original book from L. Frank Baum. The story, as everyone already knows, centers around young Dorothy (age indistinct in the film) and her search for "home." During her wild adventure, she survives being carried by a tornado and dumped into a surrealistic place called Munchkinland. Here she meets both the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. Glinda, already knowing how Dorothy can return to Kansas, sends her on an arduous journey down the Yellow Brick Road, where she meets the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. Throughout the film, each character clearly shows that he or she already possesses what they covet most, but the realization does not come until the end of the film.
I have viewed this film at LEAST 50 times (I saw the original 1956 airing on CBS, and was there for the final showing this past May), and I'm STILL finding something new every time I see it. For instance, did anyone else ever notice that Toto has left some wet spots on Dorothy's dress in the very beginning of the movie when she leans down in the road? For me, however, the greatest joy comes from the wonderfully rich writing ("You clinking, clanking, colossal pile of coligenous junk!") Listen carefully at Miss Gulch's threat to the Gales at the beginning of the movie ("I'll bring a damn suit against your whole farm!") Please set me straight if I am wrong. This film is timeless, if flawed by choppy editing at times. One of MY favorites, though!